Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1858-06-30

| cident to his profession. Trials are his. His
| life is warfare. The enemy is cunning and
| treacherous. He will not show his colors in
| open day but while the sun shines he lies in
ambush, and ssbecause his deeds are evil,'
| stalks out in the darkness of the night, to
come suddenly upon the object of his hatred.
| But he who catches the faithful sentinel asleep
at his post, will have to visit that post more
than once. Let him be sagacious. Ourteach-
er is also neutrality-suspicious. with wiser sa-
gacity; and his good common sense enables
him to meet more than equal terms the
willy adversary.
Good common sense is found necessary in
relation to the assignment of every lesson and
the hearing of every recitation-every order,
every motion-every word and every look in
side Of the school room and outside, with his
pupils and with their parents.
2. Another characteristic of the True Teach
er, is aniableness-gentle and persuasive man
ners. He needs not be, he must not be, a
sickly sentimentalist, such as he who would
appear refined; but he ought to be, and he is
man of true feelings, and of kind and gentle
manner--in a word, gentleman. A surly,
grabbed man is outrof his proper place in the
ranks of teachers. 20 s 80 -.
The minds and the hearts of children, as
well as their bodies, tender things, and
must be tenderly dealt with. The True Teach
er, observant of human nature, is aware of
this, and his own amiable disposition naturally
prompts him to right discharge of his duties
in this respect. He is not apt to snarl, as q
chained dog, at every little annoyance, and
even the petty faiiilgs of childhood sometimes
please him. He sees in children nothing less
than men and women undeveloped. And while
he possesses absolute authority over his school,
he commands by requesting, and this in spirit
of kindness and cheerfulness. And being
kind and cheerful himself, the same spirit per-
vades his school. There love and honor dwell,
happiness is there, and the children think
there is not on earth another such teacher as
theirs. Blessed among teachers is that one
who has gained the object and confidence of
his pupils; thrice blessed is he who retains it,.
3. Again--the True Teacher is characterz-
ed by patience. Impatience and frettulness in
a teacher is a sure sign of his having been by
Nature designed for some sterner calling than
than that of directing the tender mind of child
hood in the acquisition of knowledge.
Childhood has many little failings, scarcely
amounting to faults, yet to meet which in the
proper manner, requires no small amount of
patience. Besides, in regard to sslessons,' -
many things which to the teacher appear very
plain and simple, are to the little learner very
difficult and intricate; and much laboIious and
prtient explanation is necessary. For instance,
the Alphabet is to the child but a complexity
of characters, the different names and sounds
of which it thinks herculean task to learn.
And as it gazes upon the open page, and scans
the letters, and then counts the leaves of the
'sprimer,n to see how many it must turn over
before it is ssthrough,'' without just at that
time the right sort of instruction-cheerful pa
tent instruction-it may come to the conclu-
sion of the sidle boy' in the book, that s'that's
too much to learn to know so little" The
thought may arise that play is more pleasant
than coming over page SO dull; for what is
profitable or Improbable it does not enter the
mind Of childhood to consider.
So, again, when it comes to form letters in
to words, and words into sentences, these
things, though more pleasant, are wonderful
things, difficult things, and cause many anN-
ious heavings of the little heart, and the es-
cape of many broken little sighs. And SO 1t
is throughout the whole course of elementary
education, until the pupil has become of an
age and mind to know the importance of
mental discipline, and the necessity of appli-
cation, which, indeed, from the false notions
of education existing among so many parents
and teachers, never happens with some.
And patience in the teacher is required by
another consideration. The results of his la
bors are not always seen at once. They are
not generally immediate. Like the husband
man, he sews the seed in seed-tme, but must
wait until harvest-time for the fruit. More
than this. He sews the seed; the world reaps
the harvest, and that saying is fulfilled, ssone
soweth, and another reapeth.'
4. Moreover, the True Teacher is man of
strong Sympathies. He can sympathize with
the sslttle ones" in their joys and their griefs
can amuse, as well as instruct; can cheer and
animate can comfort them in their little vex-
ations and SORROWS, and wipe away their tears.
There is scarce step between Joy and sorrow
in childhood, scarce wink of the eye between
smiles and tears.
A celebrated painter was once painting a
child crying. Being asked why he represent
ed it in that mood, by one dash of the brush
he cleared away its frowns and tears, and put
mn ita a most hawltcblnr a !
Then, by another dash of the brush, it appear
| ed the same as at tirst-in frowns and tears.
| ssThus, sir,'' said the artist to his interroga-
| tor ssyou see how easy thing it is to make
children either laugh or cry" And as the
painter has power over the canvass, so has the
| teacher power over the mind and the heart.
| At his will he can make his children either
4! laugh or cry. Oh. then, how careful should
| he be that he cause not grief and tears and
! gloom, but joy and smiles and happiness in
| stead.
The True Teacher is also capable of sympa-
| thizing with his pupils in their sports and
| plays. Not only does he know how to make
| the sad countenanc cheerful, but also to make
even cheerfulness itself more cheerful. A
| mong children, he becomes, in sport and play,
| and at the proper time for these epjoyments, a
child again. He lives the season of his child
| hood over. He is poor teacher who can not
| build play-houses with the girls, and play ball
with the boys Let no one be afraid that his
| s.dignity'' will be compromised by this line OF
| conduct. The teachers most successful and
| most respected in their schools are those who
| are the most familiar with their pupils out oi
| school, ei 4 .7e5f5
| 8. Still another characteristic of the True
| Teacher is, Ingenuity. He is man of ready
invention Children love novelty--routine
they hate. The teacher to be successful, must
be full of all manner of invention. He must
| be able to devise some ssnew thing" for the a.