VLL THINGS ARE NOT WHAT THEY SEEM. I've allus notissed, fellers, To how things look to you. Bite the smallest kind o baits; Can make the best o' mates. The smartest lookin' feller May be a reg'lar fool; You re always kicked the highest By the meekest lookin' mule. -J. A. Hall. Normal Training a Necessity. ed spines and tuberculosis, or that a little Latin and less Greek is all that is required to fit our boys and girls to battle against the stern realities of life, or that a knowledge of the cray fish, etc., is a key to all that is of value in this world and a passport to the pleasures of the next, or that the mention of Sloyd will give us such a supply of mechanics that we will have to send Dewey to take possession of the moon to furnish them a field for employment, or that our children's gardens will bend all the twigs, and papas and mammas be relieved of all care and responsibilty, or last but not least, that one look at the university or a summer term at a state normal school will make a full fledged pedagogue capable of training a boat hand or railway Read by J. H. Eckelberry, Braymer, Mo., at institute held at Lathrop, Nov. 25-26, 1898. magnate. Verily this is a day of faddists From the wording of this subject, I in- and the fads are many. Much is said in fer that I am to affirm the necessity of these days about child-study, the new normal training. One had almost need to geography, arrested development, etc. apologize for presenting such arguments Talk about arrested development, how before the class of teachers assembled about abnormal development? here, who, I have no doubt, would without a single exception, grant the necessi ty without further argument. Unless perchance some self-made pedagogue is among our number. It is characteristic of the self-made pedagogue as of the self-made in other professions to be proud of his product. Granted that there are some who have, unaided by professional training, risen to be pillars of strength in our educational fabric. One swallow does not bring the spring, and if they have become such towers of strength without the aid of normal training what might they have become with it. It has become the fashion in Missouri educational circles for each man who desires place and pelf to adopt some pet idea and, working himself into an apoplectic fit over it, herald it far and near as the panacea for all the ills to which our system is heir. Culture is the harmonious development of all the powers of our being, physical, moral and intellectual. May our educational system be said to possess culture. May there be such a thing as a harmonious and symmetrical development of all our educational agencies upon which we depend for the culture of our boys and girls. Are there any schools in Missouri outside of Kansas City, St. Louis and the university? Are our high schools the departments that need our attention? Is not our system already top heavy with various excrescences here and there that make it, when viewed comprehensively, a deformity rather than a symmetrical whole? Are not many of our high schools such only in the sense that they are just below the garret. Is not the name high school too frequently a synonym for superficiality? But does the fault lie in our high schools! Many of our high schools are in the hands One might be led into the belief that the of brainy, energetic, ambitious men and only defect in our system is bad air, short women who would make them all that sightedness, cross eyes, hunch backs, crook-could be desired. Can you do high school work unless thorough work has been done in the grades? Have any of you tried it? If not, you are not qualified to speak. We are not opposed to the fads and faddists, but what we do insist on is a steady advance, unbroken front, and fighting all along the line. What we need is not less of faddists but more of them to fill up the gaps in our ranks. With this view we introduce our fad which is, to make more general, by public sentiment, legal enact ment and every other legitimate means, thorough supervision of the country schools and grades and careful professional training of applicants before they be allowed to cross the threshold of our primary schools, holding this in its favor that it is more far-reaching than the other fads and begins at the beginning. Dr. Andrews, the new superintendent of the schools of Chicago, in his press inter views, bas announced the policy he intends to follow and among other things, he states very emphatically that no more funds are to be spent on new high schools until the grades are looked after. The Chicago schools are different from most of the schools with which the writer is familiar if the conditions do not justify the change. Too much attention has been paid to topping off and gingerbread work and not enough to foundation and frame work. The writer once heard the former principal of the Kansas City high schools say, "If there is a heaven on earth, I believe it is the Kansas City high school." We are of the opinion if schools are transformed in to miniature heavens that this transforma tion takes place wherever there is being done good, thorough, conscientious work, whether it is in the first primary or fourth year of high school. Wherever, as Wm. Hawley Smith says, "There is a teacher who is on to her job," and the pupils know and feel that such is the case. ent work, then after serving an apprenticeship, often work under an architect or a supervisor of construction. Men who hew our rock, saw our planks and fit our cornices must be trained and supervised. Every profession, save our own, demands of its members professional training before they attempt to practice. Not only does the profession demand this, but it is required by the laws of the state. But we, in whose hands rests the individual destiny of our pupils and collectively the destiny of the nation are permitted to go to our work with no qualification, either natural or acquired, and by experiment learn this fact and then with that proud scorn for the calling characteristic of unconscious incompetency, leave the so-called profession and enter one more worthy of our superior talent and genius. Our calling is not a profession and will not be such until professional training is required of the humblest worker in the ranks. For our part we had rather place an eighteen-year-old boy or girl under the care of an inexperienced, untrained teacher than a