Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1846-11-19
VERMONT PHOENIX.
Extracts from Lecture delivered before the Teachers nst
u'e at West Batteboro Oct 1876 by r. w. Clarke Esq
Subject---The Importance of the Teachers
Office;


DISCUSSED, IN THREE DIVISIONS.
First, The Specification of the term "to teach
and the character Of the true teacher. Secondly,
portance of that Office
By the term ito teach" would be understood to
mean the inculcaton of precisely such knowledge,
as the intellectual and moral condition ofthe learn
er may require.
All instruction is but the means TO an end,
whether that end be our happiness or usefulness,
or the happy and perhaps necessary union of both.
And if it does not secure, tend secure these,
ii is not only useless, but may be almost inf.
nitely worse than useless.
Have you quantity ofrough, massive gold fresh
from the miuel Aud do you wish it manufactured
into some finished style. of the most curously
wrought workmanship Ifso, do you entrust il to
the novice or the quack, do you not rather sub.
nit ii TO the skill aud experience Of the master'
In such matters our wisdom seldom fails us. But
your gold after all your elaboration Of it, is only
dead natter and il the first trial fails another may
be successfully made Additional expense is the
full measure OF your loss But experiments with
mind are attended with far more serious conse-
quences A single mistake here, may prove fatal /;
and current Of evil set in, the force Of which, new
err afterwards can be successfully resisted In this
case, the damage sustained, is not the measure Of
the loss, but you have struck delormty and disease
deep down into the yitals Of the living substance
and struggle to purchase redemption of the evil,
at what cost you will, your labors may end in dis
appointment That field of action, where the tea
cher proposes to expend his abors, is really invest
ed, by no shadowy, underlined images, which the
vulgar and ignorant have set up there, as the prop.
er objects of his care. The sembance the mere
outward form, so apt TO be mistaken for the sub
stance ITSELF should not be magnfed beyond its due
proportion, however valuable and necessary il may
be, to the proper and complete Development Of
the powers of the learner. II is the duty Of your
sphere, and may say, the true glory of your Office
teachers, to bring your aid TO strengthen and de
velope in all their beauty g. symmetry of proportion
all the faculties Of those youthful minds committed
to your charge. Not that many Of you, and may
be none, are to watch the progress Of this growth
and guide its expansion, in any single case from
weak and helpless infancy, to the funess ant
strength of manhood, but that in some stage of lh
process, you are to leave your impression upon i
for better or worse.
And to accomplish this, it must be your business
to watch your own mental processes-.io recall if yol
can the times the occasions& the modes, which you
memories may Danish Of your own improvement
Are not each one of US able TO recall, some fortu
nate moment-some happy occasion-some pleas
ing method, which have flashed upon us, like tn
glare of the lightning, yet whose Impressions left
were like the genial rays of the ever returning Sun
If so, it is arich fund of experience, upon whic
we may levy our contributions TO aid ourselves, i
our efforts TO instruct others.
The human mind is essentially the same in all il
elements, and dependent OH the same laws for il
Development Hence If we are able TO trace III
workings-the growth and the process OF educatio
in one, we have become substantially acquainte
with the means Of cultivation aud processes in al
Do we know ourselvesi
II indeed we have been familiar with, aud watch
ed attentiyey the means and methods used TO ops
rate upon us, in the progress Of our education the
. we may have some preparation--some qualification
to entitle us to assume the tolls and the duties