Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1870-08-17
Teachers.
by HENRY NJ. scupDER, D. D.


We read much in this day Of the coming
man and the coming woman Of the model
husband, the model wife, the model boy the
model girl, and the model baby aud it may
not be deemed amiss to discuss the qualities
Of the model teacher.
1t has occurred to me that a contribu-
ton to our stock of ideas on this subject,
brought from the distant Orient, would
have at least the merit of being novel and
curious
Among the learned pagans in the far East,
the science of grammar is highly esteemed.
Years ago | spent months Of hard study in
mastering a celebrated grammatical treatise
in the Tamul language, spoken iusouthern In
dia and northern Ceylon. The work is com
posed in verse, ofwords peculiar to the poetic
dialect, and in sentences which are marvel
Gus for conciscness of expression and conden-
sation Of thought The author, in one part
of his elaborate work, states his conception
of model teacher. His views appeared to
me at the time so quaint, original, and per-
tinent, that | translated them into English.
Taking my translation as a basis | will give
paraphase, together with such modifica-
tions, embellishments, and running COM
ments as the heather author provokes me to
make.
As dismal background which shall, by
contrast, make more luminously prominent
his portrait of good teacher, he first de-
scribes bad one. He aihrms that the char
acteristics of bad teacher are ineapacity,
meanness, envy, fraudulence in substituting
the false for the true, and the habit OF
clustering. Having thus taken root in his sub
iect. he branches out in the following simili-
tudes:
/. A bad teacher is like an earthen pot
When he was educated his instructor put
science after science into him, in a regular
order, as one might put number Of different
colored marbles, one after the other, in GER
tain order, into Jug. Being now filled up
he begins to teach others but the marbles
do not come out according to the arrangement
in which they went in. They tumble out, helt.
er-skelter He teaches without definite plan
confusedly. His instructions are like the in
discriminate issue of the marbles carelessly
shaken out of an earthen pot
2. He is like a Palmyra tree, which is
crowded with sharp-edged incisve leaves
They who, as pupils, try to get fruit from
him, cut themselves for their pains. Some
fruits which reach the ground as windfalls
may be picked up. The man has too much
edge to become good teacher.
3. He is like a crooked palm standing
in garden. 1t ought to dispense its shad,
and yield its fruit within the garden tC
which it belongs but, instead of that, il
crooks its trunk over the wall, and gives il
fruit to those who pass by so the bad teach
er, inattentive to his own pupils, displays hi
learning to gaping strangers.
The characteristics of a good teacher h
sets forth thus: Good blood, kindness, piety
| loftness of character erudition capacity t
impart, and knowledge of human nature
Here again our author blossoms into fg
ures -
l. The good teacher must resemble tn,
earth in four particulars. The terrcstria
globe is vast, and Of bulk unknown. s.
must his lore be. The earth is strong, shrink
from no weight, and carries its burden
buoyanty. So must he be. The earth j
patient whether birds peck it, or moes Dor
it, or the hoe smite it, or the plough tear il
it beareth ALL So must he endure the diver
sifed provocations which his pupils ma
bring to bear upon him. The earth is fer
tile, nd yields to the tiller according to hi
work. So must he yield in exact proportio
to the capacity and extractive energies of hi
scholars.
2. The good teacher should resemble
mountain in four particulars. 1t abounds j
various products; gems in its crevices, gol
in its veins, grain.felds on its slopes, forest
on its summit, cascades over its preciplce
Even so let the teachers literary accomplish
ments be exhibited in rich variety Th
mountain never runs away, but stands una
terably firm. Let there be an analogous sti
bility in his learning. The mountain is Wis
Bile from afar, and is still beautiful when i
shape melts to u blue outline on the sky.
let his fair fame be. When the plains al
: consumed by drought the mountain, mus
cal with running streams, comes to their hel
and gives although it receives nothing bacl
Let the teacher manifest like spirit Of grt
,, tuitous importation.
3. The good teacher is like the beam of
balance in two respects. 1t banishes doul
, by defining TO the eyes the exact weight
} any substance. The teacher must weigh a
5 the subjects which he handles, show to leari
] ers the precise nature of each, expel doub
G and introduce certainty. Two scale-pans al
s hung to the beam, and it is the function
the beam to be just between them, and declal
for the dish that is heaviest without fear
favor. Let there be a similar impartiality.
4. The good teacher should be like ao'
er. Let him initiate the gentle motions
its soft petals. When he teaches, his utte
: ance should be like the fragrance, and his {
6 cial expression like the sweet-faced bloom
6 a morning flower. Then, as the flower,
will be the indispensable ornament of evel
festive occasion.
Do you not think that this heather has b
T it pretty well 2 If man fulfil this catalogl
!, of virtues, shall we not be willing to call hi
model teacherl