Crossville chronicle. [volume] (Crossville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1920-09-08
MORE ABOUT SCHOOLS
Better Qualified Teachers One of the
Most Pressing Needs,
Editor Chronicle:

Editor Chronicle:
From what l have written you
about the teachers of our school:
YOU know already that greatly hon
or them. hence what say in this let
ter is not to discourage but to chal'
lenge those working under inferior
certificates, to a better preparation
and more complete mastery OF the
calling to which they have been
called; and what l say is also to help
the Crossville people insist that they
have the best teachers our country
can produce.
Which is more impirtant, tine
school or an unusually intelligent
teacher? was at the Normal school
in Asheville when they were discuss
ing that question a few weeks ago.
and they gave it as the opinion Oh the
foremost authorities that the mosI
vial factir in any school is the Ieach-
er. She imparts the knowledge
Children can't learn anything from a
beautiful bench; they can't reclte TO
a hardwood floor; they cant master
any subject through consulting big
window easement. Sometime II you
will let me | want to express my
opinion about the tremendous help
that equipment is to school, put
want to say right here that Ia rather
recite to a first class teacher seated
like the famous educator Mark Hop
kins. on one end of log and myself
ON the other than to poor teacher
eouipped with the finest school build
ing in all of Narth America.
I sometimes wonder how much
folks think a teacher ought to know
before she is qualified to teach, Il
know of a community where the chll,
dren think that they have finished
their education with the fourth
grade. and quit; and the parents
have concluded that all the situation
reni,ires is a teacher who has peen
through the fourth grade and knows
those subjects. "What do they want
with a high priced first class teach,
\er: whv be extravagant; some real
nice Young girl who appears well ana
is good to the children will do just
as GOOD work even if she has not
been ii a school of higher educa-
ton" That sounds quite common
sensed; it looks like good e"onomy'
but it Just proves to me TIT che
Devil is still on the JOB un5ettlng
peoples vision and judgment SO 1hae
they can't think or see stralg' t. Az
least eight grades are neces j~ry 10
teach a person how to talk, ana tnaU
is very conservative statement;
full college course is often taken pc
fore a young man or woman spehs
good English. But teacher VINO
has gone through only the graded
school uses such phrases as: u seen
him do it" 81 done it myself" ana
YOUR boys and girls will mae pre-
cisplv the same mistakes af-er her; !
both good and bad speech are conta-
pious: it is largely a matter OF What
Tour ear becomes accustomed 70.
water can rise no higher htan its
source. and a scholar never learns
more than its teacher. A teacher
who uses bad English will produce
scholars that use bad English.
Just as important as education is
the art of teaching. 1t IS not every
one who knows a subject that is able
to teach it. A young girl may come
from the eighth grade very bright,
at the head of her class, but when 1t
comes to standing before children
and getting the facts into their heads
she can't do it. Her knowledge has
not seasoned; it's green; and try as
hard as she will, she can't produce
the results parents are looking Tor,
and there is unavoidable dlssatls1ac-
tion: the teacher is unhappy and so
is everyone else.
greatly admire any girl who is Z
so anxious to teach that she is willing !
to try. even with the most meager
preparation, but from the depths of :
nv heart l pity the school. ,
What's the remedy? How can !
YOU get first class teachers? And
when | say, "Pay the price" you
]rop in your tracks, and with this
answer may Immediately lose all IN
crest in the subject simply because
;hey know they haven't the money.
There are 65 schools in the county r
md only $27, ,63O.O4 with which to c
,ay them, so that some teachers get a
,niy 5000 year, and the highest fl
,aid get only $500 year. You are q
rying to keep teacher for what n
you KEEP a horse. I'll say she some IL
lines works like horse, but she t
lon't live in barn and she can't eat c
lay, and though you have increased
ler salary % to 80 per cent his year 6
,ou see there is a bigger raise nee l
ssary before you can make it worth c
While for teacher to invest her cap t.
tai in higher education, that she +
nav come to Cumberland county and 6,
.et 5000 year. -
But now ! can offer you a more q