Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1855-04-26
VOLUME XII. NO, l8.


pecaniary aid necessary to do what needs to be-
done in this direction.
Let, then, those young men and women who
possess the natural adaptedness for eminent sue
cess in teaching realize this as the voice of their
destiny, loudly calling upon them to qualify
themsel pr this noble avocation. Let them
not say the pecuniary Inducements of school
keeping are not sufficient. This is too true, but
if they will prove themselves worthy of their
vocation they may rest assured that even here in
Vermont, they(%ill not go unrewarded. First
class teachers are in great demand and receive
any reasonable compensation. But even if they
should not'in ell cases have 1 just compensation
Y dollars and cents. if thcydo their whole duty
'ney VIII have more glorious reward in tba
consciousness of having done what they could
tor the good of Others, which is as far above all
other rewards as heaven is higher than earth.
lHE TEACHER MUST BE A CoMM2N SoHooL Mrs
sIoNARY Lie must be thoroughly imbued with
the spirit of his work, realizing somewhat Che
responsibilities of his calling, giving himself as
living sacrifice, and, resolved to conquer. he
Will most assuredly come off victorious having
Sranhed a audable ambition, and served his
generation in that way in which every noble
impulse OF the heart, and every holy influence
In Heaven and earth, mpel him.
But, says one, how shall accomplish this
great and glorious work ?--how shall attain
that praisewortby end, which so many fail Of
reaching?
answer. that any YOUTH well-ftted BY ma
ture and education, with this as an object dearer
than life ITSELF with his soul on fire with enthu
slasm in his profession, may strike the word fail
from his vocabulary. Teachers are born, not
made but nature, SO called, in this case, az in
most Others, can be improved By cultivation
hence the teacher must needs be taught how to
teach.
10 attain that success, which all 50 earnestly
covet, he must well understand the branches to
be taught; hemust continually refresh his mind
on them by constant daily reviews, and origi-
nally investigate them for himself; he must be
deeply interested himself, else he may not expect
TO interest others he must know how, and be
able, to impart his knowledge; he must no,
only be an original thinker himself but must
possess the power of making his pupils original
thinkers and investigators also he must be IA
milmrly acquainted with the powers and cap &C
tiles of both body and mind, and the laws
which govern their development, growth and de-
cay; he must have extensive knowledge Of hu-
man nature and -indiyidual character, that he
may be able suitably to alart his instruction.
and discipline to each : he must have strong
love ior and interest in children and youth, and
have an anxious solicitude for their highest good
he must ascertain and adopt the best mode Of
teaching and governing; he must have the
power Of arou>ing dormant minds to action, and
directing them Alright when once awakoned-be
able carefully to curb and restrain the already
too fast, and bring up from the rear thosa who
drag behind he must, if possible, cause all to
become conscious of their own powers and ca
pacltics, and especially to rely on their own ei-
forts for advancement; he must, moreover, bo
apt to govern, as we'll as to teach--to govern
himself, and to govern others!. A person with
out se5fcontrol. cannot control Others. Bat he
who can govern himself, is fit person to govern
the world and of the teacherit is emphatically
true, that to know himself is the greatest of all
knowledge without it, "he is can9ering
bark upon whose pathway shines all stars Of
!,
But schools like this would have been govern
ed too much, yet without government school is
worthless, and very many of our teachers seem
to fail in this point of their duty. The common
remark is, our teachers know enough, hut they
cannot govern. Government involves among
others two leading idcas--that Of influence, and
that of authority. That government is best IN
which influence direct and indirect greatly pre-
ponderate with as littleas possible of authority
yet authority is sometimes necessary, both US u
first and last resort, and he who can most effect
lively use it as a first resort, in the extremely
few cases in which it is necessary, will be found
to be the most successful in its application.
L "a '''SSN
who govern eHectualy without seeming to gov
ern at ali. This may be exerted in thousand
ways, by every look, word and action-by all
his intercourses with his pupils the parents and
Others, he must bear in mind, above all things,
government is an end to be be sought, and not a
means to be used in accomplishing an end hence
he must provide every pupil with as much work
as he ought to do, that he will have no time to
attend to anything else but his duty he must
(if at all possible) get their minds occupied or
what is good and right so there may be but lit
tie opportunity to attend to what is wrong. L
the teacher fails here he fails everywhere, SC
that he ought to bend all his energies to awaE-
6 en- such an interest on study and improvement
as to overcome all tendencies and influences from
> within or without in an opposite direction; he
must so classify and arrange the studies and rec
itations as to produce the greatest good, and tht
best effect
The teacher must be what ho wishes his pu
nils to be. If he wishes them to be interested
he must be if he wants them to be studious, III
i. must assist them to be 50 if to be quiet AM
, orderly, he must be so himself require onl.
what is right, and have no other regulation, ,bu
: endeavor to obey that, and have each do tn
: same he must treat sach and all as ladies an
gentlemen, and they will be quite likely to trea
4 him so in return.
7 To perform these and other duties, he mus
0 give his whole time and interest - -
' and school alhirs. He has no'a
. right to fritter away his time and
D are needed and ought to be expenC