Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1846-11-19

educlting others. But IL we have been Indifferent
III these matters, we cannot be too soon apprized o
:he most solemn, and ,e, TO US perhaps, the mos
unwelcolne truth, that we are wholly incompetent
10 discharge those duties aud responsibilities.
The principle, so fully recognized in mechanical
philosophy, that no effect produced can be superior
to It's producing cause. most flly applies here Ed
ucaton involves the idea of systematic, independ
ent thought-of reason and Of progress in being.
capable Of these incidents The teacher offers
himself TO the public an educator. And in SO
dong, he practically says, 81 present myself here
before the patrons of sound learning, rs Que well
qualified, not only TO instruct the young to think
something but also hO'c to think that something's
But can he do this, unless he himself is a sound
and patient ihinkcrl
Do the accuracy aud the art Of reasoning unfold
themselves in the student while the master is STU
pid duncef Do we expect the scholar to make
progress, in the acquisition of useful knowledge.
while the teacher excels, perhaps in nothing so
much as in his profound ignorance Of all true
knowledgel
But few conceivable conditions are more sadly
unfortunate thnn such a relation, existing between
the young learner, and such being, when elevated
10 the position Of a teacher.
The injury, resulting 10 the intellectual and moral
character of the scholar from the indulgence Of
idle habits-from the disreish Of patient study and
wholesome restrans-and from distrust in the abil.
ny Of those to whose care he is committed, can
never be justly estimated.
1t is, however, admitted that the scholar some.
times makes advancement both in the rudiments
Tpi ofl
OF very inefficient teachers But this is the excep.
ton TO the general rule, and occurs only, when the
native vigor, aud the indomable resolution of the
learner are able to triumph all the difficulties,
which the ignorance and uuskillfulness Of the tea.
cher can oppose to his progress.
But some one may say, " II is our business to
teach arithmetic, and grammar, and geography and
reading, aud spelling" But the important ques-
ton for the teacher is. does he really teach even
these Grant that these are the branches of pr.
common schools, the statutes OF
made provision. Still has he rightto suppose his
duty DONE when his classes in arithmetic, per-
form all the examples of their text books Tor
those in grammar recite, with measured accu.
racy, all the rules of Goold. Brown, Wells or,
sparse" with some show Of skili
in resting satisfied here for all this may be done,
and yet neither the scholar, teacher have ever
entertained one Just and intelligent idea Of the
ture and purposes Of an education.
What indeed if The scholar be able TO solve all
the examples Of the arithmetics Of the schools =
One chance to million. il any one Of those exam.
plies, in the business of lie, will present them
selyes for solution
What if parrot.like he be able TO recite all the
rules Of the grammars of the schools, and guess
even with Yankee shrewdness, at their application
TO anguage-yet how much will that avail him in
the correct ullerance of his thoughts, if he has
any. and in the use OF language fitted for the pult
pit the bar, the hail. the paror or the press'
All science depends on fundamental principles
And the examples found in the pupilstext books are
only the illustrations Of the principle itself The
difficulty with students, and, TOO often with profess
ed teachers, apprehend, consists in not disiin-
gushing clearly between the principle and its illus
iration and for that reason, failing to refer the
particular fact TO the general principle, or to apply
the general rule to the particular case.
II is not the possession Of any number, however
great, of individual facts, but rather the thorough
knowledge of sound and reliable principles, which
constitutes the successful scholar, or the man Of
learning. The teacher should keep this distinctly
before his own mind. as guide for himself in his
efforts 10 instruct Others
Thirdly, the IMPORTANCE Of the teachers Office
We have already spoken Of the true end of educa.
ton, as being the proper and equal cultivation Of
the intellectual and moral powers in all their beau
ty and symmeiry of proportion so nicely balanced