The Litchfield County post. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1826-1829, 1828-01-31
GOGNTX 3pOGT.
LITCHFIELD, JANUARY 81, 1928
COMMON scHooLs.-No. nj. :
Eransinat;on of Teachers.

1bLONtsUntsOB ~ 4 eUCNeTSs ft gN8s
The committee for the examination Of teachers
should be strict and critical nhe performance ofther
duty. They should not be satisfied with knowing that
the candidate has studied certain books, and
c.. an Asa- hut bas he
that general knowledge Of the sciences taught in our
common schools, which will enable him to communi.
cate his ideas understandngly to his pupils. No man
can probably instruct in Arithmetic, who has but
simply studied the principal rules Of Arithmetic: and
even if ne has gone completely through the books on
this branch of science, commonly used in school, he is
not qualified to teach unless he has the faculty OF ex.
planning the different rules Of the work according 10
the different faculties ofhs pupils. No child can make
much pr gress in this, or any other branch OF science
lfhe has no other instruction than what he can ne,
from the general rules laid down in his text books
10 De able SIMPLY to work out an answer an exam
PIE laid down under any Of these rules, or smpl,
to repeat to his pupil the precise words othe rule is
not the whole duty Of the teachers he must be able SO
to explain this rale, that his pupil can find the answer
without his assistance. How often 10 il the case that
child will carry his instructor an example which an
pears difficult, and intricae and the latter will
sit down silently and figure out the sum, and return
the slate to the pupil, who copies this labor into his
cyphering-book, as totally ignorant as he was before
he asked the assistance bis teacher. Upon this part
OF our subject shal say more hereafter our pres.
ent object IS to show that having studied the different
branches of common ieducation, does not always
qualify person to teach Others aud the same rules
which apply to Arithmetic will also apply to Geogra.
ply, and more especially to Grammar.
And even ability to teach does not awas qualify
man for the station of instructor. In every other
department OF life the bare ability perform any Civ
en- service's not the only requisite for candidates.
being employed IN that service. No society will en-
poy religious teacher simply because he can write
good sermon ;-he mist have that excellence of spirit
which shall manifest that his heart engaged in the
service he is employed in. No farmer will hire AZ
servant who has not prudence SKILL and an honest re.
gard to the best interests of his employer even if he
has the ability to do good days work-he must also
have disposition to employ this ability in the
best possible manner. So the moral character. the
aptness to teach, and the natural disposition of the
candidate, should be learnt by the examining commit
tee, before they grant license Of qualification Per.
sons, offering themselves instructors in academies
or high schools Of any name where their character is
notpeviously known, think it requisite TO produce
and certificates ON this point; and
surely an examining committee, who have ten times
the number children under their general care, that
are ever found in any academy, cannot honestly
do their whole duty without at least making some n-
quires upon this sui ject An immoral teacheror one
who cares little nothing about the Improvement of
his pupils-whose whole concern appears to be to get
through his school as ear possible, and pocket his
his wages,-may do incalcuable injury, not only to
The children under his care, but to society at large. Ii
youth is the seed time for hte surely too much care
Cannot be taken to employ suitable persons to cow this
seed; and this is delegated to small number
Of individuals, their responsibilities are propOrtionaby
great. They have the best interests of from two to
i've hundred of the rising generation under their su-
perysion and they perform the duties Of this
responsible station with roo much diligence. In this