The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1862-07-11
ESSAY:
Read Jefo,e the Bedford County Teachers
association, jane q, 1862,
E S S A Y
By MISS MARY A. WILLIAMS.


Tile deaaand fo, a more E2euuted Culture among
the Teachers Of our Common Schools.
The United States have many institutions
of which we are justly proud, but, among
them all, there are none Of greater impor-
tance to us, as nation, than our ConamaOaa
Schools. They constitute one of the best
assurances of the permanency of our sys-
fem of government, as in them the masses
of the people are to be educated, and both
ancient and modern history teach us that
in countries where many are ignorant, and
but few intelligent, good government cannot
exist. We have many noble institutions of
learning in our land-Colleges and Semi
naries that yearly send forth numbers of
their inmates prepared to perform their du-
ties in the various vocations Of lite-yet
we contend that our Common Schools, echen
property conducted, exert a greater inAu-
ence on society than these. The schools of
Pennsylvania have improved greatly within
the last few years, and are still improving,
yet it is humiliating to us to know that,
while our State ranks second in wealth.and
population, it has been superseded in this
respect, by more than one of the States Of
the Union. This is not pleasant rehec-
ton, and we hope the time will speedily
come when we will have the satisfaction Of
knowing that we are not excelled by any.
There must be a reason for the inefiieiency
of the schools in this, and some neighbor-
ing counties, which it becomes our duty to
endeavor to discover. The fault is not in
the system, and we fear close examination
will reveal the fact, that part of the blame
rests with the teachers themselves. They
frequently forget the magnitude of the trust
roposcdi III tifen,, and otr schools sisa not
prosper if they prove unfaithful.
Some teachers suppose their whole duty
is done when they have asked a given NUM-
Der of questions, assigned the lessons for
the next day, and dismissed their pupils
from the school rooms; and until the hour
arrives for re-asscmbling them, they do not
give them another thought. We have had
many such teachers, and have a goodly num-
Der yet; but the demand for better ones is
yearly increasing, and it is to be hoped that
but few more years will pass before their
places will be supplied by energetic work
crs, those who will ever strive to keep in
view the best interests of their pupils.
The teachers vocation is not degrading
one, as some people suppose, but if the call
ing is to be considered respectable, there
must be more culture and refinement among
the teachers: This is the age of progress !;
therefore they must not remain stationary
| whilst all other classes are moving onward
in the march of improvement, but must keep
pace with, OF, rather in advance of the rest.
| In order to do this there must be more at
tention paid to selt-culture than there is at
present. If there is no refinement in the
teacher, there will be but little in the schol-
ars entrusted to his care. The. country
needs, and the people demand, reform in
this respect; and we believe the day is dawn
ing when mere knowledge of school books
will not be considered sufficient qualifica-
ton for a GOOD teacher, but it must also in
clude knowledge of something higher, an
understanding of human nature as portray
ed in the characters of children, and dis
eliminating Judgment in selecting the means
to be used in instructing them, morally and
Intellectually, are necessary to enable the
teacher to do justice to all. A due appre-
citation of the true worth of a moral and re-
lgious character is one of the first requisites
for good teacher. The teacher should en-
deavor to instruct by example as well as
precept. Many persons have good theories
and give excellent advice, yet because of
their bad example fail to benefit others.
The trust reposed in teachers is so great,
that he who undertakes to guide others with
out duly considering his responsibilities, will
surely be held accountable at the last day,
when. those he has caused to err, by his
careIessness, will come up as his accusers.
When parents learn to give the teacher
more of their sympathy, and teach their
children that it is their duty to obey the
rules of school, his work will be lessened,
and at thssame time the fruit Of his labor
will be more apparent than it is at present,
while 80 many children are daily taught to
rebel against his authority IN school, by
hearing reproaches cast upon him at home,
by those whom they regard as infalible
judges. If they could only realize part
of the trials and annoyances incident to a
school room, they would be more sparing Of
their criticisms, and more willing to aid
those engaged in the work Of instructing
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