Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1873-03-13
Essay by J. F. Langenbaugh.
Read at the Teachars' Association,
held at Bourbon. Feb. 8, 1873.
SUBJECT.
The Relation Of Teacher to his tello,U
Teachers and to his calling.

Every man is bound to do something
for his calling, something to raise its re-
spectability and advance its usefulness
Every teacher can do, and must do some
thing for his. If of the generation now
coming upon the stage of life, each indi-
vual could number among his or her
friends but one instructor or mentor who
should be person of learning and worth
intelligent, cultivated and refined, just
and generous; one to whom in prosperity
he or she would go for the pleasure, of his
or her society, in difficulty for counsel,
and in adversely for sympathy and aid,
the public feeling toward the teachers
of the next generation would be different
from what it is now
If every individual could feel that there
was something of great value in his or
her own character, which they owed di-
rectly to the influence of teacher some
thing which made him or hera a more en-
ergetic, higher and a happier being,
they would feel respect for that teac her
which would naturally be extended to
the class to which that teacher belongs.
If the successful man of business could
trace the germ of his love ot order, of his
exactness and dispatch, to the habits in
stIlled by teacher, he could harly failto
associate him or her with the sources of
his prosperity. If the ripe scholar could
ascribe to the faithful discipline and in
f1uential examples of Il learned master his
having made right beginning, he would
not fail to share with him something of
the praise of his maturity and distinction
If the devo.ed man of God could re-
member that his early piety had received
an upward impulse from the earnest and
aiiectionate urging of a kindred spirit:
if the Christian mother leading her child
rem in the right way, could look back to
the time when the clear line of her duty
was pointed out, by one who felt that il
was part of his or her duty to prepare
her for the holy office of maternity would
that man o. God, or that Christian moth
er regard teachers with indifferances
Is it not, (my tello,o teaehers) because we
do so little of what we ought, becaue we
fall so short of our duty, because we do
not leave our work deeply engraved ON
the character of our pupils, that we are
not more highly esteemed? We should,
as natural consequence of our ca ling,
have the stron gest desire of self improve
ment To the motives for self improve
ment, should be superadded, in the teach
er, the consideration, that every real ad-
vancement in him or herself, will be a
benefit to all who are to be instructed by
that teacher. The teacher is to be, an
object of imitation. If the teacher does
wrong, it necessarily teaches others to
do wrong. Ii they accomplish all they
should, and live up to the standard of
duty, they will lead others to do SO.
Every virtue which the teac Ter cher
ishes and strengthens in him or herself is
the prolific seed growing up into har-
vest of virtues in the hearts of the pupils,
every vice indulged in, will be a sprink
ling of tares among the wheat. From
among our pupils will rise up teachers,
who will be, in a greater or less degree,
what we make them. The nrst service.
then, that We can render our fellow teach
ers and or calling, is the setting to our
selves a high mark, and pressing forward
constantly toward it. Our object should
especially he to make ourselves accom-.
plished teachers. To this end we should
avail ourselv es of every possible means
within our power and reach, particularly
adapted to educate the teacher; read use
full books. visit the various schools and
places of learning in which the various
branches are taught, and also, if possible
spend some time in Normal School.
A means of great mutual improvement
ana not little enjoyment, is presen.ed to
you in the present meeting of number of
teachers, who have come here for the ex.
press purpose, II Ihope,) to spend the time
il mutual and general conversation and
|consultation. Each one of US should
now be willing to impart, what he or she
has read or experienced within the last
three months, likely to benefit US; what
experiments you made IN managing or in
teaching, and with what success? How
you teach your pupils to enunciate per-
factly? How you teach beginners to
write? How you teach spelling? In
what way you check tardinessg You
Mr. A. are said to have excellent order in
your school, without severity. What is
your secret? What difficulties we have
had in our schools and how we manage
them? W hat difficulties we had with
the parents and how we manage them?
How we teach Arithmetic? How we
teach Reading, Grammar, History, Draw
ing, or any of the branches? Have you
tried the experiment of teaching to read
by words previous to letters. and with
what success? In the discussion of such
subjects as named or similar ones, some