Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1873-08-25
For the Monitor.
CAUSES OF FAILURE IN TEACH
ING.
BY AN OLD TEACHER.

hence the need OF putcneng. ms is my
only apology for attempting to apply
another patch.
Were it true that success always rep
rescnts the good, and failure the bad, it
would be comparatively easy to discover
the real character of every action, to
range all action in any sphere of service
on the right side of the line, and to lay
down well defined rules for the future
guiding of any who may engage in a
similar service. But this is not the
case. Human nature is weak, corrupt
thing; and men measure things physl-
cal intellectual and morally by their own |
rule, not that of their Maker; therefore i
success has come to mean that which |
calls forth applause from men. and fail
ure that which ELECTS human ridicule
and censure; or. negatively, that which
does not elicit applause. Among men,
that is called successful, grand, a
glorious achievement at which individu-
al tongues are loosed in approval, and
shouts of praise are sent up from enthu-
sIasUIC crowds, even Jnougn Jne Almighty
may have stamped failure upon it with
the whirlwind's seal; and that is reck-
oned failure and consigned to oblivion at
which prejudice curls the lip, envy turns
the eye askant, or pride letters the
tongue, even though the record of that
very deed Is pleasing to the eye of God.
and the name of its performer stands
high on the rell of heaven There is
! this difference /; therefore in discussing
question Of failure or success, men often
disagree. A proud, unyieldlng mind
would render one verdict, while perhaps
a mind divinely taught would render a
totally different one. In this fact we
| perceive exactly the same thing that
makes it SO much easier for us to see
the mote in our brothers eye, than the
beam in our own; hence it defines and
locates the great difficulty in the way of
pointing out the faults of others. There
is only one way Of reconciling these diff
ferences and that is by obliging all to
conform to the standard of the moral
law and to willingly use that law in all
cases. If we must guage human actions,
let US take them where heavens meas
ure, not mans is used.
Teaching is one of the highest, no.
blest, mos responsible trusts committed
to mortals; hence failure in teaching is
a serious thing, though society is apt to
make light of it. According to our NOR.
al rule failure in teaching is no trife
As every teacher should be qualified to
instruct in all that pertains to the intel.
lectual, moral, and eternal interests Of
his pupils, so failure to meet any one Of
these responsibilities is wrong great in
proportion as that department of the mn.
pms IuUeresC IN winch 1T occurs is great
and failure in all these departments is
a wrong which cannot be measured il
is the prostitution of high and holy
office to mean and selfish use; for in
every failure there is guilt somewhere
it is not right, it is not neutral, it il
wrong, and those who commit it, as well
as those who countenance its committal
will sometime pay dearly for it.
We must thus notice the moral ele
ment of success or failure in teaching be
fore we can determine real failures o.
arrive at their causes but having adopt
ed this standard it will be comparative
; ly easy, and such results as are shown
by the application of this moral rul
; will be readily endorsed. by all men ex
cepting those 1--WE hope they are few il
Vermont,) who have lost their mora
:. sense and scared their consciences will
hot iron. Colors deceive us whel
viewed by artificial light, but by sun
q light blue is blue and green is green
except to those who are color-6ind
Vermont has been and still is quite
e distance behind some of her sister state
e in respect to schools System is neces
sary to the success of schools in any com
\ monwealth, and with us there has bee
. too little. 1t has seemed as though tn
!. materials had been flung together wher
they happened to fall, without any sift
d ing or sorting process. Books, wood
J. piles, and children were heaped togethe
;. in promiscuous confusion, and teacher
n lorded it over the mass; though pre-
e cisely what sort of allegiance each VI
e chin owed, neither teacher nor urchi
y could well define. Our system of school
e has been exceedingly rickety. Possibl
e it is little better now. The past fe
d years have done something, especial
IS by establishing Normal schools and re-
n ommending Graded schools. But thel
re is much more to be done, partly by LEI
y islation, and partly by reaching the POI
I'd ular heart The selfshness, marrow
at mindedness, and stolidity of the peop
" of Vermont on the subject of comme
r. schools is wonderful; and how to owe
come these SO far as to set our state
10 the position which she ought to fill is
90 problemn which no legislature has y
solved. And vet we hone hv and hv