Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-12-12
For the Vermont Watch
Letter to Young Teachers.
1nK cnrNsKLs OF RxpERIEscR.

During the first days of December through.
out our state school.houses are awakening
from their long silence and resound again
with the merry voices of the children. Yer.
mont may be rich in her fertile fields, her
excellent horses and cattle, her overfowing
graneries, factories and machine shops, but
she is richer far in the youthful minds Just
receiving their first lessons in life. The
boys and girls who to-day are at school will
ere long take the places of fathers and
mothers, standing in the halls of the capitol
to form our laws, filling the places of mer-
chants, lawyers, physicians and leaders in
society, speaking from the sacred desk and
teaching those who are to follow them.
To teach these expanding minds, so won
derful, so divine, so full of powers for good
or evil to cultivate the germs that will
spring forth into happy, noble, useful life,
is task of the utmost labor and impor-
tance. And yet, this week large number
assume the role of teachers for the first
time and many more with little experience.
All are in earnest to do well, but, from their
limited knowledge of life and the world,
need the cooperation and interest of every
person who has passed far enough into life
TO learn one of its nnumerable lessons.
The teacher should first understand his
pupils. You will find every one actuated BY
mis- own hopes and feelings, needing a pecu-
liar mode of discipline and instruction. We
are all selfish and thoughtless of Others
until we have learned from parents or teach
ers, books or contact with the world, that
we are not born for ourselves alone; that
we are but a unit among earth's countless
things that each has his own aspirations,
joys loves and temptations, different flom,
but as real as ours.
1t is next to impossible to have an orderly
school and good progress made unless you
deeply interest every one who recites to You.
This exerts the most fertile minds of older
teachers much more will it task you with
your less extended observation, experience
and culture. Your first object will be to
get interested yourself and always show your
interest in the pupil and in the study. Then
you will meet the greater task of stimuat-
ing them. In this you will see the need OF
knowledge gained outside of the textbook.
Youth are ever interested in great men aud
heroic deeds. If the history of the world
for the last two thousand years is blank to
you, you can expect to expand your pupils
minds but little, and interest them still less
but if you read aud appreciate the noble,
golden thoughts that are gathered in books
Tor you if you look upon the arena of the
past and discern the mighty panorama OF
heroic men and women, noble deeds and
brilliant lessons that have marked the cen.
turies, and are yourself eager for the lesson
these marvellous ages have taught-you will
be able to lead your classes entranced through
these wonderful scenes. In the illustriou,
trial and death of Socrates, in the lofty char
acter and works of st. Paul, in the heroic
daring of Grace Darling, in the fruits of thai
spirit and love of liberty and religion which
guided the Mayflower to our shores, you viii
ind the rod to govern and the lesson to stim
ulate and edify. 1t will take study fol
you to compass all these topics, but you can
not afford 10 be ignorant OF them, and thes,
winter evenings may yield you richer re
turn than your labors in the day. The
youth who are now in study, forming weap
ons for labor, will be rewarded for their US,
in the future. Seek TO make your mind a
broad as possible on every subject or lesson
and this will keep you from a slavish an'
mechanical use OF the textbook. Take
principle in its chief characteristics at first
and then its more minute points. 1t is no
enough that question is answered once
repeat it again and again. If your lesson i
upon Europe, give its location, character
principal rivers, mountains and lakes; dl
vide it into its several countries and then TAX
each separately--for instance France, givin
the characteristics OF its people, business
products, climate, soil, exports and its cities
comparing each with Germany, England, O
some state OF our own country. Then Civ
its government, religion and literature, nan
ing some of its principal authors. Repea
each OF these particulars until they ar
firmly fixed in the mind. The memory, b
this means, is strengthened and prepared 10
greater tasks, while tie mere skimining froI
page to page actually weakCns it. Pursu
this method with each class and study, an
you will see the fruits of the winters labor
The teachers, also, should ever bear /
mind that they are to cultivate not only tn
intellect, but that which is still more su
ceptible of the least impression-the cha
acter The time is at hand when more a
teution is to be paid TO the higher, divine
element in our nature. Let every teacht
strive to be model of all he would ask hi
pupils To be. Cultivate in them a spirit {
honor, truth and nobleness in word, dee
and manner. You will find their character
like your garden, more prone to grow weed
than useful fruit aud flowers. There al
causes which lead to inevitable results, bl
none are more sure than that the charact'
receives lasting impressions from the see
time of youth The exceptions are few
the rule, that every man owes his position
life, whether it be good or bad, to the le
sons he stored up in youth. BE earnes
faithful, and read every good book you ca
and not only in your school will you me
success, but in your life. c. =. n.