American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1864-05-18
educational department.
Teachers Trials,

There is, perhaps; no man who gets as
little credit for his labors and exertions as
the School Teacher We frequently hear
persons say, the teacher has nothing to
do; he has only to work six hours day,
at nice light work, in dry shady place, .
and various other expressions that show
undoubtedly, that the persons who say so
are unacquainted with the trials and troub-
les of a teachers life TO all such we beg
to present brief sketch of the trials that
daily fall to the lot of the teacher. True,
he has to work but six hours with the pu-
pills under his immediate care; !. but how
many other hours has he to pass in hard
and patient study, that he may be able to
present new ideas to the minds of his
scholars, when they assemble for their dali
ly instruction? How many hours of the
time for sweet invigorating slumber are
taken up in forming plans to present the
oft-explained but poorly understood prob
lem, in manner that it may be as clear
as the light from the MONDAY sun, to the
most obtuse student? Counting the hours
in which he is engaged with his pupils as
nothing, he still does work sufficient for
his poorly paid services. Butts his direct
instruction to his scholars nothing, when
for six long hours he is obliged to breathe
the heated and impure air of the school
room, while his voice is constantly keptin
use, aud his mental faculties on a constant
strain? The minister who breaches his
weekly sermon has but poor excuse for
weakness of voice when compared with
the teacher; and only those who have ex-
perienced constant strain upon the men
tai faculties, can know the wearing, tear
ing and tiring effect upon the human sys-
TEN. Then, o ye parents, who have
three or four children continually trans
crossing your commands and tormenting
you with simple senseless questions, low
often do you lose command Of your temper,
and declare you are worried almost to
death with their petulant manners, and
how often are they sent to schoolto be out
of the way? Do youever think the teach
er has nothing to do, who has sixty, seven
ty, or eighty children, Of almost as many
q
different dispositions, under his control ?
how he has to coax the timid to exertion,
force the indolcnt to industry, crush the
bad habits of the immoral, and demand
obedience from the rebellious; and at the
same time, instill into the young listless
minds that acknowledge that is omake them
what they will be in this life, and have
much to do with their fate in the next!
And then, after day so spent, when
he sits himself down to rest his weary
body and to soothc his aching brow, an
indignant parent rushes inupon his appa-
rent leisure and with flashing eyes and
angry voice, wants to know why hispoor
boy must be beaten nearly to DEATH for
missing lesson, when detaining after
school would have done far better" He
barely gets started with an explanation,
when another voice, tuned to the highest
pitch, interrupts him by demanding the
reason that his child must be penn'd up after
school hours, when it is the teachers J1riV-
Hege to use the rod" By the time they
are paciieh another parent enters " to in
form him that be is too severe, and re-
quires too much from such young minds;"
and another to inquire if he could not
be a little more strict, and have the ad-
vancementa little more rapid = and anoth-
er, who is haunted with that terribly aw-
full idea of partiality, "would like to know
if he don't think more of one scholar than
another" and goes away doubly certain of
it and its enormities, when he plainly tells
her, that of course good scholar is more
thought of than a wicked, evil-disposed
one.
So the day passes on, and he lays him
self down, that in sleep he may rest his
overtasked nature, and be free from his
thankless toll. Some may think this pic
ture overdrawn; but fair and candid
mind will discover there is "more truth
than poetry" in it, and that it should be
remedied at once. But how? some may
ask. Not by the parents taking the part
of the children in every supposed wrong;
but simply by the parents taking more in
terest in the schools to which their chill
dren belong, by visiting them frequently,
and becoming acquainted with the plans
of the teacher; by assisting him to carry
them out, and by instilling into the minds
of their children respect for the teacher
and his rules. Until this is done, educa-
ton cannot prosper, and it would be well
if parents would act in the matter imme-
diately. J. r. S.
Huntingdon Globe.