THE Ohio Journal of Education. A. D. LORD, Columbus, H. H. BARNEY, Cincinnati, EDITORS: M. F. COWDERY, Sandusky, State Teachers' Association. HE approaching semi-annual meeting of this body is one of the most important which it has ever held. Action upon the Bill for the reorganization of our entire School System, was postponed for the purpose of giving Teachers, and active, intelligent friends of education, an opportunity to discuss its provisions and decide upon their correctness and feasibility, and thus to prepare the way for forming a strong public sentiment in favor of all the desirable improvements it proposes. It is therefore important to have as large an attendance as possible, both of Teachers and friends of schools. Every county in the State should be represented; every College and incorporated Seminary or Academy; every system of City Schools, and every Union School; and as large a number of school districts as possible. Boards of Education in cities and towns, as well as County Associations of Teachers, and Institutes, should send delegates. Great interests are at stake. Let us come together and consult for the promotion of the proper education of the 800,000 children and youth of the State, who depend entirely upon the Common or Public Schools for their education; and for the improvement of all the other Institutions of learning. If our common schools are every where made what they should be, all the higher schools needed will be sustained almost infinitely better than they now are; if the former are neglected, the latter must inevitably languish. We hope that as many as possible of the Teachers will attend the Convention of Instructors in Female Seminaries on the 6th of July, the day before the meeting of the State Association; though the first of its VOL. I, No. 6: JUNE, 1852. 11 kind, we doubt not it will be one of great interest. The presence of its members will add much to the interest of the meeting which succeeds We confidently hope to see a large proportion of the Colleges of the State represented. it. Teachers Leed Special Preparation. I KNOW of no other subject on which such mistaken ideas exist as in regard to teaching. The tailor must be a man of experience and skill, to get custom. The miller must learn his business, before he can get employment. Mechanics of every class must be taught in their art and be well skilled, before they can be entrusted with important contracts. Men will not even entrust a spirited young horse to the hands of an inexperienced horseman to be trained. He must be known of undoubted abilities, before the young steed can be entrusted for tutoring. But their children, possessed of minds undying, whose passions, habits and principles are to be formed for this life and the life to come, can be committed to those who have never yet learned the first rudiments of their business, nor thought of the elements of the science of teaching. It is usually understood that all that is necessary to be a competent teacher is, to be able to get a certificate; and any one can get that, provided he teach cheap, although he could not explain a single principle, or originate one thought, or tell the first reason why this or that is so. What should we think of a man, who, after having passed a few times over the railroad, should offer himself as engineer to direct the steam engine or who, after having rowed a shallop across a river a few times, should offer to be captain of a steamship, into whose hands were to be entrusted thousands of valuable lives and millions of property; or of the novice, who, having read Scott's military tactics, without ever having been drilled one hour, should offer to take command of an army? Yet neither of these persons would exhibit greater folly, or more profound presumption, than he who has never studied one hour how to teach, how to discipline, to awaken mind, or learned the first principles of mental and moral law, should he attempt to guide an engine far more complicated than that upon the railroad, and upon whose teachings and movements may depend interests far more momentous then the fate of battles. It is preposterous to presume that a man must be taught to practice the simplest mechanic arts, but the most difficult, most responsible, most important of all earthly business can be done "by guess." Look but at the condition of our schools. Are they not miserably backward? Young men and women eighteen and nineteen years of age, with no mental discipline, and not so much knowledge as could be acquired in two years, in a good school; yet they have attended school for twelve or fourteen years! I have repeatedly seen that, where a competent teacher is employed, and people know enough to continue him, you soon see no more of those miserable dwarfs in intellect for scholars, nor a "backward school." You ask, can these things be remedied? I answer with emphasis, YES. The teacher who wishes to teach well, must know thoroughly whatever he attempts to teach, and the best way of doing it. He must not be satisfied with superficial attainments, or with any way to do it. He must be "posted up" in matters of general knowledge, and in the method of communicating what he knows. He must also understand the laws of the mind, that he may know at a glance how to operate with success; for to treat all scholars alike in appearance is to treat them unlike in reality. The teacher should be able to interest his scholars. If he finds he cannot do this, let him by all means give up the business, as he is incompetent for it. If a teacher cannot interest his pupils, it proves that he has no interest in the work of instructing, and ought not to impose on the patrons, much less the pupils. He who would be a successful teacher, must be a person of general intelligence, ready upon every occasion which will interest, awaken thought, or amuse. The teacher can often break the monotony of the usual exercises of school by relating historical incidents of our own or other countries, of its statesmen and scholars, and their achievements. He can explain the philosophy of rain, hail, dew, whirlwinds, thunder, lightning, and principles and facts in physiology, and thereby awaken the curiosity, cause a desire to learn, and enkindle a thirst for knowledge that otherwise would have remained dormant forever. He can light the fires that will burn brighter and more vivid through life.