The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1869-01-07
un For the Lancaster Gszctte
SCHOOLS.---NO. q.

- I.l Nlar
There is nothing that | believe
more steadlastly than that both
the respect and Obedience Of chill
dren can easily be secured and re.
lained, By persons of both sexes
who possess the qualities for gov.
erning; and it is equally clear 10
me that those who fail in at once
getting the confidence and due re.
spect Of pupils, and Of fixing upon
an enduring basis the proper rela.
ton between teacher and scholars
are in the wrong place, and should
ut once turn their attention 10
some vocation for which their tai.
cuts fit thom. Aud in the 6rst
place, | suggest, as The key 10 the
secret Of fixing this relation, that
The peculiar tcmPers and disposi-
tions Of children are to be studied
and understood respectively After
tho general rules for the govern
ment are fixed; then each pupil is
10 be a separate study for the
teacher. But whatever the indi.
vidual characteristics are found TO
be, and met appropriately, the gov
erning idea is never to be lost sight
Of; viz. that one is pupiI and the
other teacher; and it never will be
if the latter understand their busi
ness. Each boy and girl is an in.
dependent individuality, demand.
ing for themselves consideration:
and it is due to them that such
consideration should be given. IL
is in fact the very way to secure
their individual respect and obcdi.
enco. They require To be made
feel that they are OF some account.
and that something is expected OF
them; and the teacher who fails to
establish this relation, and inspire
such confidence, and trust, and
hope, and self love, will get him
self or herself into troubles that
cannot afterwards be got out Of
fonorably,
1t is not ali Of duty and fitness
on the part of the teacher that he
keep the scholars in awe, and cx-
act from them thorough under.
standing of the lessons assigned. -.
The teacher should be a gentleman,
or lady, in the fullest sense that
tbese words impart. Their whole
department is to be such, 10 tue
presence of th. schools, as to rem
der it quite unexceptional; for as
the life Of the teacher is, so will
the lives OF pupils begin 10 be, TN.
der his administration; and the
longer the relation continues, the
more will the characters of chill
dren be moulded and fixed into
their likeness; and for this very
reason, when the right kind Of
teachers are secured, they should
not be exchanged for others So
long as they can be retained.
There is too often, if not almost
generally, as it has always seemed
to me, an ircOnsiderato method Of
hiring teachers that is q strange
mistake, when it is remembered
that the work they have to DO is Of
first and transccndent importance
In many instances | have beer
sorry to see directors looking abOut
10 ascertain where they would fnd
a man, or woman, who would take
their school at the lowest bid, as
men do when they are bargaining
for horse or o farm. This il
surely degrading this high and re
sponsible calling down even below
the mechanic or Lradcsmon; for in
all cases when men wish to build i
house, or have a suit made, or
road constructed, responsibility il
every respect, and skill, enter intC
their considerations, il they do no
even take precedence of cost. Il
the education and moral training
of our children of less importance
than fine, substantial structures, OIL
we'll made clothes?
The very methods of passing up
on the qualifications Of teachers, a
fixed by law, present themselves u
my judgment, at least, as sadly de
feclive, and very far. short OF wha
they should be. Boards of exami
ners are required 10 exact Of appli
cants certificates of good mora
character; and beyond that the.
confne themselves to mere bool
learning. And thus for failure t
spell a few words correctly, per
haps from embarrgssmcnt; or t
parse a sentences or to work out
problem, it may be for the sam
reason, often some oil tho very bes
appIicants are refused. Why d
not all the other qualities of goo
teachers receive at least equal con