Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1873-09-29
For the Monitor.
CAUSES OF FAILURE IN TEACH

These are seen and talked of more than
the faults of districts and of parents, be-
cause they seem tolie more directly up-I
on the surface of the difficulty. When
trouble arises in a school, the first
thought with every one who hears of it
is that the blame rests upon either the
teacher or the scholar. These are the
parties Immediately concerned, and the
public sees no other party in the affair.
And all are inclined to blame the teach
er most severely, because upon him, as
they are pleased to understand it, rests
the responsibility Of making the school
what it ought to be. Men discuss it at
their places of business, and women talk
about it in their houses even the chill
dren catch it up, and tell it over; quite
as intelligently and pro6tably as their
elders. And usually all, or nearly, all,
in their criticisms bear hardest upon
the teacher, because his fault IS so much
more plainly to be seen, and they look
only upon the surface of the matter. It
may be, and probably it is the case, that
the other faults that have been mention
ed, those of districts and Of parents, ex-
ist and actually have more to do with
the origin of the trouble, than anything
the teacher has done or any lack he has
shown. This is one Of the difficulties
of teaching: that the teacher is charged
with the blame Of many evils for which
he is not responsible !; parents and dis
tricts censure him for many things which
ought to be placed directly to their own
account. Some parents seem to expect
the teacher to do for their children what
they have failed to do themselves and
it sometimes seems as if those parents
who do not and cannot govern their chill
dren at home are first and loudest in de-
nouncing the teacher because. they are
not governed at school The best teach
er in the world cannot in one week make
model school out Of half a hundred
heather children; neither can he do
justice to himself or his calling in un-
dertaking the training Of like number
of children in Christian community
who have received little or no training
at their homes. With regard to the
single matter of good order, for instance
there is hardly any one who can at once
bring order in the school room out Of
that which knows nothing but confusion
anywhere else, 1t may be that occas
ionally person lives who has such g
natural tact for commanding and man
: aging as to succeed tolerably; but TIT
average man or the average woman can
not do it. and ought not to be expected
to do it.
: Teachers there are not responsible fol
, all the evils laid to their charge This
prepares the way for pointing out some
of their real faults and these are plen.
ty enough.
First Of all, there is the lamentabl
fact that so many try to teach who hav
not the natural tact for teaching.
think it is true to some extent that tn
q teacher, like the poet, sis born, no
made" True. the faculty can be cult
e waited when naturally small, and toler
!. able degree of success reached; but on
best teachers are those who possess th
II natural gift, and are inclined to add
|, it by months of patient, and to theI
pleasant, practice. Providence seems
have guarded this profession as well q
4 others, by creating a natural distaste fl
q its practice In the minds of those WI
) lack the special gifts And yet, as "
= look over the vast number of our con
# mon school teachers, it is no uncommo
i thing to see Providence deied and n;
~ ture violated in the most painful an
L. even shocking manner. 1t is safe to sa
IN that many of those who attempt to teae
= have no business to make the trial an
r if town superintendent would often
70 use their prerogative of discouragir
Il and vetoing the useless attempt Of tho
10 young persons whom they know to
IL wholly unqualified for teaching, th,
a would confer untold benefits upon Il
10 State, and save their office from beir
Of what it now is, public laughing stoc
~ One reason why SO many try to tea
- school who are not fitted for it is Il
= prevalence of the false idea of gentilit
-, which considers other occupations me1
al in comparison with teaching. Z
pecially is this true of young ladie:
though it is no more than fair to S
that were the young men placed in t
same circumstances, the same thi
would undoubtedly be true of the
W. Most people scorn the idea of their {
a. tertaining such a thought or being inf
re- enced by such a motive; but, disgu
NE or deny it who will, the idea is gencr
res ly prevalent among the young women
Sc Vermont that they can better sust;
ny the dignity Of their social position, {
seS better fulfill their mission, by teachi
ID than by doing anything else; and it
'ur becoming very rare thing for one
nd step out from the line and dare to pr
ere tically repudiate the doctrine. Let
len Young women be thoroughly classit