Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1881-07-02
NEED OF GOOD TEACHERS.

GAS is the teacher, so IS the school.
School laws, taxes, officers, buildings,
apparatus, books, grading, are all in
vain without teachers. Prot. Hoyt ut
tiers declaration which reflects the
enlightened public sentiment of the
world. 1t is this: eff in one sentence
l were required to give what l believe
to be the most valuable discovery OF
the educational world up to this
present, it would be that poor teachers
are Worse than no teachers"
This is very strong expression, and
will surprise those who have not con-
sidered the subject. He speaks o! poor
teachers not only as good for nothing,
but as worse than nothiDg-as injnri.
ous-as men who are doing mischief in
the world. He speaks of this couclu-
sion as a discouery. And so it is.
The world always knew there was
difference in teachers, but it was long
time in finding out that poor teacher
was doing harm, and not good, in socl-
ETY.. Prot Hoyt calls this the most
vaiuaJle of all the many discoveries in
educational science; and so it is, as |
verify believe. The incompetent teach
er belongs to the category OF charla-
tans quacks and pretenders of all sorts,
ard yet is the most mischievous among
them; for he practices upon the minds,
the characters, the souls Of the young.
1t is something for the awkward mason
to spoil block Of granite, something
for the pettifogger by reason OF his in
competence to ruin his client, some
thing worse for the quack to damage
the constitution of bis patient by NAL
practice, something terribly bad for the
martinez to sacrifice an army to ''red
tapes" but the character of the evil done
by incompetent pedagogues is worst OF
ali.
The world was slow in reaching this
generalization because of tine intrlcacy
of the subject. Macaulay says that as
tronomy is better understood than men
tai philosophy. 1t is certainly much
easier to understand the outward than
the inward world. The contorted tree
shows its deformity at once; but the
contracted mind may never reveal the
fact of brutal injury inflicted upon it.
Parents can see that their children have
failed to realize the promise of early
youth, but they never suspect that the
dwarfng came from bad teaching.
Many man bitterly knows the truth
of this from his own experience, and
needs nothing else to convince hun that
bad teachers are the enemies OF society.
SUR. RUrFNER, Va. Report.
There can be no question that the
general results of public education
would be far greater were those en-
trusted with the direction Of such mat
tiers adopt the principle that they would
first select the most competent teachers
available, and then assign them salaries
sufficient to content them and make
them regard teaching as their perma-
nent occupation, and that the last meas
ure taken in the interest OF economy
should be the decrease of the teachers
salary below proper point. II educa-
ton is worth doing at all, it is worth
doing well; and the quality of the
teachers is at the foundation OF the
whole system.-Gov. Nc Cle'in, ". d.
Teaching is the process by which one
mind exercises, incites and DEVELOPS
the mind of another. Some do it by
their presence merely, some by their
conversation,-these are rare. Others
make special business of it. They ex
cite the curiosity, they demand thinking
by putting questions, to answer which
the pupil studies. True teaching keeps
ever the growth OF the child iii view
The creates. work of the world is
teaching. 1t is so great that but few
can do it. 1t is the most exhaustnS
kind of work. 1t demands will power,
sympathy, insight, kindliness, sweet
ness, and yet stimulation.
Gov. Hubbard, of Connecticut, says {:
"Abolsh free schools or staIve and Grip
pie them, and free institutions will go
down" lie suggests the following as a
few of the means by which free schools
are crippled Employing half-ahd half
teachers; giving the school tothe lowest
bidder; reducing. the school tax to a
nominal figure; and allowing the com
plants OF children to make prejudice
against the teacher.