The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-06-07
THE TEACHER AND HIS WORK.

I'LL ludOuhh ANO A1O w OGhh'
The profession of teaching is every
year assuming grander proportions,
and becoming a growing power in the
land The people are everywhere
waking up to the Importance of uni
Qversal education, and anXiously in
curing how this is best to be secured.
a few years ago education was seldom
mentioned by the political press to-day
it is the theme of lengthy editorials,
and the care of the legislator and poll
tician. This shows most clearly the
interest which the people are taking in
education, and the power which the
common schools are eXerting. This
power is conceded by all, and hence
the ferceness of the attack made upon
these schools by their enemies. Side
by side with the mighty influence Of
the home and parents stands the school
and the teacher. Fine buildings,
abundant apparatus and appliances,
good courses Of grading and of study
are all well in their place, but they are
mere inert machinery until set in mo-
ton by the wise direction of the skilful
teacher. He is the engineer who con-
trolls and directs the mighty train Of
influence. Heis the sculptor who is to
see the angel in the rough block of
stone, and with this constantly in view
he chisels off the rough angles, cuts
and polishes until at last his ideal
stands forth in the full perfection of
manly symmetry and beauty. This
being true, how important the position,
how great the responsibility, how grand
the work, how glorious the reward if
he succeeds in the best sense of the
term, how terrible the consequences if
he fails. Every true teacher realizes
this, and is constantly asking, How
shall these ends be accomplished? He
longs to teach SO that the pupils may
understand. He longs to lead them to
love study, to lead them to right meth
DDS of thought, to form right habits, to
cultivate their tastes and talents judic-
iOusly, to so communicate knowledge
that both the intellectual and moral
faculties will be properly called forth,
exercised, and strengthened.
But, in order that these results may
be accomplished, there are certain nee
esSary conditions, to a fen Of which
we wish to call attention. And in the
first place, the teacher must have a
Though mastery of what he attempts
to teach. 1t is utterly impossible to
teach what one does not know, to teach
clearly what is known imperfectly
SCme persons say, Il know it, but /
csnnot tell it." They ought to say, 81
cannot tell it, because / do not know
it," Thoughts which are clearly held
can be expressed intelligibly. AS a
grand condition Of successful teaching,
master what you attempt to teach
Do not dare to face your class until you
have mastered that particular lesson,
until you are ready to meet every diff
Guilty in it, and to answer every ques-
ton legitimately arising out of it. Do
otherwise, and you lessen your influence
as a leader, and take one long step to-
ward failure.
Secondly, the teacher must have a
thorough mastery of himself, mastery
of his passions, appetites, words and
actions. No one who has not thus OBJ
tanned mastery of himself is fit to enter
the school-room. He may be thor
ough scholar, have complete mastery
OF his subject, and be able to commu-
nlcate clearly his knowledge, but SO
far as the great end of teaching is con-
cerned, he is failure. The teacher
who is unable to control OF who does
not control his temper, his passions,
and his appotites, who gets drunk, who
is guilty of profanity or obscenity, the
one whose life is immoral may cult
vate the intellectual powers of his pu-
pills, but he is debasing and cursing
them morally.
Thirdly, this teacher must have the
power of awakening an interest in the
minds of his prpils. The mind is not
a passive recipient of external infuen-
ces. 1t is itself a living power. 1t is
only developed by arousing it's own ac-
tlVlties, and the teacher only does his
work SO far as he gets work from his