The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1860-09-05
For the Spirit.
Teachers Association.

Our public school system as it is, has
been advancing from one degree of ex-
cellence to another, has originated many
new educational ideas. The new school
house must not now be planted i.-the
quagmire, or on the bare hilltop, because
the lard there is fit for nothing else. In
its structure, dimensions form and furni-
ture, it must bear some little relation to
the object for which it is to be built.
So, ideness, cruelty and intemperance
are no longer the surest passports to the
highest places in the teachers profession
All this is attributable, if not exclusively,
yet mainly to the efforts Of teachers them:
selve. Hence the teacher, waking up to
the Importance of governments, is earn
estly inquiriug for better methods, greater
skill and higher efficiency in his work.
Thus has originated the Teachers Asso-
citation, being neither more nor less than
an outgrowth of our desire for the best
methods of instruction &
The principles applicable to the grad
ing and classification of our youth, in
|
The character of the books and the meth
DDS of instruction suitable to the various
departments, have also been ascertained
The relations and dependencies of the
several parts of the graded systematic
methods of advancement from one grade
to another-the qualifications requisite
for the teachers of each-these. with a
variety of other details involved in the
successful management of our pub ic
schools are almost every where recognized,
and good degree of uniformity and in.
telligence applied. Is it not full time,
) that as much as this could be said of the
; Teachers Association
| The teacher should retain, cultivate
and enhance by every possible means. his
own mental activity and power. If Of
the true stamp, he will be sure to keep all
of that kind of stock he ever had. Will
he not endeavor to augment it continually!
t dow shall this be done? Not to depre-
ciate other agencies, know none better
suited to bis case than the Teachers As
e sociation.
do not forget the primary doctrine
: of intellectual philosophy which teaches
: that the mind is in it's own culture, un-
n ceasingly active and progressive. Nor
am disposed to dispute the correctness
of this dogma. Yet, the fact remains
IS account for it as you may, that teachers
n as class, are neither naturally nor neces
II sarily exempt from mental laziness. No
that they are less inclined to read, thinl
m and write as much at least as most othe
persons. l allude rather to the tendency
in this day of widespread specifically
to make our reading and study as easy a
rs possible.
v Now to meet this tendency to preven
d these results, to sustain and elevate tn
3 mental tone, to quicken and arouse tn
"a mental activity. and deepen the love {
study in the teacher. What so effective
so appropriate as the Teachers Associa
tion? Let it then be ordained, say
necessary, by the same authority that pre-
N scribe any other duties of the teacher
n, Let attendance thereon and preparatio
/ therefor be enforced, if necessary. by tn
. same sort of obligation, and how can
fail of securing the desired object? Th
nc whole range of topics suitable for stud
lie and adapted to rouse up the mind, liz
b. within its reach.
" There is an other object On which tt
. Association has mostimportant bearing
that is uniformity of method in the gres
~ principles of training the youthful mint
al What! almost hear some one say, woul
al in, m,
lis mould? stretched or shrunk to the sam
! notch? Would you, in seeking samenes
of method. leave no room for the play {
~ those idiosync-acies, those generous in
al pulses, those inward promptings whic
have their native spring in the constitr
IL ton, oftentimes make the man, give cha
"a acter to the woman, and stamp with the
peculiar excellence the instructions
10 each? / anSaoer no. A single illustr,
ch ton will best illustrate my meaning.
be will mention mental arithmetic becau:
nv there is as much variety in the practice
,r teachers in relation to this study as an
- other that would be mentioned. III
ne time is not far gone since its introduc
tion as a mere teachers freak, FOOLS
al novelty or something worse.
in Now, it's expediency is settled, ard a
of whose opinion are worth cent, agree tha
it can have no complete substitute. Sti
as it regards the true method of teachin
Id il, how much remains to be done? Ga
teacher permits the partial or even th
& constant use of the book in recitation
Y another will not allow it at all. One
: satisfied with the briefest answer possibl
70 to the problem, provided it be correct S
= far as it goes; another believeiDg the higf
:, est benefit can be derived from this stud
70 in no other way, requires the fullest detail
81 possible in the solution. Still anothe
N demands not only statement of th
;; condition of the problem. but also rept
tition verbatim, and from memory of tn
sl.o ell ~.,l. -