Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1895-02-21

The ''why" dawned upon me as clear
| as the sunlight. / was no longer a
| dreamy, drowsy angler sitting on the
bank of a sluggish muddy stream wait
ing patiently for the fish to come TO
me; but dropped my pole and can of
| worms, grabbed sharp spear, sought
| the clear water, and wad-.d in after
| them. At the close of this term was
| master of Rays 3rd Part" But even
| this professor did me similar injury
| through his ignorance of a higher
| branch. He told me that the Sanskrit
was the ancient Egyptian language.
| believed it. All young pupils believe
everything the teacher tells them.
Four years later, after l had taught
four terms. again entered school. and
there | studied Etymology. and then
found out that there was no linguistic
connection whatever between our par
ent tongue and Egyptian hieroglyphics.
formed habits of mispronunciatian
and of inaccurate grammatical con-
strnction under the guidance of incom-
petent teachers. which annoy me even
yet. For example. the first time I
heard the word chiralric pronounced
it was accented on the second syllable.
and thus pronounced it every time I
used it or read it for several years.
And so l might go on quoting scores
of the faults given me by my early in
structOrs and, what l regret worse.
| transmitted to my pupils in my early
career as a teacher.
After the lapse of eight years. after
great changes had been wrought in
my brain, visited the school-house
where learned to ''work my first ex-
amples" in Proportion. Instead of the
stern, sturdy six footer who kept the
school a decade before, was slender,
soft-toned maid of 35 summers. The
advanced arithmetic class was at the
board. Crhe house now had black
board in it, The class numbered and
proceeded with the examples corre-
spending to their respective numbers.
"Attention!" said the teacher, mo. /.
read your answer" Correct!
Take first example on next page"
And thus she went down the line hear
ing answers and saying Erase and take
another example" Did they explain?
No; but she sometimes showed them
how to '.work il" provided they posi-
lively refused to fish" any longer.
And every body liked HER; and the sto-
ry went up with her praises that she
had taught seventeen schools and had
always given satisfaction; and as evf-
dence of their faith in her fitness. the
patrons OF my ALMA MATER employed
her again the following year. How's
| that for teaching in this the last decade
Of the famous nineteenth century,
This is not the only example OF anti
that can cite from the store of my
observation, nor is it product of my
imagination gotten up for the occasion.
| can. If it were necessary, find ample
proof for every statement have made.
As Prof. Vance said of the gang"
Just draa0 me on and IW,H reveal sUeigh-
tier truths than the aboUe.
Now, Mr.. Editor, we are ready for
the conclusion, the moral, and the ex-
hortations.
The conclusion is. that school-keep-
ing is not school-teaching, learning is
not all of education, and skill In the
administering OF .'hazel-juice" is not
all of school-discipline. So long as
fogies teach, just so long will fogyism
prevail and so long will back-Woods.
WEST END, and the like be terms of
reproach.
The moral" is, that teachers should
never pretend to know what they do
not know nor impart to pupils as truth
anything not backed by standard an-
thority; and that pupils should npt sim
ply drink in what the teacher tells
them but should demand an opportu-
nifty to investigate for themselves.
And the exhortation is. that ..Old
Fogy" read Page and Raub and Bald
win with special reference th the def
uition of Education and the qualifca-
tions and responsibility of the teacher
before taking another hitch at
Feb. IL, 1895. NORMALITE.