Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1873-08-28

| tiOu. no Heou llmo III Wllcl L
bring ourselves into sympathy wit
them or to give them opportunltie
to develop through the light afforde,
in mary channels, in order to make
good their claim to credence.
Thought is a question of time a
We'll as are results when crystalized
into material beauties. To thinl
connectedly constitutes the chief diff
ference between men and other ami
mails, and habit varies from education
only so far as any intelligent, spon,
taneous action differs from entire de
pendence upon extraneOus forces, al
the person who passiveIy receives
impressions differs from him who
strives to create them in himself OF
in others.
Many animals can be taught t.
perform antics which are retained al
habits, and doubtless they attach
thought to each successive perform.
ance of them but the animal is i'm
potent to have trained himself or an.
other to these facts, or to add any
thing to them. Man is the only be-
ing that invents, and, hence, who
can be educated,-in the true sense
IL becomes the teacher, therefore, to
know the human mind at sight, to
understand its weakness and def
ciencies, its necessities and powers, at
once, then, to come into sympathy
with it, and to exercise it to its full
needs and capacity.
Few minds can be reached by one
course of reasoning, rarely can two
minds be approached by the same
idea through similar answers Of in
telligence machinery capable of
but one adjustment, will not answer
for the mass, hence we find the busi-
ness of intellect cul ture, and essen
TALLY of progress. The great ques
ton of methods of training the
teacher, so as best to reach the
youth OF the land in the interest of
average citizenship, must be answer
ed. Methods have been multiplied
aud appliances have been improved,
until we have the common school,
high school, academy, normal, mod
ell, college and the institute. The
institute is power in the land. 1t
reaches masses more conveniently
than any other special appliance,
and though the high school is the
nursery for teachers, the institute
will continue to supplement that i'm
struction, and will ever onstitute
the peoples training school, where
ignorance, conceit, obsequiousness,
frivolity, youth and age will fad
level, and will contribute TO the
general interest and receive the in
delible impress of truth.
Among the very few who have
never participated in the institute,
it is pronounced a scheme for en-
hancing salaries by combinations
whereas, it is true, that the institute
enhances the understanding of
teachers, and salaries incidentally fol
low orrecede. Theinstitute, when Wig
orously conducted, never fails TO
teach something of matter or man.
ner, and he who goes hence and
cavils, and he who absents himself,
affecting to ignore its utility, simply
confirm their own ignorance and are
compelled to dogmatism instead OF
to reason.
The various means for education
must be used as q whole to make the
teacher. The normal can not sur
vive without the common school.
The institute has little influence
without the high school. The semi
nary fills no place without a sub
stratum of primary schools. So no
educational work is everindependent,
and no one who would teach may
be ignorant of the advantages of any
one means for education. 1t is i'm
portant that teachers realize the
mutual dependence of things and Of
forces. Except in questions of
right and wrong, no one may say
he will pursue definite course, re-
CARELESS of surroundings. He may
not overlook anything in questions
Of policy,-he may overlook every
thing but truth, in questions of con-
venience,-and communities will APP
prove both courses. Therefore, in
the institute, it is as nearly impossi-
bic to disregard the requirements of
teachers, as it is to ignor their ignor.
ance,-as impolitic TO see their inca
pacity, as to be blind to their desire:
and he who successfully conducts
institutes must be possessed of a
discrimination surprising that re-
quired to teach the school, simply
because he has only time to take
the material as it is and to use it :
whereas the teacher of the school,
nay first shape the forces, then or,
gapize and direct them. The insti-
tute is far reaching, bringing not
less than four thousand teachers
within its influence during the cur
rent year. The new ideas dissemi-
mated and the new impulses for &C.
tlon set at work through these per-
sons, cannot fail to permeate the
whole schools of the state, and so
the instruction impaired has been
the embodyment of truth or error,
so must the schools advance or re-
eeed. But the serious question
comes to the teacher,-"and after the
institute what ?" Then he is thrown
upon his own resources. He must
invent, must execute, must meet the
needs with little extraneous aid.
To be what he would have his pu-
pills become, the teacher must exer-
else so much moral courage as to
follow his reason to legitimate re-
sults,-the only course which man.
units from q bondage as beIittling
as it is onerous. To resolve that
truth shall prevail whatever may be
the consequence, remove the great
est possible obstacle to real progress.
Advance thought comes on
ly through resolution, and
hence il ia that a conSiatant radical