The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-04-14
ghe ad1itits Daily gaoe Sunday grormo april a. col.

ceived. but if simply for the money he
can draw from the district, II is con-
temptible. I visited thirty-four schools
last fail, some OF which were in each OF
four counties. and while saw good work
being done in majority OF them, found
the pupils in Z few districts either being
demoralized or allowed 10 demoralize
themselves. In talking with some OF
these teachers, 1 heard such expressions
as I'D hate to think I'd have TO teach
twenty or thirty schools. III quit as
soon as I can do better" It goes with
out ssyin, il is hard for this class Of
teachers to do effective work
Because of complaint from q few pat
rons the board employs a different teach
er every year. and thus stiles the best
results.
The board s-ould be able to know when
effective work is being done, and retain
the teacher as long as he can serve
them. The value Of the true teacher
cannot be estimated in money. The seri-
Gus defects in our county institutes has
called cut from many educators a demand
for a college course, and 10 dispense
with the county normal, but the country
teacher cannot afford the expense Of
college. even were tuition and books fur
nished. I think that the greatest defect
in our Institutes Is that they are largely
devoted TO preparing teachers for the
ugly and impractical questions in exami-
nations, instead of fitting them TO teach.
I suggest, as some Of the reminders. that
the teachers acquire a fair knowledge
OF the branches TO be taught unless he
now posses that knowledge, and that II
a question comes before him that ne
does not understand, say y don't know"
Our ablest professors have to say I don't
know" Get acquainted with your pat
rons and acquaint them with the truth,
that you are also q human, subject to
ike passions. Do not devote any time to
watching the bad boy who has been
pointed out to you. But be assured
that he contains the germ OF true man
hood, and earnestly determine that you
viii start it on the road to proper deveI-
opment. Let our institutes be largely de-
voted to teaching how to teach, calling
from teachers their divergent views and
endeayor to harmonic them as moral
" as may be, and l think we will not
hear Of the young teacher so often QUOT
did, and so futilly trying TO make models
OF his pupils, patterned after the sugges-
tions Of said professor Let him note
carefully that he cannot make the coun-
try school an institute, that there is
more danger in assigning lessons that
are too long than those too short. If
forty minutes each day to asking such
questions as: How does a horse get
up?' and How does a COW get up?"and
another forty minutes trying to convince
the teacher that there is no corruption
in high places, especially among the
bishops of his church, because they are
paid above temptation. try to remember
that some Of these are not Of the great
est value in teaching your pupils how TO
observe
Let all disabuse their minds OF the
idea that proficiency in arithmetic as
commonly presented, is the most es-
sential part in education. The great
fathers, Pestoiozi, Froebel and others
were not experts in mathematics. Hor-
ace Man, who su ffered persecution and
was called a crank for advocating
our present free school system, was poor
IN arithmetic, yet great thinker and an
advocate of progress.
Let teachers teach their pupils to think
even in small things. to investigate. and
a large majority Of them viii become
useful, self-reiiant citizens who cannot
be duped by the lightning rod and patent
night agents, and who viii not vote 'er
straight because father did, but who will
carefully and intenigen1y weigh every
motive, every act, and in time we SHAH
be ruled by the voter and not by the
politician.
Our lawmakers will soon enact a law
making first-grade certificate perpetual
so long as the holder follows his profess
sion. I hope that our examinations will
soon be made practical, and that a GER
tifcate will be a guarantee that its hold
er is a teacher. Let our territorial board
do away with or modify soul study on
which no two authorities agree. and let
it grasp the idea that we must teach
children. The demand is for a practical
education, an education that will develop
a grand, noble and pure citizenship. We
are goinS TO have a superior school sys-
tenn in Oklahoma, but II cannot be per
fected at once. We must be patient and
work tremendously, and we shall develop
a noble, pure and patriotic people. the
peers OF any state. TEACHER