The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-12-13

ghe candidates were women. In many
counties there was but one candidate
for the position. the name Of that candi-
date being placed on both tickets, Or
rather on all the tickets, for Ia some
counties there were four different tick
Sts. This shows two things which are &
credit to the West. First, the people
afe not afraid to trust women IN the
management Of educational AFFAIRS, ana
secondly, politics do not figure largely
in school matters, both Of which are
signs Of progress. The matter Of plac- /
ing the county superintendency OF
schools In the hands Of women Is an eX-
pertinent. the result OF which VIII be
watched with interest.
Are the responsibilities Of the teaeh-
grs OF to-day any greater than were
those OF the teachers OF former years2
This rs a question worthy the thought
Of every true teacher. Our responsible
tiles increase with our opportunities for
doing good. This surely cannot be
doubted by any one. Then II our OPP
uortunIties for doing good are greater
than were those Of the teachers OF
twenty-five years ago, then our respon-
Fibllltles are greater. That this Is true I
will not be questioned by any one who
has given the matter even casual
thought; then how Important that tho
teacher OF to-day measure up TO his or
her responsibilities. Great events ore
taking place to-day. Questions Of pub
lie moment are being met by the men
who have come from our public schools,
Are they being met as wisely as they
should be met? The teacher OF twenty
I'VE years ago had great deal to do
with preparing the men TO grappie with
ureat questions confronting our nation
to-day, and who VIII dare say that the
boys and girls IN our schools to-day will
not have Just as grave issues to meet
a quarter OF a century hence as are be-
ing met to-day. Greater questions than
these may come up. 1t takes men and
women to meet them. Are we doing
our best to prepare for future emergen-
cles By instillIng into the minds Of our
boys and girls true principles Of man
hood and womanhood. It takes true
men and true women at the teachers
desk to send forth true men and wo.
men from the walls OF our school
houses. Do we measure up TO the true
stature of men and women? DO we
keep before US at all times. the true aim
Of education, viz, the formation OF
character. or do we seek after the high
per cents? II Is well now and then to
pause and think what Is the lmpelllng
motive In our teaching. Happy IS that
teacher who can have his pupils say in
after years that much that Is good In
me, l owe to you.
One OF the greatest hlndrances to the
progress Of our schools, especially the
primary school, IS Irregular attendance.
Il is almost an impossiblllty for any
boy or girl, no difference how bright, to
get along well, that is, have perfect
knowledge Of the branches taught and
be absent any great portion Of the time.
Those that attend Irregularly In nearly
every instance fall behind their classes
and are thus q hIndrance to the pro-
gress Of the school This might he REM
edied by the pupil doing extra studying
at home when absent from school, but
this Is the exception. The pupil gem
orally does not study at all. The atten-
ton of parents is especially called TO
this matter. 1t is an evil thai can be
rcmedled only by the hearty co-opera-
ton OF parent and teacher.
There can be no perfect success In any
school. unless there is good order there-.
in. This good order must be mutual,
4. e, on the part OF both teacher and pu-
pill Some teachers will not allow good
order In their rooms, even when the pu-
pills seem to desire It. One talks too
loud. and thus keeps everything In an
uproar; another Il, always finding fault
and scoiding Neither of these teachers
keep good order But such teachers are
rare; and we merely mention the fact
in order to show that 10 get the proper
discipline In the school room the teacher
much conduct himself Of herself In a
manner TO command good order. There
must be a presence power about the
teacher that must Impress the pupils In
a way that Will cause them to feel thot
good order Is 10 be q matter OF course.
Teachers can have this power. Some
claim that 1t Is born In the teacher. II
may be in some cases. but in the ma
jority of cases 1t is acquired and it
should be the aim Of the young teacher
TO acquire It as soon as possible, for
when acquired the work OF teaching be,
comes pleasant task. But the teacher
mag be everything that human being
can be along this line, and there are
cases among the pupils that give trou-
ole continually. It is fortunate for the
teacher that these cases are few. The
only remedy for such cases is to secure
the hearty cooperation of the parent
II this fails then the only question IS
how long should such pupils be borne
with. Two or three such pupils can, in
a very short time, succeed In democal-
izlug an entire room OF forty or more
pupils. The question then becomes.
shall the forty suffer for the good OF
two or three. OF shall the two or three
he made to suffer for the good OF forty.
Ii seems to the writer that the answer
is very plain one. There surely must
come time when the rights Of the ma
iOrity must be respected. even II II
should cause the expulsion OF the few.
Quite number OF times in these ar
ticies we have SPOKEN of whnt should
be taught In our public schools, and the
danger Of croWdIng too much into the
course. We wish to urge that we cun-
not AFFORD to give Instruction along any
line as n speciality. bat the instruction
should be such that every one ought to
have let hin follow what he may In al
ter life. The great object OF the publlc
school Is to lay the foundation on which
10 build, and leave special instruction TO
the colleges and universities. or special
schools. II we follow this strictly wc
will send out from our schools boys and
girls very much better able to fight the
battle OF life than are many who have
let them in the gears gope b.. In this
age We are too much given to "fads," in
The matter OF education az wen as In
everything else Some prominent edu-
Gator discovers the fact (?) that We
ought 10 have q .egpi1r course OF M
ture study In our schools and lmme-
d.a,e!y our publishing houses food the
market with works on Nature study,
Annual s51.. o-o-s ooo ann 9o-..