The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1861-12-27
From Clark's School vieitor.l
WHAT is ExfEC7EO OF A SCHOOL TEACH
ER.
No. /


Did you ever, my dear friend, think what an
anomaly was that seli-saIae teacher Of your lit
tie onesl Few men exist in whom rarer vir-
taes are combined, if We are to believe or ae-
cept as true description a. | once read OF him
ia person who engages for specified sum
to le. other people abuse him Tor iour months:
one Who is expected TO do what the parents
know they caa nc: do-to make misbehavier
behave, indecency to be decent, and 10 mpart
knowledge where tAere are no brains to re-
ceive It" Will you not respect the man more
than ever, now :hai you have heard what
Herculean tasks be is expected to performa
Perhaps ygu think tbs picta,e Is too deeply
aolored! 40 prove tie burden OF his task,
and hia need Of every parents aid in perform
ing it, is the object o. this paper.
Let Us go vita him 10 bis SCHOOL room this
morning, and see, tor ourselves, how the strng-
gle goes on. None Of the scholars have yet
arrived. He seats himself at his desk and
writes in his diary as follows: "4Another week
of pleasure CT torment is about to begin!
Which will it 3el"
One after another the little curly-headed
mischietG arr;Vs. Each has his OWE Joke to
crack, each it;is miss her anecdotes to tell of
Sunday visits, walkG or rides; and now and then
q tale is told OF dress CT bonnet by her neigh
Dor worn. All g mirih and gee, and as they
o-.L-- i i,--> iA~;@ oia7I. 4s-safhoS
fresh from the bant-5ox, he seems to forget the
past, ard his heart begins to leap 10 eypecta-
lion of pleasant week amonS cheerful and o.
bedieat scholars; and his hand moves instinct
lively TO hide the rod in some odd corner, where
daylight may moi again visit 1t; when, 10! his
pleasant visions are disturbed. Poor Jamie
canes n with streaming eyes, and clothes de-
,nired, 10 say that Thomas pushed him in the
gutter, and spoiled his Sunday coat. Ere hu
complaints are ended, Mary cries out that Sal
lie has got her 5oGuet strings; aud third in
lured one rushes up to ssy that Bob has torn
his book, and Sam has bumped his head against
the wall.
These cases are all despatched with speed
and justice that would do honor 10 a lawyers
court; and now cherry checked lad comes
forward with cup of clear cold water, fresh
from the messy spring, and smiling lass pre-
sentiag the FIRST fruits of the orchard, asks,
"P!ease, Sir, will you have an applet" "Thank
you, my dearS," burst from the teachers lips,
and all seems merry as marriage bell.
At length the hour OF school arrives. The
bell is rung, and one after another the scholars
come IN and and take their places at their desks.
Scripture lessons read, devotions ended, now
comes the tug OF war.
Fifty or SIXTY pupils are seated 10 the room,
All come expecting TO be heard three or four,
and some even six recitations in the course OF
day. Al are classified from A, c, C, TO high
er mathematics, except, perhaps, one or two
who have requested to be instructed in langua-
ges, and have been permitted 10 Try their wits
in Greek aud Latin. The average number of
classes each day, .he teacher informs us, Is
thirty. Let US make little calculation. Six
hours of so minutes will give $50 minutes in
the school day. These divided by thirty will
give twelve minutes for each class, allowing
nothing for recesses, and other losses of time.
How will he be able TO do justice 10 all his pu-
pilsF