Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1858-11-06

Good schools are rare, in spite Of all that has been
said and done to make them better. The fault is part
y in the people and partly in the teachers Primari-
~ the blame belongs 70 the former. When they will
make Il object for competent men to devote them
elves 70 the profession, and refuse accept the SER
vices Of incompetent men, then we shall have more
good teachers and good schools. There is as much
quackcry in this IN other professions And quack-
cry apt 10 succeed. Some men lrve proneness to
patroniAe it. So it happens, ocntimes that the man
who can make the most nosc--the greatest outside
dispay-aud especially who has the convenient fac
uiy of making his scholars think he is great man.
and is going to make great men OF them will get the
reputation Of supcrloreach Give him the charge
of Select School or Academy, aud however incom-
peten or indisposed, he may be to give thorough and
faithful instruction, he viii draw in scholars. And
this will Away. be So just 50 long MS the reputation
Of the teachers is left chiefly in the hands Of the Sch
ars; ust 50 long is parents and the people neglect
determine for themselves, aud IN Il proper way, who
are good teachers and who are rot,
Instead of visiting the school to see for themselves,
or testing, by frequent examinations the progress of
their children, parents accept and rely upon the i'm
preston, their children happen to receive. The faith
er says-Wel, John, how do You like the tcacher?'
20, cap,aly! He knows how to make things clear.
II there is hard spot in the lesson he always explains
itiorus,' which, being translated, means-thc teach
er performs all the difficult part of the recitation him
self if happen, not TO be posted up it, grace
fully jumps over it, Another like. his teacher be-
cause he pats him the shoulder and says, 20, you
are doing finely; making rapid progress. You'll soon
master this study
The opinion of lazy scholar, in regard to the COM
potency and excelcncy of teacher is not especially
valuable. And most Young people Ito say nothing of
the rest Of u,l have element Of lnzhess in them
which skihd Schoolmaster can draw out. And it
would appear judging from results that it is to the
development Of this principle to which some teachers
devote themselves most assiduously.
The first element of good teacher is, evidently,
thorough knowledge Of what he undertakes to teach
Whoever proposes 10 teach grammar ought certainly
to understand grammar. Setting II raw Irishman TO
teach parcel Of Germans english, differs only in de-
gree, if even in that from the policy Of some commit
tees this side of New York. Another element of
good teacher is the power to govern well. This of
course depends upon his power to govern himself, as
well as upon knowledge Of young human nature
Many men have learning enough to teach IA school,
who are wholly unfit to assume the government of it,
Self control an unassumed dignity, decision without
obstinacy, cheerful temper,-such moral qualities
will do hall the governing for the teacher who possess
es them And he who lacks these, may fret and scold
the day through and ind the scholars as unruy rs
ever.
Not to remark especially upon some other qualities
which might be named hcre,-as aptness to teach the
power of Illustration skill in making difficult points
clear, love for the profession, sympathy with the
younG,-we may name the power of inspiring scholars