Christian herald., January 18, 1884, Page 8, Image 8

Educational Department.
CONDUCTED BY PROB. J. D. HAWES.
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All matter intended for this department
should be handed-or sent to Prof. J. D. Hawes,
Monmouth, Oregon.
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Teachers’ Examination.
At the Fifth Judicial District
Institute, held at Forest Grove last
month, this was the subject of con­
siderable discussion, which was
opened bySupt. Paxton, of Multno­
mah county, and continued by
Profs. Lyman, Crawford, Baird,
> Nutting and others, all taking the
ground that a teacher should be
examined and get his diploma like
^•rpKysiman;brTiwybi^
done with that part of the work.
This would be all well enough if
we bad a high enough standard at
first, but a teacher who baa no
higher ambition than to get a
county certificate of the first grade
under our present system, certainly
two years is long enough for him to
continue in the service. Eight of
the most common subjects on
which to make eighty per cent, is
certainly very low standing for one
to enter the profession of teaching.
Our good schools can turn out
teachers by the dozen at these
qualifications,
which
amounts
merely to high school entrance ex­
aminations, where there are high
schools. But then it was also
stated, “ What can we do to better
our present system of examina­
tions „ The people are not ready
for the change. Legislators will
not enact better laws until the
people send them there especially
to do this, all of which must be
taken into consideration. We have
this opinion that the peoplb are
quite ready for a gigantic stride
forward in our educational system ;
as ready as the State of California
was when her improved system was
introduced. We remember when
the School Act of 1872 was passed
in the Legislature of the Province
of Ontario compelling better bouses,
teachers, grounds, text-books, ap­
paratus, &c., that there was quite a
howl among ¿he old fogies, who
still knelt to the ** Golden Calf,”
but the intelligent portion of the
community prevailed, and to-day
no man who would advocate a re­
turn to the old. laws and methods
could poll 100 votes in the most
ignorant constituency in the Pro­
vince, and those who introduced
the 1872 Act are looked upon as
public benefactors. We belonged
to the reform party there, and still
haveAlove for reform principies,
and believe that our legislature,
should lead in all measures tending
to the public good. Let the people
elect to the coming legislature men
of culture; sterling, progressive
charactej, true reformers, in a word
men in favor of advanced liberal
public school education, who have
integrity enough to stick to the
people and legislate for the people,
and not fight for weeks over who
fish ladder scheme, Will I be elected
if I voto for this, &c. In our
humble judgment wo would make
the following suggestions, that no
person get a county certificate more
than- cm cej. ^H he c a nn o t t hen got a
State Certificate or Life Diploma,
or a certificate of a higher* grade,
let him try some other field of
labor. where leas attainment._ w ill
do him. Have the school fund
raised the same as any other county
fund, and distributed by the County
Superintendent, according to the
attendance at school. These, with
a general raising of the standard of
qualification, would make the pro­
fession worthy of men and women
of talent entering to make a per­
manency of the work. Let the
people of the State be alive to this
matter.
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Penmanship.
We print in this issue an article
taken from the Penman’s Art
Journal on “ Penmanship in the
Public Schools of Washington,
D. C.,” which has caused us to
think how many of our public
schools of Oregon are giving that at­
tention to writing they should. We
know that every one cannot write
with artistic correctness,nor flourish
birds, or do all kinds of ornamental
work, but it is within the reach of
all to write a good, plain hand,
without flourishes, and that will
show their own originality, With
the excellent system of writing ex­
ercise books of the Spencerian
System, and we have other good
works, there is nothing to hinder
the pupils of our public schools
from learning this very important
acquisition—to write a good hand.
We would specially recommend
every teacher, who wishes to im­
prove his writing, to subscribe for
the Penman’s Art Journal, pub­
lished at 205 Broadway, New York,
by D. Y. Ames, the great penman
and artist. Subscription price $1
per year.
The Teachers’ Self-Improve­ ing being employed. The teach­
ers are required to have a knowl­
ment.
edge ofth^Spent^any’and-somc
If a man teaches as he should degree of skill in writing upon the
teach he muht of necessity improve . blackboard. Copy-books and charts
himself. Teaching, understanding- are used, and at the stated exami­
ly pursued, gives accuracy. 1 know nations of schools the pupils are
it is possible for a man to be a questioned in regard to the theory
mere schoolmaster—a pedagogue, of penmanship.
.
without any self-improvement. But
The idea has been entertained by
I am speaking of the faithful, de­ some of our professional teachers
voted teacher—the man who of writing that the use of a publish­
studies, reflects, invents. Such a ed system o( writing in schools tends
man learns more than his pupils. XaJiminiah^^
their
Every time he takes a class through services, but such is really not the
any branch of study, he does it case; the real master succeeds best
more skillfully, more thoroughly in a community where considerably
than before. He brings some fresh is known of his art, and where, con­
illustration of it, presents some new sequently, it is appreciated.
view of it, and hence takes a lively ___In considering the merits of the
interest in it himself, and awakens Washington specimens it should be
a new zeal among his pupils.' borne in mind that they were
Measuring himself by his new suc­ samples of composition as well; that
cess, he feels a consciousness of the penmanship was shown in its -
growth; of progress; This - con­ true relation—that of servant to the
sciousness is a precious reward.— mind.— Penman 8 Art Journvl.
Page.
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Penmanship in Washington
Public Schools.
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Those who attended the meeting
of the Business Educators’ Associa­
tion last July had the opportunity
of seeing the remarkable specimens
of writing then on exhibition from
the public schools of Washington,
D. C. The specimens were from
the schools of the eighth grade, the
last before the High school, and
were written under conditions that
secured what may properly be call­
ed the current work of the pupils.
The average age of pupils in that
grade is not above fifteen years.
The specimens were taken as fol­
lows . The examiners, upon enter­
ing a school, were to announce the
theme upon which the pupils were
to each write an essay, within a
given number of minutes, in their
presence, and at the expiration of
the time the essays were all collec­
ted and placed in a package and
sent to the office of the superintend­
ent. Such specimens were taken
in each of the eighth grade schools;
no selections were made, but the
work of entire classes was included.
The majority of the specimens
showed excellence of form, clean
strokes, regular size slant, spacing
and a fair degree of ease in execu­
tion. The few who were not up to
the mark were from pupilB who had
recently come to Washington from
other schools.
The writing in the Washington
schools is taught by the regular
teachers, no special teacher of writ-
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Mathematical Column.
1. A ship’s crew had provisions
to last 40 days, allowing each man
8 oz. per day. In a battle on the
evening of the 5th day 200 men
were killed. The captain can now: <>■
allow each man 12 oz. per day for
the rest of them ; find the original
number of men.
2. A man can row 6 miles down
a stream and up again in 2 hrs.
40 min. His rate of rowing in still
water is twice as great as the rate
of the stream. Find his rate of
rowing.
Any one solving the above please
send to Prof. Hawes. Anyone
giving a worthy solution—the one
we think best—will have their
solution published over their name.
The solutions will appear in the
No. of 25th inst. Please do not
send any diagrams to any problems.
We would be glad to have any­
one send along any problem with
the solution or any interesting
query on school work.
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When a wild Western editor ad­
vises the girls not to chew gum,
but to have a little gum-shun about
them, the art of punning reaches a
point where it becomes useful as
well as ornamental. Ex.
Afflicted Christians, when you
pass through your Gethsemane, do
not think solely of its desolation,
but alsö of all its divine beauty
since the Redeemer traversed it, and
be sure it is this gloomy garden of
olives which is nearest to the goal.
—Dr. Pressense.
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