Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1858-05-18
Teaching and Teachers.


pers have circulated them widely throughout
the land. and an increased interest on the part
of the people, in the education of youth, has
been the bel.eficent result, aud SO 1t should be-
Let them continue 10 circulate; let the means
and the ends of Instruction oc well understood,
and L.: those means be used. and these ends OBJ
taired Bat because a multitude of writers
have urittea uYon educational subjects, it is
therefore the difficult to present any thing
new thereon. What 1 have written has, in all
probability, been written before but possibly
never before IN my way.
Teaching is at least considered as constituting
a profeszien Noble discovery, And vet how
long has the world been in making it. a pro-
fessioa' yes il is aprofessioB-one of the highest
and noblesf in the land. Like I'll other profess
sions, teaching has It's different grades. Betw cen
the President Of 4 University, and the presiding
genius of a backwood's sehoal house. there is a
visit difference, yet, each has an important mis-
sion TO fulfill. 1t was under one Of this lat e.
class that the noble Henry Clay received his
first lessons ard what may not America-ay :
the world-owe to the teachings of the g re
spectacle Peter Deacon = Like all other pro-
,
many are the yexatious trials to which teachers
are necessarily subject; different interests must
be reconciled; pTeJudices must be overcome,
and oftentimes the home education of children
Is such as renders their moral and Intellectual
training difficult tass indeed.
But these are not lie least of the evil inf
ences which operate against good schools. Su-
perintendents and School Officers very often
care little whether we have good schools or not,
politics are brought into the arena and men to-
tally unfit to discharge the duties Of their po-
sitlou are oftentimes selected as the guardians
Of our schools. Not unfrequently with scant
ray, poor accommodations miserable school,
rooms, and an abundance Of scholars the teach
er Is expected TO perform prodigies in tie wav
of instruction, with friendly voice to cheer
him on, and WITH warm hearted friend with
whom TO counsel. Is it any wonder that he
should grow discouraged ?-or that he should
seek to exchange his profession for some more
congenial employment But, there is another
view of the subject Thank fortune the world
does move and It is pleasing at times to know,
or even to imagine. that ones own efforts, how
yer humble, are Fastening it on.
The days wherfa great proportion of our COM
mon people could neither read nor write, have
passed away, a new race is springing into ex-
lstence, the masses are becoming educated, pro-
gress i the watebword Of the day, the nature
of our civil institutions is such that Ignorance Is
fast giving way to enlightenment, and it needs
no depth OF penetration to discern what part in
this great drama Of life our institutions oflearn
Ing are performing. The Common School and
tie University, side by side, fostered and en-
Outraged by just legislation, are working out
tie salvation Of our Republic To accomplish
this result we have all been latoring, and to this
end We must continue to labor. Take heart
then. weary pedagogue, though trials and trib-
ulatlons pep,leX you now, though your labor be
but half rewarded, and your efforts but half APP
Preciased remember the coming of a glorious
future. Enjoy whatever you can of the future,
Tele1 not your efforts in the cause of education,
BE- awake to the Importance of 4 strict discharge
of every duty, and let not your faith in just
reward be shaken. So shall you bless the cause
in which we all engaged, and so shall you,
yourself, have cause to bless the choice YOU have
made of profession. Again, every person is
not qualified to teach, very many seem |, think
it an easy task, and that any body whc u;ts COM
mon sense, and some who have not can teach
school. Those Who think thus make grave
mistake, and the main reason why the profes-
sion IS much derided, Is, because SO many en-
gage in il. Who have not the necessary aualif-
cations. Teaching is ID this sense like preach
ing, too many are apt to regard it as their call
ing.
To teach properly, requires good share Of
both tact and talent, whatever ne the grade Of
the school, the teacher cannot ex pect to succeed
Mess he has the respect Of his pupils. and this
: cannot have, unless it is Justly his due, for
children, inexperienced as they NAV be, are
argus-eyed. and seldom fail TO form Just esti-
mates of their Instructors. Let the teacher but
show himself deficient in scholarship in gov
eminent, or principle, and the resp.ct Of his
scholars i deservedly lost, he not thoroughly
succeed, and lad best abandon his profession.
The teacher OF youth should be Ihllanthro-
Pist and cAristian-those principles eff into.sri-
~ and virtue which 80 much adorn human con-
duct should find an disqualification in his life
and character-ofa truth he should add 10 his
knowledge temperance, to his temperance. pa
thence, and 10 patience, godlness. for his posi-
''ON - one u weight ana responsibility. The
tea hers Of to-day have the future destinics of
our Republic in their care. IF the rising gen
Grafton OF our own country properly trained
intellectually, morally and politically who can
calculate the extent of those influences which
IN coming ages she Ia destined to exercise >
What VIII be the effect Of false system Of ed,
Uc2tion And 20 whom il that education in
trusted Cooper was right when he penned
these lines
" FTo1n esaet5ion, * tIs lesding cause
4Ae public character Is color draw,
4',sf'ee TIC prevailing manners fake tIIer cas-
f&tia'assat or so}evs jeose ehaste."
Let Us recognise then, tie trust confded in
as as teachers, and endeavor by every means in /
our power t'. exalt tue condition of our schools.
lei as hopefully look forward 70 the day. when