The Falls City tribune., 1910-07-08


National Educational Association, ON
Wednesday evening, July o..
Society is divided into two classes
teachers annd the laity. These two
classes are intimately related to each
other All teachers formerly belong
ing to the laity. Then passed sue
cessfully the examinations, received
certificates. got schools, and became
teachers. The laity likewise receives
recruits from the teaching ranks, re-
ceiving each year it is said nearly
one-fifth of all engaged in the teach
ing service.
Teachers and laity have not only
come largely from each other but
they have inter-married to such an
extent that no telling how much dis
satisfaction and adverse criticism
among the laity comes directly and
indirectly from teachers. It may
be shown in this same way that the
confidence of the laity in the pub
lie schools is also largely traceable
to the teachers influence.
There are three classes of the
Iaity who pass criticism upon the
schools; ID the smallest, least i'm
portant but most annoying, is the
class known as the chronic fault
find ar; (2) a much larger and more
DANGEROUS class is composed of those
whose disapproyal has back of 1t
something personal and selfish; CD
the larger class of people whose crit
icisms grow out of their loyalty to
the public school interest in young
people and a genuine desire to pro-
mote their welfare.
The chronic faultfinder is one OF
every teachers problems.
At some period of his life every
school teacher has dreamed of the
time when all the faultfinders will
be dead. or else transformed into
angels of kindness; of the time when
all the bitter tongues have grown
tired and still, and the only sounds
that come to him are the pleasant
tones of commendation. But always
in the gray of dawn he awakes to
find tnat the kckers still live, and
that the number has not decreased.
There is no war on honest criti-
cism Criticism is the breeze that
keeps the educational atmosphere
clear True criticism is correct
i've agency that ought to be a friend.
1t is an impelling force that leads one
to search for that which is best. The
honest opinion of every thought
full man IS entitled to respect and
consideration. The person who has
made a careful study of facts and con
dnions is worthy of listeners at least.
The chronia faultfinde-, however, has
no place in this class.
He is an obstinate indiyid-
ual who is never suited. What
ever is, is wrong. Whatever plan is
adopted he attacks. If the discipline
is strong, it is an outrage. If it is
mild he bands it failure. In one
breath the children are worked to
death; in the next, they are not
forced to study at all. He can see
shat ether schools are all right, but
this particular school is fraud and
delusion. He may assail the teacher
as an ignoramus, and by and by hold
np as a model the splendid work
of this particular teacher
Two or three noisy faultfinders of
ten succeed in giving the impression
that there is a vast amount of talk
and dissatisfaction with the condi
ton or management of the schools
when likely as not these are the only
ones III the community who are il
the least dissatisfied.
A study of the faultfinder in the
typical country schools and in the
typical smaller city schools shows
Nl That the number is limited, there
being only nine who could properly
be called chornic kickers in The
ten districts and thirty-seyen in th'
ten towns. % That in every in
stance these same people complained
about other things besides schools
rs 4 rule fighting most bitterly tina
in which the community was mos
deeply interested. 90 That th'
criticisms were trivial as a rule
rejecting on the methods of teach
ing, methods of controlling characte
and ability of teacher or superintend
ent, and the methods of business EN-
ploy7d by the board of education. a
That while the criticisms are ex
ceediugly annoying to the teacher il
charge of the particular school, the,
are of little efficiency to those VIII
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