The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1895-04-16
NOMADfC TEACHERS.


detrimental to our schools, notwith-
standing it is considered otherwise by
u great many of our school officers.
The teacher who finds himself in
new neighborhood and strange
school every year, can not do the work
he might otherwise do, were he en-
cOuraged and sustained in Il position.
permanent in reasonable degree at
least. Ii is an established fact that
no school can be Il complete success
unless the teacher is familiar with
the character and disposition of ev-
cry pupil u"dcr his control. One
term of school scarcely suifices for
him to familliarize himself with these,
and consequently, the work ofa teach
er in n new schor! must, IN meas
ure be done at random.
1t would, indeed, take very strong
argument To convince Vny Intelligent
farmer that he might transplant, from
one orchard to another his choicest
fruit teees, year after year, and at
harvest time gather greater album.
dance of fruit from these transplant
Ell trees, than if he had allowed them
to grow where they were originally
planted. Yet many of those same
persons are willing to see their chill
dren-the trees from which they cx-
pect to reap the golden fruit of ripen-
ing intelligence and noble citizenship
- transpamied yearly from the pro-
lection and instruction of one teach
er to that of another. Are not those
trustees who annually employ Il new
teacher acting about rs wisely us the
farmer who would yearly transplant
his fruit trees?
When will the officers and patrons
of our public schools learn to exercise
common business wisdom in the Sc
lection Of teachers? In some commu
mites the saving is almost proverbial
that Il teacher should not teach the
same school more than once The an
nual change of the teacher is appa-
renlly considered essential to the pro.
gress of the school Like the men on
n checker board, our teachers, with
ever ready KNAPP sacks, jump from one
ncighborhoOd to another, in Il state
of continual uncertainty. This no.
madc life has become so habituaI that
the average teacher does not expect
to teach the same school Il second
time.
The imprudence and folly of this
custom is shown in the marked i'm.
provement Of those schools which
have been under the management OF
the same teacher for number OF
terms. Yet many teachers, Ivy choice,
often become wanderers, searching
for positions uucncumJ ered by hard
work and "burlened" by more pay
Happily the salaries of these will
never grow bur!ensome. They will
never reach the FL Dorado for which
they are searching.
The teacher who is not willing tc
do a great deal hard work for 2
comparative small compensation will
never take very high rank in the
profession And the one who doe,
not stop in the same place long enough
to become established in the princi
pies Of his work, will never exper
ence much growth, or bear mucl
fruit
There can be no doubt that much
of the changing Of teachers is unnec
cssary, and grows out of misconcep.
ton on the part of both teachers and
patrons. 1t is the duty of school Of
iicers to secure competent teachers,
and while it may be necessary t.
change occasionally, as D rule, great
err competency will be secured by re-
tanning teachers that have given rea.
snrable satisfaction.
1t is laudable ambition for teach
ers 10 desire promotion, but this viii
not come without an established rep.
utation. Nothing gives a teacher
higher Standing in The profession than
to teach in ne community successful.
/ ly for number Of terms; and ! sin.
ccrely hope that the time will soon
come when C teacher will be some.
thing more than an annual plant.
springing up in one locality, aud with
ering suddenly to appear again in
come distant place.
Ifany one should possess maturity
Of growth, depth Of thought. and
breadth Of culture, it certainly is the
teacher. Certain conditions arc re.