Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1869-08-26
Teachers Need Special Preparation.

SUCH mistaken IDEAS cAlSC as IN regard
to teaching. The tailor must be man
Of experience and skill to get custom.
The miller must learn his business, be-
fore he can get employment. Mechan-
les of every class must be taught in
their art and be we'll skilled, before they
can be entrusted with important con-
tracts. Men will not even cntrust a
spirited young horse to the hands of an
inexperienced horseman to be trained.
He must be known Of undoubted abil-
ity, before the young steed can be en-
trusted for tutoring. But their ch1-
1ren, possessed Of minds, undying,
whose passions, habits and principles
are to be formed for this life and the
life to come, can be committed to those
who have never yet learned the first
rudiments Of their business, nor thought
of the clements Of the science Of teach
ing. 1t is usually understood that all
that is necessary to be a competent
teacher is, to be able to get a certi6catef
and many can get that who in other
respects are not fit to be in school
room.
What should We think Of 9 man,
who after having passed few times
over the railroad, should offer
himself as engineer to direct the steam'
engine, or who, after having rowed a
shallop across river few times, should
offer to bc captain of a steamship, into
whose hands were to be entrusted thou.
sands of valuable lives and millions OF
property; or of the novice, who having
read Scott's Military Tactics, without
ever having been drilled one hour,
should offer to take command of an
army.
Yet niether of these persons would
exhibit greater folly, Or more profound
presumption, than he who has never
studied one hour how to teach, how to
discipline, to awaken mind: or learned
the first principles Of mental and moral
law. should he attempt to guide an en-
yinc far more complicated than that
upon the railroad, and upon whose
; teachings and movements may depend
interests far moro momcntous than the
fate Of battles.
It is prcpostcrous to presume that a
man must be tonght to practice the
simplest mechanic arts, but the most
dVicuN, most responsible, most impor-
tunt of all earthly business can be done
So guess" Look but at the condition
Of our schools Are they not nliserably
backward Young men and women
eighteen and nineteen years Of age.
with no mental discipline, and not so
much knowledge as could be acquired
in two years, ina good school ; yet
they have attended school for ten or
twelve years. I have repeatedly seen
that where competent teacher is en-
ploycd and people know enough to con-
tinue him, you soon see no more ofthosc
miserable dwarfS in intellect for schol-
ars. nor backward school,. You
ask, can these things be remcdicd? I
answer with emphasis YES.
The Teacher who wishes to teach
ucN, must know thoroughly whatever
he attempts to teach, and the best ecoy
Of doing it. lie must not be satisfied
with superficial attainments Or with any
way to do it. lie must be ''postcd up
in matters of general knowledge, and in
the method Of communicating what he
knows. He must also understand the
laws Of the mind, that he may know at
a glance how to operate with success
for to treat all scholars alike in appear
ancc is to treat them unlike in reality.
The teacher should be able to inter-
est his scholars. IF he finds he cannot
do this, let him by all means give up
the business, as he is incompetent for
it. If Il teacher cannot interest his pu-
pills, it proves that he has no interest in
the work of instructing, and ought not
to impose on the patrons, much less the
pupils. He who would be a successful
teacher, must be person of general in
tclligcncc, ready on every occasion
which will interest, awaken thought, or
amusc. The teacher can often break
the monotouy Of the usual exercises of
school by relating historical incidents
!. Of our. own or other countries, Of its