The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1855-07-05
G0ucational.
From the Ohio Journal Of Education.

All Ll6uCUV Ii SuGCCSSAu1 4CaOAAHS'
An excellent teacher knows 1cItat to
impart and hoaO to impart it, so that his
pupils shall be interested in his narrative
This faculty is akin to that possessed by
the orator. There are many teachers
whose minds are full enough ofinstruction
but the manner in which they depart it Is
so devoid of interest, that their pupils suf-
fer more than the pupils Of men of less
learning, but gifted with tact and energy.
A dull teacher is never blessed with g0od
pnpils. The occupation of teaching is
one full of interest, and if there be one
who has learned to make it mere rou-
tine, let him leave the field to a better
man. No one, whose soul is not easily
and always enkindled by reading the
thoughts of the great, or by some magic
touch of the pen OF pencil of genius, can
expect to hold in sympathy the teeming
mind of childhood To succeed here one
must love the employment. If it is not
too great for him, he will love it. No
mechanical teaching will succeed. The
teacher must be in jnst the condition he
is striving to bring bis pupil into: full of
interest. He should seize the subject with
perfect enthusiasm, convey his truths all
in fame, and they will leave an impress
sion that will endure. But be need not
be boisterous, and talk in loud tone of
voice. A noisy teacher is rarely-I might
say never-an interesting one. To teach
well, one must of course sacrifice himself;
but be will not deem it a useless sacrifice,
if he can thus buoy up his young immor
tails. He who would communicate prop
er ferver to other minds, must be full of
genuine fervor himself; like leaYen, it will
communicate itself to the whole. A teach
er must come to this work full of dis
interested desire to improve his pupils
He must be pure-hearted. There Uust
be an earnest spirit within the man, that
carries conviction to each ones heart, that
he is just what he seems.
A teacher should have good thoughts.
He should be student himself, and bring
some Of his treasures to the sight of his
pupils. He should show them that he is
in search of just such wealth as they seek.
Let him not fear to select for them a beau
tiful truth, from any science. They should
thus be constantly taught that their teach
er has many bright gems of thought in
his mind-that they are his choicest treas
ures. His language should be simple, yet
conveying in few terms just what
is intended.
A teacher should never have less love
for subject, because he has taught it
long. He should be interested in his pu-
pills, and the subject will be new. When
the mind brings out to help a scholar try
ing to escape from darkness by which he
is eucompassed, ,thesympathies arc aroused,
and efforts are made to simplify a subject
the teacherthought he perfectly understood.
It is lust this state of mind that has pro-
duced so many excellent school books
A teacher, in passing over his ground Of
ten, finds means to reduce the number Of
principles, and teaches these better every
time.
True teaching cducates the heart as
much as the intellect Never allow ono
to be developed at the expense of the 9th
er. If the feelings of children are not
kept alive in the school-room, their inter
est in@tbeir studies will die also.
The manner of the instructor viii be
such as to indicate the presence of deep
feeling. lie must be always in earnest,
and never frivolous. The scholar who
suspects that his teacher is not what be
should be, will have no confidence in man
kind. A teacher should be above mis-
trust. The pupil who believes that, out
of the school-room, his teacher will take
a course his conduct within it condemns,
will not improve in either mind or heart.
The confidence existing between a son
md his father, is not more sacred than
hat which should and may exist between
he pupil and his teacher.
To succeed in teaching, one wu7t b
at home in hls subj cct, aHd plead
earnestly and fluently as model advo-
,ate for his clients life. Above all things
10 it with consciousness that you are
working on impressible material; aud if
With right spirit, you viii have success
If you are successful, you will ouly be so
when you have found short and certain
-oad to your pupils attention and affection.
ALBANY, \. Y. a. NJ h.