American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1866-04-18

80 o"'h' w = nave huohn tudiiy VINO p0SS
ess'ng highly cultivatedminds, but wanting
in Judgment, never succeeded as teach
ers, Good judgnaect is essentidlm School
government, the teacher is the autocrat
in his little community He must make
and execute the laws necessary for the
government of the School, and as the
variety of cases brought befo re him for
consideration is great and ever varying.
the exercise OF sound judgment is de-
manded to meet them. In this, many
teachers fail and become involved in trou.
ble from which they cannot extricate
themselves, except by dissolving their
connection with the School.
More attention should De paid to the
cultivation of this faculty of the mind.
With some there is natural superiority
IN this, as in other faculties, but in all
the judgment is undoubtedly susceptible
of great improvement An extensive
course of mental training in which the
mind is compelled to deal with a great
variety of studies, and to compare ideas
and truths, the judgment is exercised
and developed, The great majority of
those who are teachers in our Common
Schools have never enjoyed such course
of mental training and hence the faculty
is but little developed. Institutions
which have as their special object, the
training of teachers, should have some
study pursued having particular refer
cree to the cultivation of this faculty.
In the employment of teachers this
important requisite should not be over
looked, and indeed, as far as possible.
should be made an essential qualification.
Closely allied to this qualification is
2. Age. 1t is sad necessity which
has required the employment of so many
very young teachers. Such have, for the
most part, neither the Judgment nor the
experience essential to success, though
they may be sufficiently well versed in
the branches to be taught. The School
system has suffered greatly from this
cause Nor could it be avoided without
perhaps greater injury Thousands of
experienced teachers entered the service
of their country, and their places we're
of necessity, to be supplied with new
teachers, who were generally quite young
and inexperienced. In some instances
they succeeded remarkably well, but in
the mgority the success was not at all such
as was desirable. The law does not fix
period under which teachers should be
prohibited from taking charge of public
schools. 1t were well, perhaps, if it did,
as then there would not be so much haste
to enter the work, and more time would
be occupied in preparation. Superintcn-
dents examine and issue certificates to the
applicants and often they are disposed to
reject persons on account of their youth
fulness, and yet they have sustained so
good an examination that they hesitate,
in view Of the possibility Of their being
| quite successful as teachers If certain
age were fixed by law, which in some
cases, it would, perhaps, act unjustly in
the great number, it would be most
wholesome provision, and the schools
would be supplied with older and more ex.
perienced teachers
One of the disadvantages under which
the youthful teacher labors, is the ojseaee
cfhot respect ,ghicb agc only c1, con,
mdnd. Children are taught to respect
age in every well governed household,
and if it is found in the school, as it spec
Oily is, that the teacher is but little old
er than many and younger than some of
the scholars, their feelings of respects
are at once lessened, and the least error
that is committed is eagerly seized and
turned to his disadvantage. In every
school there are always some scholars
whose constant effort is to "stall" the
teacher, especially if he is younger than
themselves. Old and experienced teach
ers are not so easily I" stalled. Not al
ways, indeed, because of superior attain
ment, but because they better under tand
how to manage such critics.
But there are reasons of still greater
force why age is an essential qualification
in good teacher.
The mind of man is not a simple ma
chine whose motions can be understood
and studied in day. There is no mech
anism so complicated The profoundest
philosopher have made it life study, and
yet profess not to understand its wonder
full workings. Should the training and
development of such an incomprehe nsi-
BILE mechanism as the Human Mind be
committed to novices Is it possible for
youths, who yet in their mental vision,
have but glimmerming perception of
the natures and powers of those minds
which thev propose to train and davelon