The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1875-04-16
Gorrespox1denGeu
Competent Teachers.
MARsHALL's, April 81

MARsHALL's, April 9th, 1875.
MIR. EDITOR: will presume upon your good
VIII again and ask space in your columns to
further present my views upon the subject of
competent teachers.
The importance of this subject il not consd-
cred properly by nine tenths of the people
says one, Give us some one to teach, l want
TO get my children out of the way" Says an.
other, "My children are small now, and any one
can teach them" and so goes it around the
district, may be without Que dissenting voice.
Now this is all wrong, just the reverse of this
should be the sentiment and expression of the
people. They should demand of the School
Board competent men and women to teach and
not be satisfied with anything else. For my
part have never seen teacher who knew too
much, either from books or from observation
and experience. My idea ola competent teach
or is this: He should be a complete scholar,
good dlsciplinarian, of even temper, kind and
atlable, and above all moral, upright and good
nian. Thus much we have said in regard to
what it takes to constitute q competent teach
Now we propose TO present plan by which
such teachers can be procured or obtained. Let
the School Commissioners say to our most
worthy and competent Examiner, get us Just
such teachers as above described, Tor even with
better qualiilcations,) and we will employ them
But Mr.. Henry says, can't get them | must pay
higher wages to secure the services of such teach
eers, with very few exceptions.) Well, Mr.
Henry, the good of society in the rising genera
ton demands of us that we have good teachers,
and you will have to pay wages equal to those
paid in localities where they have competent
teachers. With such placard in the advertis-
ing columns of the AgiS, Mr.. Henry could raj. o
the standard of scholarship one hundred per
cent. and turn down all who fall below 80 per
cent. of his standard. How important it is that
the School Commissioners should adopt such n
resolution. Let them who have children Just
about making their first debut from the nurse
ry, and making new and larger circles of ac-
quaintances and companions, TO engage with
them in play, each of these young minds active
and aspiring and little further on, as their
views are enlarged, and social powers become
more expanded; the love of action, of imita.
ton, and formation of ideas and habits, which
never leave them and as lie passes little farther
on, to youth, his passions and perceptions take
| i'll more extensive range, land the impress
slons made at this stage of life never change ;
hence how important that they should be good)
In this FESTIVE period he forms habits which
change only in the shadow of the valley of DEATH
Those habits are formed Just at the period when
he is under the teacher care Brought in con-
tact and kept in close communion from day to
day with the pupils mind, he must aud will eX.
ert powerful! influence upon the young mind.
lie forms the moral character of his pupil as
well as the mental. You see what q deal of
harm can be done bya single erroneous deini-
ton. 1t may imperil life, ii may leopard their
personal liberty. Let us take counsel from the
past. Philip, King Of Macedon, wrote to the
great teachers ofhis age: 1t is not so much in
the son that is born 10 me, but that he was
born in the time ofAristotlc that rejoice. The
prayer of this father was that the great teacher
might train his son to be worthy OF his teacher
If lie could accomplish this, he would be worthy
of the Macedonian throne. Reader, was the
hopes of Philip realized in Alexander the Great.
Pr n