Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-09-29
THE DUTIES OF A TEACHER.

I The Office of teacher is second only in its i'm
! portance and sacredness to that of parent. Th'
l Church and the State are the offspring of the fam
lily. Never therefore will our bodies polite and
bodies ecclesiastc become what they ought to be,
until our bodies domestic are well ordored-thc
children obedent and respectful to their PARENTS
and considerate of each others rights and feelings
i living in peace and in love. "Young America" :"
las our body polite is now lippantly named AN
rreverent profanc, headlong, roistering fellow
shows plainly enough what deficiency there is
in our country of parental wisdom and authority
i Schools are needed therefore, not only that chill
dren may enjoy the quickcnng influences of com
panionship and emulation in their studies, but al
/ so that they may receive instruction in the scien-
ces which too few parents competent to give;
and q wholesome moral discipline; which too
many parents do not understand or neglect to
maintain.
The first duty of the teacher is to lead his pu-
pills 10 think, to observe and reflect on what they
observe; to listen to the monitor that is placed in
their bosoms, and consider revcrcntly what they
are required to do and what to forbear. Children
shorld be led to use their own powers and oppor
tunties for the acquisition of all knowledge cs-
pecally She knowledge of God and his laws. The
teacher should he to his pupils, whatever may be
their age, not 50 much dictator as guide. The
charm, the exceeding excellence of Colburn's meth
cd of teaching Arithmetic is, that it leads pupi
to observe and to state distinctly what is sefevi
;, don't to themselves of the powers and relations of
numbers; and to advance as they may, in the exer
else OF their faculties, from the most obvious
and elementary, to the discovery of the higher and
higher arithmetCdl truths. The SAME rational
method should be pursued in the teaching of all
other sciences, not excepting the science of man
and the science of God. We are prepared to ac-
cept intelligenty, and to use wisely the revela
tons of truth on any subject, that have been made
to other minds, only when we have well consid T.
ed and defined the revelations made to our own
minds God hath never left himself without wit
ness to any of the children of men. There is
law written by his finger upon the heart of each
one and by considering that law every child may
be led, in some measure, to discover how wise and
holy that Being must be, who inscribed it there
But teachers too seldom take the pains necessary
to lead their pupils to listen to the witnesses Of
God which they have in their own souls. 1t is to
be depored that in primary instructions on all sub
jects, most teachers depend so much upon books,
treatises and manuals. These contain records of
what other minds have discovered, reports of re-
suits to which other minds have come. Often they
are invaluable, and should be communicated in
due time and in the sproper place. But in every
instance that communication should be preceded
by careful survey and thorough consideration
by the pupil himself, of all the truth which is
within the immediate reach of his own percep-
tions. have long been persuaded, that the first
processes of teaching should be those, by which
the youngest pupils may be led to the exercise of
their own senses, in discovering knowledge, and
/ to the consultation of their own moral instincts
and iKtuitions, in ascertaining what is right
There was deep meaning in the words Of the
Great Teacher, when he took little children in his
arms and blessed them, saying, "of such is the
kingdom of HeaveD"-"their angels do always be-
hold the face of my Father in Heaven"
Who does not know how the great moral ques
| tions, that now agitate our country, and about
which our ablest statesmen seem to be bewldered,
would be settled, if left to the decision of the
moral intuitions of unsophsticated children p
| w hat child cOrruuto1 bv his p1ucn fton NUnnd
not decide instantly, that one man can have no
right to hold another man as his property, and re-
gard and treat him MS a domesticated brute What
| child not corrupted, would not instantly discern
and condemn with loathing, the traffic in intoxica
ting drinks; the civil and social dependence and
depression of the female sex; the horrid custom of
war; the impositous which are too common in
trade; and every kind of violation of the Golden
Rule? Nay how quickly and how wisely would
unperverted shildren determine, could they under
stand, the questions of Theology, that have so
long divided the church, and perplexed the grave
Doctors of Divinity.
! No one should venture into school as its teach
er, who has not q reverence for the spirit that is
in the youngest Child who does not deeply feel
that he is about to deal with that which partakes
Of the dicine. He may find it, in some instances
already perverted by the mismanaeement of its
earlier guardians, or by untoward influences that
preceded even its birth; but he should know that
in itself there resides the recuperative power,
which alone can restore spiritual health. TO that
he should know how to appeal that he may bring
the instrument into harmony again If he LAYS
upon it rudely the hand Of power he may aggra-
vate the dscord of the harp of thousand strings
Only by touching in the spirit df love, that part of
the nature of child, that is in tie, may he rea-
sonably hope to restore the whole to harmony
Let all teachers 60 into their schools in the spirit
of HIM who felt that he was sent especially to
seek and savo the lost.
Not upon the bright, beautiful tractablc, intel
ligent children, should teachers las they will be
continually tempted to do) allow their particular
regards TO fasten. Such children have already
been favored enough, in the circumstances of their
birth, natural temperament and condition in life.
They will need, in school, only the ordinary inten-
d tions and inducements to study and to subordi-
nate themselves to wholesome rules. 1t is the in
teilectual imbeciles, the spiritual cripples the
} morally insane who need and should recei We the
especial care of teachers. More or fewer of these
| OR individuals who are suffering in q greater or
less degree under these infrmities-- abe found
in every school, And these infrmties may be
$ coexistent with some admirable powers of mind,
. some excellent affections and holy aspirations
The great art of the school teacher is to gather
those intirn ones in his arms end carry thom in
his bosom; help them over the rugged passes that
, might wound or weary them; at the same time con-
ciliating the approval and the generous co-opera-
ton OF the healthy and strong in aid OF the weak.
II say unto you, are the words of the Teacher,
II say unto you love your enemies, bless them that
a curse you, do good to them that hate you, and
b pray for them which desptefuly uso you and per-
5 secute you" These hevenly precepts should gov-
4 ern every act of those who have the charge of
wayward, perverse, rebellions children 1t is the
e spirit which dictated them that alone can subdue
n and reclaim a wicked child. / mean MT now to
raise the question of corporal punishment, to de-
: ny utterly the necessity OF this dreadful expedi-
emit. cannot, at this late moment, open the dis
. eussion Of school discipline Let me only say
that no treatment of child, that is not prompted
e by, and cannot be administered in the spirit Of
r love- will benefit him. lie or she who can govern
5 school thoroughly well, without blows, or angry
0 words, possesses most of the art of governing
My estimation Of the qualifications of any one fol
: the office of Il school teacher. declines directly a.
the amount of corporal punishment used by him OF
y her increases Aud he or she who cannot aqeI
children in good order, well and happiIy employed