six-year-old child, yet how common is the practice of hiring a young teacher for a spring term. But a teacher for $18 per month is a consideration not to be overlooked. If any think this overdrawn, we are from Missouri. Doing professional service, receiving less than $1 per day and not "boarding round," either. We could point out positions just as lamentable in towns, the character of the service rendered the same, the only difference, the price paid. There is no place where incompetency is so prolific of fruit as in the schoolroom. The conditions mentioned above work injury in three ways, to the incompetent employed, to the children, and to the qualified school teacher, which again reacts upon the children of our schools, for the caNow as to how teachers are to reach pable teacher can do something besides this much desired condition of affairs. teach and will rather than submit to the Mechanics, carpenters, all skilled work- humiliation and inconvenience of such men who pose as such, undergo an appren- starvation wages, and by this policy the ticeship before they attempt any independ-competent teacher is driven from the ranks, and incompetents, experimenters, and the stepping stone herd are invited to come in. Some hold that the competent are not injured by this competition. Would that it were so We are not afflicted with dyspepsia, either physical or mental and pride ourselves in being optimistic, but this is a view of the case which our observation will not permit us to take. None will dispute the necessity or desirability of normal training. The state has recognized the necessity and made ample provision for all who have the energy and push to give themselves this advantage. There are in Missouri three normal schools at which the cost of attendance for one year need not exceed $180. In each county is held annually a teachers' in stitute. Some of our city schools have teachers' courses in their high schools. Our state university has a pedagogical department. And last, but not least, there are here and there over the state men and women with hand and heart and brain con secrated to the work who are a whole training school in themselves. We care not where normal training is gained. Some may question the efficiency of some of the above. We believe pretty thoroughly with Cassius: "That the fault is in our selves, and not in our stars that we are un derlings." The fault lies with the teachers and not elsewhere. Let us assert ourselves as do the members of other professions and demand that professional training precede entrance to the work. The would-be teacher who has not faith enough in his call" to spend at least a year's time and $200 in money should seek some other field where skilled and protessional work is not demanded. Too bad to spoil a good farmer by making a poor school teacher. While we are painfully conscious of many of the irregularities in our profes sion and defects in our system, we pledge unswerving loyalty to the first, and ua questioning faith in Missouri to remedy the defects of the latter. Why Read School Journals? This paper was read at the meeting of the Harrison county Teachers' Association at Ridgeway, Mo., Nov. 26, 1898, by I. W. Maple. School journals are educational organs published for the advancement of the best educational ideas and principles. They give the best ideas for presenting every branch of study taught in the school room, contain valuable lessons in childstudy, physical culture, mental and moral training, proper discipline, and the best methods for lighting, heating and ventilating the schoolroom, etc. They also contain valuable discourses on all the leading phases of any educational value from the best thinkers and workers in the cause of education, and often give portraits so that one may know what is being done and who is doing it. School journals give to the teachers just what they need to secure success in their practical every day work, and to inspire them to labor and hope for better things with each day, week, month, and year of progress. Two conditions are involved in the problem of improved teaching. One is the intelligent experience of the teachers themselves, and the other is the steady change in the world's ideas away from formalism and toward natural and scientific methods. Many teachers outspeed their environments in the development of teaching ideals and often have to wait for them and practice expediency meanwhile. School journals offer to such teachers many of the expedients needed as well as to furnish the best means for the who are free to perfection. best teaching to those develop their art to its Fellow teachers, are you subscribers for any of the leading school journals? "If not, why not?" You who are reading a few good educational papers and do not come in contact with the streams of educational thought that is contained in them, do not know how much you miss; besides, you are not doing your duty to the pupils intrusted to must have disappeared and a nobler one. your care and to the patrons of the dis have taken its place. How shall be become trict that has secured your services. The a beneficent power without going higher teacher who cannot afford to take at least than his pupils? Without pursuing this three good school journals and use them in thought let it be stated that to make any his every day school work, has missed his worthy attainment in the schoolroom there calling and is simply téaching for the must be a noble motive; we can see that all mighty dollar and not for the good that he great men have been actuated by noble. can accomplish. But we are sorry to state motives. The reason the world is no betthat there are many teachers of this counter is because there are so few who are ty as well as of the state who attempt to actuated by noble motives. But there is teach without taking a single school paper, nothing to hinder the teacher from acting and further, state that they have no use and carrying on his work by the highest for them, and would not read or use them possible motives in himself. To know if they had them. Such teachers are what these are he must converse with the merely school keepers and not school great thinkers as they have expressed teachers. For the teacher who has ceased themselves in their writings in various to read has ceased to grow, and it will on- school journals. Such a teacher will find ly be a short time until he will be