The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1857-10-21
Vermont Education.
GET A GOOD TEACHER.

Published under the sanction of the
State Teachers Committee.
In a public address, some years ago
the Rev Charles Brooks remarked that
"the dearest thing on Gods earth is a
cheap scholmaster." This fact needs
TO be remembered and repeated. It
needs to be remembered this year, at the
school meeting, when the cry of "hard
times" will be heard and men will be
tempted to offer less wages and to put
up with poorer schools than usual. There
is no mistake about it, good article
article commands money, be it good
cheese or n good OK, DO it power of hand
in the mechanics shop, or power of brain
in the counting room, at the bar, or in
the school house. If you want a good
teacher you must down with the dust"
DO not tell me that good teachers are
not to be had they are to be had if you
will pay for them, at least one for your
district, The demand will soon create
supply. Good teachers who have given
up the business can DO drawn into it a.
gain. So too, others of first rate ability
and education, for compensation that
will make the business respectable not
less in their eyes than in the eyes of the
parents and scholars.
Do not put up with somebody that
will do tolorably we'll, seeing that your
school is small and there are no, many
large scholars. Do not take Dea. Browns
SOD. or daughter, or wife's cousin because
they will work cheaply, and can board at
home, or take woman teacher when you
ought to have q man, unless you want to
keep your school small, and TO keep out
the large scholars. Dea, Browns rela
tives may do we'll somewhere else, they
may teach geography and arithmetic we'll
enough in your district, but their iDfu
ence on the character Of the scholars and
of the district, will not compare with that
they may exert elsewhere, or another Of
no better ability may exert in your dis.
trict, /. is not enough that your scbol.
ars learn something, read better and 90
through the arithmetic The more i'm
portant part of the teachers influence is
upon their habits and character, in refn-
ing :beir tastes, inducing respect and re.
gard for education itself, and for all that
is good and worthy in q word, in the
impulses':or good that silently 60 GU. in
all directions from the really good teach
or. who at once commands the respect
aud love of bis pupils. How many of
our best and great est men and women.
refer the first quickeniug impulse toward
all they afterwards become to the word
or smile or example of such teacher. AS
.. general rule, comparative stranger
will have the advantage over person
we'll known and a male teacher over a
famale, Aud this last is said with all
due regard TO the many very many most
estimable female teachers in our state.
O'her things being equal the male leach
er can maintain 10 himselfa calm dignity
of III inner, and secure a reverence for
just authority in the minds of the schol-
ars, better than the female, because
known to be able to enforce obedience
when not chcerfully rendered
Again: your cheap teacher can not
teach your little children, and 10 the COM
mon branches as we'll as the good teach
err He can 60 through with q certain
number of exercises in dull mechanic
al way, but without infusing that life and
spirit into the scholars SO needful that
they may learn even their A B. C's, or
spell "Baker" dccently. You have hired
your teacher because ho was cheap, you
neither respect him yourselves, nor do
you expect your children to respect him.
You do not even expect your children to
learn much, aud you will not be disa.
pointed, aud yet this very winter is the
time when the right or the wrong impulse
given to the opening mind Of your child
is to determine it's character for lite -
and to fill your heart in coming years
with joy or regrets for an error no mon,
ca or tears con ever retrieve. Aud all
tho difference now is one, il may be Of
from three TO five or possibly ten dollars
a n,onth for vnur uintar sohanls n tr;