Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1906-03-19

struction and training in methods OF
study.
The weakest points in the whole
town system are the penmanship and
the lack of expression in reading.
The scholars seem to think that with
the exception of the work in the copy
book any sort of enmanship will do.
In some asses parents have been
too ready to accept the scholars Judg-
ment of the teacher to the manifest
harm of the school. Almost any
teacher will do we'll if supported by
the scholars and parents, and few
can do otherwise. Those parents who
do not seem to realize the need that
their children be educated are to be
pitied, and their children more SO.
Parents can do no better for their
children than to see that they attend
school regularly and that they be
made to be obedient and respectful.
We have extracted that part Of the
repors containing suggestions and
advice only, which at first glance
gives t the appearance of leaning to-
ward the p.s imistic, while on he
whole it was indeed the opposite.
The matter of more attractive inte-
riors for our schoolrooms is an impor-
tant one and needs the attention of
officials and teachers. No child can
go into a dusty, dirty and blackened
schoolroom, poorly heated and VEN
tilated, and do his or her best, and
moreover it is injurious to the health
of the child. On the whole we have
very few such s~choolrooms, but those
remaining should be done away with;
they are a disgrace to the town in
which they are allowed to remain, a
disease breeder to the children and a
matter of great Importance to the
state. Poor light combined with the
above mentioned imperfections is
probably the greatest cause for the
startling percentage Of eye, ear, nose
and throat troubles existing in our
schools as reported from thu recent
state test, which showed that better
than every one in three school chill
dren were found defective in one of
these four troubles; a large number
in eye or ear, some in both eye and
ear, and a few in eye, ear, nose and
throat. This matter solves itself into
a serious question and should hava
the thought of parents and school as
well as the teacher.
Next the report speaks of frequent
changes of te 4chers. School officials
should endeavor to keep the same
teachers throughout the year, the
matter of a few dollars should not be
sufficient cause to sacrifice the SER
vices of a good teac er in the middle
of a ye r. 1t takes fully half of each
term beginning with a n5w teacher
for the pupils to become acquainted
and accustomed to the individual
methods of work each teacher adopts,
and it takes the teacher equally as
long to %acquaint herself with the pc
culiar needs of the vicinity in which
she finds herself and the individual
needs of the individual pupil. For
value received the teacher who stays
in one school the wlole year is by
far the cheapest.
TIE report next speaks of person
ally conducted examinations. We
wond r how many town superintend-
ents have conducted examinations
per onally. How many take that in
terest and pains in their work: The
report continues and says that the
teachers without exception have been
ready to receive suggestions, many
times ad pting them when found prac-
tic l.. Training in methods of study s
next mentioned, and here the report
h s touched the keynote to the &C.
QUESTION of knowledge. Method oil
study is the most important question
confronting the student of all ages
and teacher in all grades. Merely
learning a lesson is not gaining
knowledge. A puoil may commst
several pages of history, as many do
go into class and repeat what the
textbook says about any subject II
? that lesson, pass a high mark anl
! graduated with honors; but for the
: pupil who really acquires knowledge
give us the one who first analyzes anC
! then compares his.work, who possibly
: passed as a dull stud MT and grad
uate near the foot of his class. If h
has but learned to analyze and com
. pare, he has gained the object TO
! which he hes been studying. Teachers
| instruct your pupils how TO study AM
: see that their textbooks are not to-
, difficult, and we believe you hav
, solved the problem of becoming
good teacher. And don't forget tina
: point mentioned in the quotation
! from the report regarding penman
: ship and expression in reading.