The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1866-01-10


prosperity, he could 10 for Tie pleasure OF hi
society, IN. difficulty for os1nse,, aad I'm lad.
! yersityE for sympathy i aud All tks pablo
j feeling towards he teachers Of the inext Ten-
i efation would be:yefy different from what h
isnoW, ID. this v alley. II every fndivtdual
could feel that there was something Of Krea,
value In his own character, which be owed di.
I rectly to the influence OF tsaoher-somethine
i vLic6>made him more energetic, and higher
! SRd happier being, he would feel . respect for
that; achef which would naturally no extend.
/ ed TO the class to which the teacher belonged.
1 II he could remember. that. the .happicst days
/ Of . happy childhood were spent under tho eye
4 OF . gentle, wise, fsther-like friend, that 70.
membrsnce Of happiness would Be associated
/ with the image or that vencrated friend.
: II the successful man Of business could trace
tho germ OF his love OF order, Of his exaetness
and dispatch, to the habits justified by teach.
| or, he could hardly fail to associate him with
the sources Of his prosperity. II the: ripe
scholar could ascribe 70 the faithful discipline
and influential example of q learned iustruc-
tor, his having made right beginning. he
| would not fail to share with him something OF
tho praise OF bis maturity aud distinction.
! II the devoted man Of God could remember
that his early piety had received an upward
impulse from the earnest and affectionate urg-
ing Of o kindred spirit; II tho Christian
mother. leading her children in the right way,
could look back to the time when the clear
line Of her duty was pointed out? BY one who
fol, that j. wsa n part Of his duty to prepare
her for the holy office Of maternity-would that
man OF God or. that Christian mother regard
the teachers Office with iudiference2 ~ T.;
. Il i, not, fellow teachers, because we do 50
little OF what We ought, because We full 50 for
short Of our duty, because We do not leave our
mark deeply engraved on the character OF our
pupils, tina, our Office 10 90 little esteemedR
"wouid we have Spartons, We MUST sH
SPARroNs oURsELvEs" -.' -se.
To the motives Of self improvement which act
on other persons, should ho .superadded in
every teacher the consideration that every reai
advs neotneut in himself will be benefit to
! all who are by him Instructed. lie 10 to Do
whether he wishes il or not, M object OF lin :
itation. He lives not for himself alone. II
he Hoes wrong, he necessarily teaches o'hers
| to 10 so; If he accomplshes ull the good he
Gun, lives up 10 his standard Of duty, be leads
others TO do so, Every virtue which he cher.
ishes aud strengthens within himselfis the
prolific seed growing up into harvest OF rir'
| tues in the hearts Of his pupils; every vice
! he INDUCES will be a sowing Of tares among
the wheat From among his pupils will rise
PUP other teachers, who will be TO greater or
less .iegree what no makes them.
1t clearly follows then, that the hrst service
Of the teacher is 10 make diiigent preparation
for his calling. and press OH in the good cause
until the highes. object Of his ambition Is at
tanned. -r.
THIS IS THE DESIGN OF OUR ASSOCIATION. 1t
10 to DO hoped tho time Is not for distant when
Normal Schools will he established in West
Vireiniu, similar 10 those in other Statos' Tor
II is only in institutions Of such description
| under teachers whose whole time aud energies
ar. given exclusively TO this object, where
every principle Of instruction can be 'llna'ra'
red, that NIL the aforementioned ndvantug"1
for teachers cnn he enj"yed.
Meanwhile, in the ahSenSe OF these sohoo's
the teacher must mike up for these defects ~
the hest manner he eau.
Such meetings a, these do great good. Here
We meet for mutual improvement and not
little social enjoyment. We might plan &c
have our meetings quarterly, or perhaps
monthly. To nuke them profitable, some plan
like this might b. adopted. d"
tn. f $, half hour might be spent in gener'
Al conversation. For dispatch Of business, \
chairman and secretary might be chosen, tht
one 10 regulate discussions, the other TO Keep
such n record Of topics discussed, as might
s.em most useful. 4, each meeting, questions
like these might be asked by the chairman
Immediately after calling the meeting to
"rde': ..
| HIVE Won, since the last meeting, read any
thing TINT will benefit the ,encherS now pres
-nt?
What experiments have you made in tn.
business of managing or in teaching? With
| what success2
Ifauy school within your knowledge hat
been unsuccessful, what DO sou take to be the
cause?
Is there anything wrong in tho present
moles of teaching?
VIVA, substitute would you propose7
IIns my new plan Of teaching or governing
| occurred to youH
| These and numerous coSnate questions may
no proposed, M circumstances may require.
! Some Of these will give rise TO discussions Of
rrea, interest, which may occupy several sue
cessivc mre,ings. Let it be remembered that
the business Of teaching has yet to be reduced
TO- philosophical principles, and that the expe
rirnce OF every one is very valuable, aud his
1 suggestions may lead 10 improved methods
We NE NIL engaged in great common cause
and all our efforts should be 10 promote th'
common good. In this associated capacity ~
can do more for Popular Education, than IN
any other manner. Hence It is this call hot
been rnnde for an organization.
| Whatever may be the action Of others, W
have the strongest assurance TINT the people o.
Kanuwha will sustain the Legislature in its
action on the subject Of Common Schools, as il
being done in Wayne and elsewhere, and sure
| IL We. as ,eachers, should do all in our power
to popuiarize these schools. The plan is God
like. and one Of the most astonishing in mod
~rn times indeed there is nothing in human
history, if we contemplate the intrinsic value
Of the thing, tue profundity Of its conception
or tho magnificent results produced, that c"r
surpass it. Compared with this, all our won
.lerful victories and achievements, rs exhibit
ed in tho recent engagements. on the fields OIL
|carpuce-oar mil rond systems and cana
sy,,ems--dwindle into insiguifcsnce.
Tho Common School system onrpasses IN
value md Importance NIL other systems in th'
same proportion that mind and morals surpas'
i in excellence inanimate matter.
| In conclusion, I cannot better place. o'f'r'
you the great lu.y which Is incumbent upon
US ALL in relation to this subject. than BY
adopting the language Of one Of tho most &C
| IL uHN