Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1877-03-22
THIN TEACHERS.

THIN TEACHERS.
Teachers ought to be persons full
of information. They ought to be
persons Of broad culture. The teacher
who simply knows his or her text
books Is always a thin teacher. He
or she will never inspire their pupils
with desire for anything beyond the
book answers. The idea advanced by
some teachers and directors Of schools
not very for advanced, and that it is
not necessary that q teacher should
be examined and qualified in all the
branches named in the catalogue, to
teach the school, is fatal mistake.
No person can teach the elements of q
subject well who does not have a
comprehensive knowledge OF that
subject. And NO other grade OF pu-
pills is so difficult to teach well as is
the primary small children who do not
know how to study, and they learn
but little the first year OF their school
life except by the assistance and care
full direction of the teacher. The
schools in this county want teachers,
who understand well the subjects
they have to teach, teachers who have
q great deal Of general Information.
Other things being equal, the teacher
who has good fund OF general knowl-
edge is worth at least fifty per cent.
more than the teacher who simply has
his text books.
To know the subject matter to be
taught requires study Of text books.
To know the best methods Of teach
ing and governing schools, requires
the study OF books on teaching, and
educational journals. To possess gen
erai information requires much read
ing, reading Of good papers. maya
zines and good books. By good"
papers and books we do not mean
-yellew-backsd' literature, but such
az will give desirable knowledge.
The good teacher will always find
plenty OF time before and after school
hours, to act upon the above suggss-
ton, and put them in practice. there-
by doing themselves and the children
they are called upton to teach, a
great and everlasting favor.
Ny young friend IL you have chosen
the vocation OF teacher, stick to 1t.
Don't leave it because hard blows are
to be struck, or disagreeabls work to
be performed, or books to be studied,
and subjects considered. Those who
have worked their way up the ladder
of fame. wealth, and usefulness, do
lot belong to the shiftlsss and un-
stable class, but may be rsckoned
among such as took OF their coats,
rolled up their sleeves, conquered
their prejudices against labor, and
manfully bore the heat and burden of
the day. Whether upon the old farm,
where our fathers toiled diligently,
striving to bring the soil to product
iveness, In the machine shop or fac
tory, or the thousand other business
places that invite honest toll and
skill, let your motto be, ~Persever-
ance and Industry Never weary in
well-doing. you, who contemplate in
teaching spring schools, teach your
pupils the five following things thor
oughly by precept and example:
1. To live religiously. 2. To think
Complementary. 3. To reckon math-
ematically. 4. To converse fiuently,
and 9Th. To write dramatically. If
you successfully teach them these
five things, you will nobly have done
your duty to your pupils, to their par
ents, to your country and to your
self.
Some of the readers OF the educa-
tioLal column who have lived fifty
years, may be glad to learn what
they have accomplished in that time
According to a French statistician,
the average have at that age, slept
5000 days, worked $500 days, walked
800 days, amused himself 1000 days,
spent 200 days In eating, and been
sick 500 days. Has eaten IL, 200 pounds
of bread, 16,000 pounds of meat, 1000
pounds OF vegetables, f1sh, etc., and
drank 1000 gallons OF liquids. There
are just $3.50 days in a half century,
and from the above statement it |
would seem that man has slept just |
one third OF the time.
The first book ever printed was the |
Bible. 1t was printed at the city of |
Mentz between the year of 1440 and |
l445, by Gutenberg, the inventor of |
the art, and Faust, who furnish ed the |
funds. For long time after 1t had |
been finished and offered for sale, no |
person save the artists themselves,
knew how 1t had been accomplished.
The work was so astonishing, the
manner OF its production so mys-
terious. that the printers were be-
ieved by the ignorant to be in league
With the evil one, The Bible was in
NO folio volumes, and contained one
thousand two hundred and eighty
wo pages.