Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-10-13

Temps &c, leach Inere VIII De nc
need in her day Of books like those of
which Mrs. Browning made her hero
inc read score or two, books which
prove that though women cannot
think, they may teach thinking
But, not to praise the absent too
much, lei it be rem embered that the
coming teacher is entitled to no more
praise of her attainments than is a
faithful teacher Ct 1875, for the prep
arations she has made. Teachers with
clergymen, physicians, lawyers and ed
itors can do no more than mark the
food-tide of public opinion. They are
the best reflection of public sentiment
bmt they create this sentiment only as
the Ohio makes the Mississippi.
They are the servants Of the people;
they can do only such work as the
people wish done; they are good or bad,
as the people require thema,to be. A
hundred years ago each man was to
some extent his own blacksmith, and
the teacher Of his own children. as
population increased, division Of labor
became possible; better work was de-
named, and with the other improve
ments Of urban life, better schools
came into being. The improvements
of schools is, however, less rapid than
it should be- Division Of labor should
bring leisure; but the characteristic Of
the new lite is competition and men
Ono longer able or willing to let their
work stand upon its merits), spend
what should be their leisure time in
work that pays for advertising; gene
raj culture is of course impossible; ed
ucation is believed in only blindly
and, since their is no popular standard
by which to measure a teachers worth
cheap teachers and a little cheap
knowledge are the material used to
make schools OF, and we, the teachers
of to-day. have to say with widow
Bedott, There's something the mat
ter with the most Of US; we're all poor
creturs." Those who see the coming
teacher look forward to time when
this competition has given place to an
age of cooperation. They describe a
state of society in which labor is econ
omized in the highest degree. That
the washing. ironing. sewing and cook
ing of whole town are In the future
to be done in buildings set apart for
those purposes. and by skilltul work
ers who bring to their help all the
knowledge the world affords them, i,
no more surprising to US than sight
of present factories would be to our
grandmothers of spinning notoriety.
Looking to that time a spirit of CO.
operation is seen simplifying each
ones work, and raising it to higher
standard. Each one engages in the
occupation for which he seems most Il,
and all men are interested in his sue
cess. Cooperation contributes::to in-
tellectua! development by giving men
new interests, and by giving them
leisure to cultivate those interests II
gives parents. time to continue their
own education and time to watch their
children's growth A result Of this
general culture is demand Of the
people for teachers fitted for their pro-
fession, anu taen the coming teacher
stands before them.
There will be many persons in thai
day, however, of liberal and thorough
education. who would yet by no means
be tolerated as teachers In the public
schools. General culture is but one
of the many qualifications Of the COM
ing teacher. 70 this must be added a
love of humanity unknown to many
scholars. Again there is more than
love in the ability to teach, as is at
tested by many mothers whose
conscientious attempts to teach
their children result in making their
children unhappy and averse to books
aud in the loss of their own patience
In the coming time it will be regarded
| as mark Of maternal love and self de-
NAL that such mother entrusts hel
children to the Kinder Garten, and re,
Trains from all attempts to teach. The
teacher is born, not made. There
must be in the coming teacher an in.
nate love of teaching; strong edu-
cational instinct that delight in devel-
oping virtues and talents wherever
found. With this love there comes &
clairvoyant power to seize the means
by which this development may be eff.
ected. But even natural talent is MOI
enough. Because an untaught boy
has passion for an engine and an
ambition to make it go, would seem t
US who travel on the railroad no reason
why the company should let him run
the engine. Rather than 90 abroad
with such guide we would rathe,
stay at home. Is 1t any less danger.
Gus for child to be started on the
| journey of life by a teacher who know:
nothing of the mind entrusted to hel
care except that she likes to make i
work. The coming teacher believes
that by as much as the mind is more
delicate than any instrument Of mans
devising, more productive of good
Il