The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1895-02-05
TEACHING VS.. scuoo1KErr,xo

What is teaching and what keep
ing school? In answering these ques-
tions, will bring before the mind of
the reader two schools and then he
can judge for himself
A school house situated by the side
Of the public highway was visited one
afternoon by one seeking to know,
and learn everything he possibly
could concerning teaching and teach
crs.
1t was at time when the roads
were muddy, the playground Was
muddy and ~hen the school house
was entered, the floor contained all
the mud that could drop from the
shoes OF the thirty or more pupils who
had just come in from the afternoon
recess. Confusion reigncd supreme.
The pupils were reading, or attempt.
ing to read, when the visitor entered
and that was all-no questions asked
to draw out Il knowledge of the truths
taught in the lesson. Verse after
verse was read in the s;ere3tvpel STYLE
of beginning at the head of the class
and passing regularly to the foot.
Another lesson was assigned, and an.
other class took the place and passed
through the same exercise. Thus it
continued until few minutes before
the time for school to close, when the
visitor was asked to talk To the pu
pills. In the short time he spent, he
asked many questionsnn subjects that
should have been taught by that or
any other teacher who professed to be
able 20 teach in any of our country
schools, hut the pupils were almost
entirely ignorant of them. Those
who did answer some Of them did it
In such manner to show that il had
not been learned at school, while the
face of the teacher was puzzle to
the visitor, and I've even intimated
that an undue advantage was being
taken in asking questions outside of
the text books.
The next morning the same visitor
wended his way to another school.
and this is what heisaw: As he ap-
preached the school house he found il
was situated in much worse place as
to muddy surroundings, than the enc
visited on the preceding day, but
slabs, rails, boards and pieces of wood
of various kinds were placed 50 that
no one need step in the mud for many
yards before reaching the school house
door. Within, everything was So
quiet that had it not been for the
smoke issuing from the chimney, one
would have thought that "school did
not keep" that day. AS he was i'm
company with one well acquainted
with the teacher, the door was open
ell quietly without knocking, and we
were not seen for some time by the
teacher nor by but:few of the pupils.
Every body was busy.
Just then there was no class on the
il"or, but the teacher, a young lady
teaching her first school, was moving
quietly and pleasantly from pupil to
pupil, asking question here, giving
directions or assistance there. and the
most perfect order was everywhere.
Soon a class in mental arithmetic
was called and pupil after pupil arose
and solved examples given by the
teacher from the Ebook, and others
given by the visitors outside the book
III manner to show that they were
being taught to think for themselves
Then followed class in grammar
with the same results.
When the fourth reader class was
called, the pupils read as if they I'm.
derstood what they were reading. and
the reason was soon seen when the
teacher questioned each one, not only
on the sly lie Of reading, but on the
snhJect.matter of the lesson.
1t was indeed n treat to hear such