Year: 1875




Friday. AHzESt s7th. lS75- Sahjest, ,.>hoHld
| Inexperienced TeasherS he EmPIoyed in the Law


est Grades Of car Primary SrheOlS,''


NJ. President, Lddies and GeRflsmeH:


''Should inexperienced teachers be EN-


ployed in the lowest grades of our pri-


mary schools?


If you have any other place for them


most certainly not. But have you any


other plaee2 That beginning must be


made somewhere no one will deny; but


that beginning should be made where it


will do the least harm.


The first school must of necessity be


inferior to one taught by the experienced


teacher. Aiming at improvement in all


things, we claim nothing in connection


with teachers who boastingly say that


their first term was as well taught as their


last, thus acknowledging that they have


made no advancement. We should


kno,o that our second term was better


than our first, our third better than our


second, our last best of all; and expect
with a determination and confidence
that will stop at no obstacle, to make our


next term the erowning success, the very
best ofaIl.


Ifyou will not employ inexperienced
teachers in the lower grades, there are
but two alternatives; one is to employ
them in the higher grades, and, we sup
pose, promote them downwards. The
other is to send them into the country,
where they either profit by series of
mistakes, experiments and disasters, and
develop into good self-maSe teachers, or
ruin the schools, and leave them in such
a condition that it will require half the
next term to set them in proper running
order.


If the first course is the one to be pur-
sued, we have nothing to say. If the
second is the one in view, we protest.
Surely an inexperienced teacher will do
less harm and more good in n primary
school, under the care of Superintend-
ent, who can correct mistakes, and direct
where the teachers Judgment fails, than
in the country, where n school may be
taught term after term, and no investi-
CATION ever be made, unless it is done by
a board of directors, which seldom does
less than dismiss the teacher, n calamity
that almost invariably ruins his chance
for success as teacher wherever he may
go afterwards.


1t is true that very young children
need skiIlful training more than others.
1t is equally true that we have quite as
in the graded. Not as many in a school,
of course, but the greater number of
schools give us n large majority of pupils.
Then take into consideration, if you will,
the large number rofinexperieneed teach
ers, who, every year, have charge of
many of these schools. And here please
consider the most painful fact of ALL
While the scholars of-a primary school
pass into the hands of experienced teach
ers in the upper grades, and Thus have a
chance of getting wrong impressions
corrected, which, though difficult, is not
altogether an impossible task, the
scholars of an ungraded school have lit
tie hope OF such an opportunity. 1t is
almost n matter of chance. Occasionally
an experienced and competent teacher
will take charge of a school and do his
work faithfully aud we'll; but, If eircum-
stances compel him to go elsewhere, the
school will very likely be placed in the
hands of an inexperienced teacher, and
the work. instead of being carried on, is
allowed 10 go back, and the school is |
again spoiled very often worse than |
ever.


Do not think that this is the fault of |
the Directors; that they have the same
chance to employ good teachers as the
Directors of graded schools. IL is not |
their fault; neither have they the same
chance Where a good school has once
been taught, and satisfaction given, every |
effort is made to secure the services of |
the same teacher, or one equally as good, |
for the next term. Reasonable, and |
sometimes high, wages are offered to ae-
complish this. But the great army of |
failures is not diminishing, and they are |
to make trial among the mex |
perienced, or do as some Boards Of Di- |
reetors now declare they will do, if better |
schools are not taught, lock up their |
school houses and let their money go to |
other districts, a threat which will most |
certainly be carried into execution if it |
IS once understood that teachers are to |
be trained at their expense. The injury |
they would infiiet upon themselves by so
doing would not be greater than they |
already sustain in many eases by the way |
their schools are managed.


II the guardians Of graded schools can
not afford to hire inexperienced teachers, |
depend upon it, those of ungraded schools
cannot. If they are not wanted in the |
graded schoold they are not wanted in |
the uDgrnded. 1t would be well for the |
Directors of both to use more canton in |
hiring teachers. Very often teacheris |
for some other reason than the
only sufficient One-that she will make
good teacher. The plea of poverty is |
urged, perhaps, more often than any |
other as a reason why n teacher should |
receive Il situation. She is young and /
inexperienced, it is true, but she needs
the money; she must depend upon her
own eXertiOns for living, and has no |
one to help her; therefore, out of charity,
let Us give her n scOOol." Such charity /
Is abominable. 1t is time to awaken to
tile fact that twenty, forty, or sixty chill
dren are worth more than one young |
girl Their welfare should be considered i
before that of any one who aspires TO
give them instruction. 1t will not doto
sacrifice the minds Of from one to five
children per family for the support OF a
teacher who, in a world as big as this.
should be able to make her living in some
other way The question of the eaPa-
biIity of the applicant for the position
should be- considered, rather than her
need Of the position


4 Nr.F