Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1874-09-16
TEACHING AS A PROFESSION.

MEssRs. EDIroRs One of the first
steps necessary to advance teaching to
its true position as profession is its le-
gal recognition When a person is ad-
mitted to the practice of law or medicine
the admission is for life, and he is free
to practice his profession wherever he can
find employment But teaching has no
such professional standing, on the con-
trary, the law closes the doors Of the
schools Of the country against teachers
at stated periods and requires their quail
Gcations to be Predetermined by exami-
nation. In the New England States all
teachers applying for schools are exam
ined by 4 town committee. II cN-lrc-
sident Woolscy, of Yale, or cX-Fresldcht
Hopkins, of Williams, should apply Tor
n district school in his State he would be
Obliged to show his fitness, unless treat
ed exceptionally by bounding New ork,
and defining common fraction. IN
most of the States county supernten-
dents or examiners are placed at the doors
of the schools as sentinols to guard them
against incompetent and unworthy teach
ers. 1t is made their duty to examine
teachers and issue TO those found compe-
tent certificates, valid for limited pc
riod- to two years Thus the great
majority Of the teachers of the country
are put through the examining mill as
often as once year.
1t isevdent that these facts give teach
ing no legal standing as profcssion.-
The position is held by too limited and
uncertain tenure Until the law gives
a class persons the unquestionable right
to fill the teachers Office teaching is not
profession in any true sense Of the term.
The prevailing system of examining
teachers is hard in two facts: lst. Three
fourths of the teachers Of the country are
in the business temporarily, and intend
to leave it at the first favorable .ppnaprtqq,5, apr II,
give such persous the standing and die-
nifty Of professional teachers. , The
T. qualifications of the great majority of
teachers are too limited and inadequate
to permit them to hold the right to teach
by life tenure Nor can this difficulty
be obviated by rigidly excluding those
j who are unqualified This would leave
the majority of school districts without
teachers. The schools must be supplied
with the best available ability and expe-
ricncc. This requires careful cxami-
nation Of the applicants, and the selec-
. ton of the most competent. The limi-
tation Of the certificates granted affords
an opportunity to make better selection,
and il also stimulates those thus limited
in their right to teach to improve their
qualifications Moreover, every system
must guard against the negligence and
lncompetcncy Of those who administer it.
Many examiners discharge their duties
in very Indifferent manner, especially
towards the colorcd schools. find in
the State Of Maryland very few colored
. schools that have teachers competent
enough even to hold a certificate to teach
photography, reading, writing and arith
metic, especially in our county schools.
and as for English grammor. geography
and the history of the Emitted States they
know nothing about either They should
be required at least to have second
grade certificate The limited certificate
enables their successors to correct their
mistakes These and other considera-
tions make it necessary to subject mtried
and inexperienced teachers to frequent
examinations. This is necessary to pro-
tect the schools and also to force the I'M
qualified to increase their attainments.
/ The more searching these examinations
are made the better.
But is it not both desirable and possi-
bic to recognize those teachers whose at
talnmcntS, experience and success cuti-
tie them to a permanent admission into
the profession There is neither nccos-
sity nor justice in requiring teachers who
have passed, with credit, two or three
examinations, and taught successfully for
several years, to 20 before an examining
board or committee every twelve months
or whenever they cross a town or county
line. What is needed is a system of cX-
animation wise enough to separate this
class Of teachers from the inexperienced,
temporary and unqualified and give them
the expressed authority of the State to
teach anywhere within its borders. -
There are more than thousand teachers
in Maryland who ought to be thus hon-
ored. Many Of these teachers intend to
make teaching life work, and have pre-
pared themselves for it They are the
| life and honor Of the schools. and should
be rewarded with the standing of profes-
sional teachers Nor would it be diff
cult to devise such an examining system.
Professional certificates. valid for life.
should be made attanablc only BY teach
ers who have received, successively, at
least two certificates of high grade, and
who have taught with the requisite sue
cess from three to five years. The APP
plicants for them should be critically cx-