The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1908-02-13
Educational Notes.
By supt. A. L. Ives.

found good work being done in most
OF them. The teachers generally are
organizing the schools upon the plan
outlined for the county. Only a few
seem not to know how ~ follow the
outline course OF study, nor to have
any definite plan OF their own. In
general she schools are more thor
oughly organized and more and bet.
ter work is being done than ever be-
fore.
But while most OF the schools are
doing good work, many efthem ex-
eellent work, there is still some poor
work IN some oi our schools. Indeed,
some defects IA our school work
reach practically all the schools. To
me the four greatest hindrsnces TO
the best progress are: l. Untrsin-
: ed teachers; 2. Irregular attendance;
3 Lack OF interest by the people; 4.
Short and irregular serms. X hall
speak of these IN the order named.
The following statistics show some
Interesting iacts about the teaching
force In the county this year: Num-
Der OF teachers employed, 1875; mum.
Der having experience, 1876; number
having no experience, 40; per cent OF
experienced teachers, 10; per cent Of
inexperienced teachers, 20; number
employed In cities and towns, go;
number employed in the country,
1873; per cent OF experienced teachers
In cities and towns, 100; per cent OF
experienced teachers In the country,
10; per cent OF inexperienced teachers
In she country, ~,
OF the 155 teachers who have had
no previous experience, many have
taught only one year; but few have
taught five years or more. Taking
the county as q whole, one teacher in
four has had no experience or PROBES.
sionsl training. More than two.
thirds OF the teaching force Is EN-.
ployed in the rural districts; yet only
IS per cent of this number have had
any experience In teaching. Is is
noticeable fact, also, that the cities
and towns employ only trained teach.
ers. Too many OF our schools are In
the hands OF inexperienced persons,
and all OF these are in the country. |
We do not mean by this that 80
many OF the country teachers are
failures and that all the town teach.
ers are successful In their work.
Neither are we disposed to find fault
with our young teachers. Some OF
them are doing good work; but as
body they cannot be expected to do
as good work as older and more ma
ture persons. The time has passed |
when anybody can teach school.
Most school boards are demanding |
teachers OF successful experience or
those who have had special training |
for the work. The State has estab-
lished five Normal Schools for the
training OF teachers. But the rural
districts cannot hope for much help
yet from this source, since most of |
the graduates from these schools are
taken up BY the cities and towns.
May we not ask for some help from
our own High Schools? They fur
nish about Is per cent OF the begin.
ming teachers each year. These
schools are in charge OF superintend.
snts and principals OF wide expe.
Renee, who are capable Constructing :,
the prospective teachers among their
students how so teach. And is it
not possible that this work may do
as much real good as so much Latin,
rrigonometry, Mythology, ETC.?
Again, is 1t not time our High School
courses were planned to suit the
needs OF the communities In which
they are located, rather than to suit
the notions OF some one connected
with the State University?
We need more trained teachers
men and women who know child life
as well as books, and how to develop
character and to train children in
pfnht n q hito ~ n vtp1