Demoine courier., 1854-08-10
The Teacher and his Mission.

The Teacher and his Mission.
Much has been written on this subjec,
and very often to very little purpose.
Quantities of good advice" have been
sowed broadcast over the land. and we
doubt not that some has fallen in good
soil, and July brough. forth fruit. We
deem i: the duty of the Journalist OF
education, frequently to remind the
teacher Of his duty, to encourage him
10 exertion, and 10 warn him of danger.
There is no calling in life, in which a
taste or love for ones profession is so
essential as in that of The school teacher.
He must |ee,an interest in the progress
of his scholars, and OF l,he would. or he
will never rise as teacher; and there is
probably no other position in which a
good heart aud kind benevolent dispo-
silion are SO necessary. The time is
coming when the tue position and mis-
sion OF the teacher will be seen and
acknowledged; the people are evidently
becoming more and more alive to The
importance of bes,owing good educa,
ton upon the rising generation. and his
dignity and responsibility will soon be
felt, acknowledged anG literally paid for.
II has hitherto teen too much HE custom
to employ those who would work cheap;
and an amputa,cd limb was powerful
letter of recommendation. In other
words. education has not un.l of late
years, been considered one oC the first
duties cf The State; and i, has bu, too
frequently happened that the eally
training Of our children has been en-.
trusted 10 those who were but poorly
qualified to govern themselves. We
must hot forget that we were once chill
dren; and that. what are but meager hills
10 US now, were mountains OF difficulty
then. While we ureinculca,ing studious
habi,s, We must be guarded no: to tax or
oyerburcen the tender minds Of our
pupils; and above all, mus, we constantly
show Them an example of energy and
industry. We must be ever ready if
our pupils falter to leap, if It be really
necessary, the chasm in their path, or
teach them how to lay the tree Of knowI.
edge across it. We mus, no, forge, the
old adage about "all work and no play"
&c The sluggish may be stimulated to
emulate his more ready contemporaries;
but that precocious, slight, blue.eyed
youth with prominen. forehead, must be
encouraged to frequen. the play ground
gymnasium, and educate himself to a
great extent there, for without vigor of
body, his ,brigh, intellect, and overworked
brain, will forget it's cunning, and the
p!cdter will pass him on the road to
fame.
Gymnastics are entirely neglected in
many otherwise good schools. True
education is The harmonious develope
ment OF all our powers; and that sy ste IN
is lamentably deficient. that educaies the
one at the expense of the other. Judi.
cious system will accomplish much; for
we have seen schools, Of nine hours
attendance per day. that were less tedious
Than others OF only six.
Half an hours exercise before large
outline map, will teach more, and make
more lasting impression. than hours of
mere book study. In arithmetic, every
pupil should be daily tested at the black
board. There are three primary studies
which always appeared to US of the frs,
importance-spelline. writing and arilh.
me,ic; w,ll, good knowledge OF these
all other studies come easy. They are
the basis upon which the whole fabric of
education must rest, and if the ancien,
one legged, one eyed school masters Of
the olden time, ,aght wha. have been
facetiously called the three RS, weH.
they did their dep0ir in their day and
generation. and i. was nobody's fault bu,
the pupils. if after having acquired a
good knowledge OF these essential ele.
ments, they did no. acquire any thing
else, to which they had time to give their
attention. Grammar shows TO poor
advantage il spelling has been neglected.;
and a poor writer. whatever his other
accomplishments may be, misses thou
sand opportunities Of advancemen..--
Wi.hou. a good knowledge Of arithmetic
which 10 the basis Of geomei:y,-,he
grand portals of astronomy canascarcely
be entered. To those youths, destined
for mercantile career. particular auen.
lion will Of course be paid to book keep
ing Thus we must always bear in
mind, those studies which are of the frs.
and greatest importance 10 the individual
or the class, and push Them by all legi,i-
male means. The sin Of idleness is
quite a. great and destructive in the
teacher, as in any other department OF
life; honor comes not without work. II
we would reap the harvest, We must not
neglect first to SOW @ell the seed.--
School journal. s es a a