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Show TEACHERS' HOLIDAYS. To be Spent in Burning the Midnight Oil and Blurring Their Brains, BARBARITIES OF EDUCATORS. Scaring the Life Out of Bright Women by Bofuddlinc Them with Nonsensical Trick Question?! I notice, professor, that Millspaugh is following in the wke of the hard headed educators that have made the life of school teachers hardly worth living. Those public executioners of pedagogical peda-gogical aspirants through courtesy denominated "school examiners" are whetting their noses on the grindstone to cut open the "blockheads" and expose ex-pose the opaqueness of the gray matter that has been passing itself for "educational "educa-tional faculties," and with the dire purpose pur-pose of exposing it to the public gaze and ridicule of mankind. The time set for "splitting heads" is holiday week. A man sentenced to be hanged does not suffer moro excrutiating mental ag ony than a nervous, sensitive woman at being guillotined by a board of specially spec-ially selected experts at dissecting mental men-tal palabium. A person unfamiliar with the atrocities of the profession know little of the suffering and premature prema-ture deaths growing out of this slaughter slaught-er house practice of braining pedagogues. peda-gogues. It is human butchery of the worst and most despicable sort. Why should Utah follow in the time- worn custom that has nothing to commend com-mend it but the darkness from which it sprang? Why not lead a reform movement move-ment that would bo applauded by every self respecting member of the profession profes-sion on this continent? Why not abolish examinations altogether, alto-gether, except to novitiates? Why not elevate the profession of teacher beside least a number of years. She knew she was tho graduate of one of the best seminaries iu the county the diploma of which should give her cart blanche to teach in any country on this benighted globe. She knew that she could answer any legitimate question but the idea of being tripped up on trick questions and, perhaps fail, was too much of a instead of touching tho pulsations of the soul with the throbs of the universe. uni-verse. This may seem Emersonian but in the narrow pit of the schoolroom there is need of a wider horizon for the budding mind than is measured by an inverted saucer, which is the diameter of the text books. They are accepted as the prima facia evidence of ability to teach. When a teacheris given a school fortified with a high grade certificate, nothiug less than murdering half a dozen of her pupils will depsoe her. 'lo get the best work out of teachers they must enjoy the best of health and the best stimulent to the best of spirits is not a head splitting examination during the holidays, 'leaehors need relaxation, anil instead of keeping their noses in their text books preparing prepar-ing for an examinantio in branches that they have graduated through years aso. 'J'hey should be allowed the recreation recrea-tion of natural inclinations. Ennui is caused by holding the mind perpet ually down to tho stupid tedeutn of the elementary ele-mentary branches, and has the most depressing and stupefying effect on the intellect of l!io school teacher. Teachers iu a great many states aro subject to the same usage as ranch j cattle rounded up once a year and branded. The "unlit" are butchered. Men with empty heads propound enig-mas enig-mas to perplex them. Let Utah publish to the world that she pays the best salaries and holds tlie fewest examinations of any common- that of the bar or of mediciue? There is hardly a judge on tho bench or a lawyer in tnis city who has been absent from the elementary text books three years that can pass an examination in his own profession without spending many weeks brushing up. The same can be said of the M.D.'s. the D.D.'s and others. Jt is not only the examination, but the manner of it, that needs correction. In nine cases out of ten, and more, too, the examining board is made up of a class of people who can ask questions. This is no personal reflection against the present board, as I do not know even the name of a sir le member. My attention was called to this by noticing no-ticing the cheeks of several school teachers blanch and their eyes turn sallow. sal-low. Their bright faces were less animated ani-mated and their former elastic step came down dull and heavy. Oae of them told me that she was actually breaking down. She was doing her best to teach 100 pupils In a little dark room, and in the teeth of this double work tho exarniuatiou hung over her life like a pall. She knew she was competent to teach as she had taught in betterschools than these cau be- expected to attain for at nervous strain for her frail body and she actually may be taken down any d,iv with typhoid 'fever. i actually would applaud Professor Millspaugh to the skies if he also would issue a manifesto against a heathenish practice. The best teachers do not per se pass the best examinations. A teacher may answer every question, trick, technical poser and otherwise, and tie incompetent incompe-tent to teach. There is quite as much in the ability to govern ai to answer quizzers. Governing is an indispen-siblo indispen-siblo qualification a natural gift that cannot be acquired, while any lunkhead j can keep in advance of his or her classes iu solving problems, etc. There is something outside Of the text books that enters into the make-up of a good teacher. In half an hours conversation Professor Millspaugh can arrive at a better knowledge of the general intelligence intelli-gence and lit 'less to teach of an applicant appli-cant than by tlirf tertilied returns ot a ''ozen boards of examiners. A better test still is a trial. And yet the examination board will not inquire into the results of the school room, but their ability to quote parrot-like some book like Wiekerham's Economy. Certificates not only do no good but do a nxtuiJ. ileal of barm. wealth and she cau have the pick of the flower of the entire profession. High minded noble hearted, ideal examples of womanhood are more to bo sought after than the ability to answer an-swer parrot-like the posers propounded by the examiners. (iive us model teachers and wo will have model schools that will turn out model boys and model girls. Technical rii tuition olieo suM a ttUiy- rut I |