-Mr. J. Hurty's Address at Lebanon. There are three millions of mothers in the United States, who have under their charge three hundred thousand infants. What an influence for good might these mothers exert! PROFESSIONAL. Improved Methods of Discipline and Instruction. AFTER public sentiment has demanded that all of the children of the State shall be educated, after suitable laws are enacted, convenient buildings erected and a proper organization of the schools undertaken, to carry out this popular sentiment, the next grave question for those to consider, who would aid in conducting the responsible business of public instruction, will be to ascertain, as fast as practicable, how far the present most approved methods of education are susceptible of improvement. We feel well assured that there is some important, yet difficult labor to be performed, in fashioning anew many of the forms and methods now in use in the schools of our country. And we believe, too, that confidence and courage, talent, energy and experience, are even more requisite here, than in the preliminary work of setting forth to the people the obvious advantages of general public instruction, and persuading them to provide the outward, material agencies, for securing its benefits. If it requires not only unusual self-denial, but sagacious foresight, active, practical sympathies, and a lofty purpose of soul, to awaken the public mind to such reflection upon this subject as will lead to prompt action, it requires also free and independent thought, nice discrimination, untiring perseverance and faithful devotion to the same noble cause, successfully to substitute real improvements for the time-honored customs which have prevailed in our schools. From the remarks which are frequently heard respecting the "superior schools" of many places in our country, and from the confidence with which many teachers are accustomed to speak of their own and other methods of instruction, it might be inferred that this labor has already been fully accomplished. With a sincere respect, however, for all that has already been gained, we would respectfully intimate that this work has but just commenced. Believing, very firmly, that there are some well settled principles in the profession of teaching and the business of education-principles that neither time nor circumstances will change, and that there are many other principles and methods worth adopting, until better ones can be devised and substituted for them; still, we think that a great and important service is to be rendered to the cause of general education, by originating new methods, and bringing to the great work other aids and influences than have yet been practised or understood. Indeed, one of the "bright, particular stars" which attracts us to our profession, is the glowing hope we cherish, that higher and purer ideals are yet to be realized for training the young than have yet been witnessed. We sincerely believe that eminent talent, combined with extensive and varied experience, is yet to reveal to the multitude of men, a far greater number of living sources of pure enjoyment than the present generation have known. We trust that it is yet to be abundantly demonstrated, that, by the early and continued culture of the spiritual nature, all the children of the land may be delivered from slavish dominion to the animal appetites. We fondly hope that, through the instrumentality of human means, a more liberal portion of the innocence and purity of childhood may be interwoven into the whole texture of manhood. We dwell with rapture upon the inspiriting ideal of self-culture, selfpossession, self-control, and calm, imperturbable serenity, for every human being-of error dissipated by the lightning glance of intelligence -of falsehood and injustice awed into silence and subjection, by the conscious presence of moral worth. With all due respect, therefore, to all that is at present useful, or likely to be useful, in the profession of teaching, we deem it important that the discussion of measures and principles tending to better culture and to higher attainments, should be immediately commenced. Let no one be satisfied with present attainments. Let us aim at model schools for our own and for our sister States. Let us have for all of our schools, systems of instruction that will not always be needing to snuff the incense of popular applause in order to live-systems that will need no commendation from human lips-systems that depend only upon pointing to the men, the "HIGH-MINDED MEN" they produce, or intend to produce, for all the favors and respect they are to receive at the tribunal of public opinion. SANDUSKY CITY, May, 1852. M. F. C. Letters to a Young Teacher. No. II. MY DEAR FRIEND: Since the date of my last letter, you have probably entered upon your duties as a teacher. I will presume, however, that a few more suggestions upon the subject of Order would not prove unacceptable to you, particularly at this time. |