retired, himself looked up to in a way that will ofor, at least, should be. The teacher who ten affect him deeply. It is possible for us has ceased to grow is not a student himself to feel when we cannot know. Those who and not properly prepared to do the work walk with thoughtful writers attain to assigned to him. a state of joyful rest, having obtained some glimpses at least of divine truth, the only substantial thing in the universe next to God himself. So he who is a companion of the great thinkers may rise above the dust and perplexities of the schoolroom and be able to understand how to make things tend to harmony, and how that band of youth may be fitted to go out into the world with a desire to make it better. Then, in conclusion, I beseach you, fellow teachers, who are not careful readers of school journals, to get out of the ruts and mire and clay and your old fogy ideas; subscribe for a few of the leading educational papers, study them carefully, put into use the things which the best thinkers of our land are discussing, and it will only be a short time until you will be thankful that you were led to know the value of school journals. There should not be one engaged in the sacred work of teaching who does not wish to increase his influence for good and to elevate himself to higher planes of success. There is no work of to-day that is being more carefully scrutinized than that of the teacher. Does he keep up with the times? is the question so often asked by the public who have grown thoroughly disgusted with machine methods. There is always a smack of medievalism about the work of a teacher who does not make a careful study of the leading educational papers. The mod ern teacher must keep in close touch with modern educational thought, and there is no better help and inspiration in working out such aims, and no better medium through which to become acquainted with the ever brightening practices of the times than the modern school journals. Before one can benefit another he must We especially urge you, young teacher, be be on a high plane; the teacher really who have just launched your boat on the enters the schoolroom as a beneficent pow unfathomable sea of teaching to secure a er; and doubtless most teachers desire to few good educational papers to direct your do this. Of course the early conception course through the many perplexities and that he enters to command silence and discouragements encountered along your cause fear and trembling by his frown, pathway. And when your labors in the schoolroom are ended, the editor of the his excuse for not coming to the class. I school journal, your pupils and patrons directed him to come forward without dewill long remember your kindness, effi- lay and take his place in the class, in order ciency and good work, and you will have the approval of the Great Teacher. Of course every Missouri teacher who is true to the cause will be loyal enough to take his own State Journal in order to keep in close touch with the educational progress of his own state. And as many more as he can possibly afford. to learn what he could until he could procure a book. Instead of coming up, he sat in stubborn silence in his seat, and grinned bold defiance at me. I thrice demanded of him that he do as he was bidden and come to the class, but received no response. The attention of the entire school was concentrated on the impending conflict, and it was evident that a crisis had been reached. If the boy were allowed If you wish to come in contact with the best educational interests and in close touch with the leading thinkers to have his own way, it were useless for on educational matters, subscribe for a few of the leading school journals, such as the MISSOURI SCHOOL JOURNAL, Teachers' Institute, Primary School and Normal Instructor, and your wants will be supplied. That Unruly Boy. C. E. GODBEY, BLACK WALNUT, MO. Of the many good things in the November issue of the Journal, Mr. Cheatham's account of that unruly boy has particularly impressed me. With the permission of Bro. Gass, I want to say a few words and "give my experience" along that same pathway. (Being a Methodist, I believe in "experience" meetings.) Two years ago, a stalwart young man, almost as large as his teacher, entered my school and was duly classed and set to work. He had never studied grammar, he was given work in that branch. He stated that he did not want to study gram mar. I told him that it made no difference whether he wanted to study or not; that I would hold him to it anyway. I ex. plained the necessity of the study and the advantages to be derived therefrom, and left the subject with him. me to continue in charge of the school. I resolved at once that corporal punishment. was not to be thought of, as it would probably not have produced the desired effect, even if I had succeeded in giving it. satisfactorily. What should I have done? Try moral suasion? It had no effect on him. Summon the board of trustees? But the issue had to be met right then, or else I had to acknowledge my incompetence to deal with the case. We There are cases and circumstances in school that must be met at the time, and when the teacher must be a law unto himself. His method and ability in dealing with such cases is what distinguishes the self-reliant, strong teacher from the mere follower of precedents. We cannot always wait for legislation on special cases. must sometimes set aside the letter of the law in order to preserve its spirit inviolate. It is the very clear intent of the school law that the teacher shall be master of the situation when discharging his duties. It is not in keeping with the spirit of the law that the teacher should give way to a refractory pupil and surrender hisauthority to any member of the school. When the class was called next day, he So I finally gave my pupil five minutes came not. I demanded his excuse for not in which to decide whether he would yield coming to the class. He plead lack of a obedience or would leave school. This book. He was therefore excused for the proposition was also treated with silent conday, as I wished to avoid a collision, if tempt. When the time was up I directed possible. But when the same thing occur-him to take his books and leave. This he red next day, I saw the issue had to be also refused to do. I went on with my met sooner or later, and refused to accept work and paid no more attention to him |