The Somerset reporter., 1909-07-22
How May We Increase The Effici-
encY OF Our Unframed Teachers.

from the pen OF Mrs. J.. X. Folsom,
superintendent of the Norridgewock
schools, was prepared for and read at
the meeting OF the Western Somer-
set Teachers Association, held at the
New Opera House in Skowhegan, on
June 4th. a vote was passed at that
session requesting the author TO per-
nit its publication.
We are told SO often that the future
of the nation rests upon the develop
ment of the rural schools that we
surely must feel great responsibility
for the teachers that we put into these
schools. But even If this were not
the case the common bond OF human
ity would urge us TO hold out a help
ing hand and dole out literally such
assistance rs is ours to give to the
poor, scared, ill equipped recruits
that yearly swell the army Of teachers.
dare say that many OF us have not
grown SO old that we cannot recall
viyidly our own foundering when we
too recruited and some of US are
watching with keenest anxiety the
struggles of our daughters or some
into step with the drilled soldiers
The first thing that would be per
fectly practical and within reach Of
all would be to purchase half a dozen
of the best and simplest of teachers
books and loan them to the would
be teachers and question these
teachers upon the subject matter of
the books. 1t might be suggested
= hof ha htt.y hut
money is not usually so plentiful
at first. 1t is hoped that later all who
show any teaching ability will supply
themselves with an ever increasing
number of such books. | have found
that those who have any liking for
teaching are willing to subscribe to a
teachers paper and on their own mi
tiative buy some books which seem
to be helpful in their work.
Then the examination questions
should be helpful. Too often the
superintendent have either conduct
ed no examination at all or at best
but farce, any applicant for posi-
tion being sure OF school as long as
the supply held out. This is not con-
ducive to good work. If would be-
teacher has the ambition to review
the studies required enough to pass a
really good examination and to an
swer the questions thoughtfully the
rest is easy. Given youth, energy,
enthusiasm and intelligence, what more
can we want? 1t is ours to supply the
wise guidance.
Here comes in the money factor
If we could pay more in our rural
schools larger number of our best
high school graduates would be at
tracted and we should have better
material to train. l hear superinten
dents saying "But surely we should
never employ teachers who have not
the necessary knowledge and enthu
SIAM" Too true but let the superin-
tendent who is without sin in this re-
spect throw the first stone.
When we once get our teacher to
the schoolroom we can at least sup
ply her with a good outline of the
work to be done in different studies
and in different grades. Yet how
many of these district school teachers
present were supplied with such out
lines, | wonder, when they taught
their first schooR If in addition to
such outlines there are also full out
lines of work accomplished by the
previous teacher and concise direc-
tions on the art of questioning we can
feel that we have not left our protege
wholly at loss as to where to begin.
An early visit from the superinten
dent may supply few of the needs
unprovided for. Most of the teach
ers who are recent graduates were
taught reading in so obsolete fashion
that one of the first points of attack
is usually reading. As a beginning
every district school teacher should
be supplied with Wards Manual of
instruction and set of phonetic cards,
shown how to use them and warned
to study the manual by day and to
sleep with it under her pillow by
night till some of the facts therein are
absorbed. But more helpful than this
is demonstration on the spot by the
superintendent of "How to teach
reading".
1t is sometimes discussed whether
superintendent should take the
ella 's from the teacher and show how
work should be done in the presence
of the scholars. / say "Certainly,
what is a superintendent for?" There
need be no diminution of respect on
the part of the children if the superin-
tendent is really in earnest and not
simply bent on Showing off"
his authority and knowledge. Nor
is there any doubt as to the manner
in which the teacher regards it when
she grasps your hand at parting and
says, 81 am 50 glad you came, you
have helped me so much".
The next most vulnerable point
after reading is language. just how
SO many girls could grow up and be-
come of teaching age with so little
knowledge of grammar and compost
tion was mystery to me until be-
gan to receive applications from the
college graduates for the position as
principal or assistant in our high
schools. Then light began to dawn,
why should we expect high school
graduates to understand English when
nine out of every ten of the college
graduates who apply for high school
positions are slovenly in writing and
impossible in spelling, punctuation
and expression. The unframed
teacher invariably gives "the next
lesson" in the book but "noW we have
changed all that". If they are told
to give poem one day, have a story
written on another and letters on the
third they sometimes accomplish con-
siderable work. | have added to my
outline in grammar the direction that
each scholar is required to have a
composition book and letters, poems
and stories are to be neatly copied
therein and displayed to the superln-
rs,sf Il rtt