The prairie news. [volume] (Okolona, Miss.) 1851-1875, 1859-09-01
THE TEACHER.


world, were teachers. Such was Confu-
sius, the great Chinese philosopher; such,
100, was Socrates and his celebrated pu-
pills, Aristotle and Plato ;smsn eminently
qualified to teach, both by example and
precept ;--prepared, not only to point out
the road, but to lead the ,cay up the dir
zy and difficult, and, tosthem, often dan
gerous heights Of the Temple of Knowl-
edge. That they were wise and good
men there can be, with us, no shadow Of
doubt and this should be the character
of any man who aspires to the office Of
an instructor He should be man pos
sessed of much of the "milk of human
Kindness" lover of truth and learning,
for their "own exceeding great rewards"
having pure heart, as we'll as sound
mind he should be gentleman, as well
as a scholar; eminent for moral virtue,
as well as distinguished for high intel
lectual attainment.
It's often asserted that teaching does
not occupy its proper rank among the
learned professors. This is too often the
fault of teachers themselves. For the
most part, they are but +" blind leaders of
the blind" "owls and bats" as some
one has tersely expressed it, essaying
to teach young eaglets how to fly"
True, this is not as it should be- and
yet 1t is not always the man renowned
for learning, or distinguished for ability
to impart information, that proves, in the
end, the best and most efficient instructor.
The world has fallen into sad and most
unfortunate error just here. Teaching
does not consist merely in pouring knowl-
edge into the mind, or in conveying to
others ones own impressions and convic-
tons. is mistaken. and altogether
perverted notion that the teacher is to be
the active and laborous agent, whilst the
pupil is to remain the mere passive recip
ieant. This is not the true secret of ed
ucational progresS 1t might be well if
this gross misconception could be eradi-
Gated from the minds of parents as well
as Children; well, indeed, if we could per-
suade teachers themselves that they more
effectually serve theirpupils, not by what
they do for them, but by what they teach
them to do for themselves. Think for
yourselves Have confidence in your
own powers! Fall back on your own re-
sources, and labor diligently, Industrious
ly, uninterruptedly these should be dali
ly precepts, duly illustrated and enforced
by the intelligent instructor.
Heroes and men of genius have been
indebted no less to what they have done
for themselves, than to anything which
nature or circumstances may have done
for them. Caesar and Napoleon, by a
bold and confident assertion of their indi-
vidual supremacy, made themselves mas
ters of the world Bacon, Newton, Gu
rier, and Laplace, by their own unaided
efforts, raised themselves from an hered-
liary obscurity, to an emineuce more hon.
prable than that of Kings and Princes.
In truth, labor is the law of life. 1t is
only through earnest and persevering
toll that man has achieved the conquest
Of the material world, and reduced the
elements to servile obedience to his will.
Thus only, is it that he has caused the
winds and the waves to do his bidding,
and compelled even the swift lightning to
speak the unwbispered thought of his
heart. Thus only has he been enabled
10 lift the veil that concealed from his
vision the mysteries Of the universe, and,
to install himself priest and
\ King in the very temple of nature her
self.
True it is, that circumstances some
lines makes the man and yet 1t is more
frequently true that the man creates and
controls the circumstances. Talent is
generated by self-culture and self.con-
quest. The whole school system Of in.
'truction is but course of training, pre-
,aratory for the proper discharge of the
treat duties of life.
Hence, the teacher who fulfills his mis-
ion, will desire the well-being and good
conduct of his pupils, not in the school
Dom only, but throughout all the trials
md triumphs of their earthly existence.
lie will strive, therefore, to make them
\ u