The Somerset reporter., 1909-07-22


On my last visit 10 one Of mY dis
trIct schools the teacher, who is not
one Of the untrain ones and whose
experience has been wide and varied
said TO me, Il never taught in a dis :
triCt school before where there were
any maps or dictionaries supplied"
/ Whether this is the case in many dis
/ trict schools now, do not know but
/ | know that ii was so in regard 10
the dictionary, at least when ! taught
a country school and even too often
| in village schools of thirty or forty
| pupils.
After we have our teacher well
started and have impressed upon her
mind taat no results are obtainabIe
without frequent and thorough re-
| views we may permit her to visit the
! schools OF these teachers in town who
are most successful in work similar
to hers. Visits to other towns should
| follow later. / believe that visit to
a good school conducted by live Y
and enthusiastic teacher is worth
more 10 an unframed one than any
other aid.
Having considered briefly the
simple ways and means that NAV be
/
attention to more ideal conditions
A plan that seems to me excellent
and that is, | understand, productive
of desired results, has been put into
operation by one Of our fellow super
intendents. 1t is that Of having a
school OF instruction in subjects upon
which instruction is most needed.
The school lasts for week or more
| and rnptinn iS frao haipu
TO a greater or less extent by the
superintendent. This is along the
| line of the Teachers Institutes of
New York State which have proved
bene fetal. Instead of instruction
by the local superintendent, lectures
and conductors are supplied by the
state. The conductor is usually a
man of practical experience and a
ergy, enthusiasm, fills vacancies on
the weeks program, sometimes talks
on management and discipline and
makes the wheels 60 round generally.
The lecturers and instructors who
come for day or two each are
| specialists in their line. Drawing,
language, arithmetic, geography and,
indeed, all the studies of the rural
years special attention is given to
mathematics, other years to geogra-
| ply, etc. Attendance at such insti-
tutes is obligatory upon the teachers
but they are given their pay for the
week as If they had taught. These
Institutes have their detficien-
cies but | know that they are of great
value to the unframed teacher. But
| Of n
training classes which are now con-
Quoted i'll many of the high schools.
| The training class teacher is familiar
with normal methods and advance
work in educational lines, and the
scholars who graduate from such clas-
ses are the best substitutes for the
full fiedged normal graduate. The
nearest approach to this almost ideal
condition which have been able to
attain is to have the graduating clas-
ses given a thorough review in the
common school studies. If the High
School Principal is experienced and
faithful such reviews, even although
extending over only very limited
period of time are exceedingly help
full
The plan of having district super
intendents is one of the best possible
ways of improving our rural schools
and helping our unframed teachers
The plan i'll operation in some states
of having a superintendent for a
county or in large counties two or
three superintendent has many good
features but fails in great measure of
helping where help is most needed
because the superintendent does not
remote districts and SO cannot give
to the teacher that intimate personal
advice which is desirable. The dis
trict superintendent is ideal. If he
would visit each rural school six
times each term he could produce
some of the results we pray for. The
sense OF responsibility to somebody
very real close at hand, and ready
with sympathy and encouragement is
what the rural teacher needs above
all else.
The superintendent should make
out examination questions for the
various grades and in this way keep
the rural school up to the same stand
ard required in the village schools.
That this is not impractical is proved
by the fact that it is actually in prac =
tice and working like a charm in
some states at the present time.
To do these things as they should
be done requires much more work on
the part of the superintendent than
is usually given and much more time
than is at present devoted to it but
the district superintendent is suppos-
ed to give freely. l have 80 far failed
to see how a town superintendent
who is also teacher, having the dis
cipline of fifty pupils and two full
grades to instruct can practice what
she breaches as long as only twenty
four hours are required to make day
and but seven days to make a week.
Every one knows, however, that 1t is
much easier to tell other people how
to do things than it is to get it done
yourself.
The greatest need of us all, teach
ers, superintendents, schools and
scholars alike is Capitalization. The
sense Of being directly responsible to
some one in authority is a constant
spur to even the most faithful.
Then too on the other hand when we
are applying some method a little ad-
Vanced trtle newer than the way
in which the district fathers were
themselves taught, how very con-
Venient and blessedly relieving it
would be to place the burden or the
broad back of the state superinten-
dent. He is wise and Influential and
just far enough away so that he
would not mind little vituper-
alton because Johnny isn't taught to
] !, ii 1nr