The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1881-03-30

yet 10 restrain q very lew persons tlicy cn"pI
fully pay out hundreds Of dollarS annually.
Now the statistics OF education In It's re';i'
ton to crime show that the proportion
of criminals among the illiterate Is about ten
times greater than among those who have
been instructed in the elements Of q common
school education and beyond:
In view therefore of what the public school
has done elsewhere. and In view Of What 1t Is
doing here under all the difficulties md em'
barrassnnents which encompass 1t. and in
view Of what II proposes to do in multiplying
and intcnsiryingth the motiveSto well doing, and
In strengthening the lives OF individual and
national virtue, it asks and with reason the
countenance and support Of public sentiment
II asks that II be Judged not by its claims. but
by Its results after mn experiment sufficiently
extended In time and territory.
ca | come now to the internal needs. W
take time to mention but one, that however,
the one all Important. 1t Is that in every
school there should be an earnest, conscicn'
tious widc-awake teacher. This VIII 20 very
! far towards supplying the deficiencies already
referred. 1t will make the Scl,n0, n blessing,
however rude and primitive the building,
however indifferent the Trustees and Low,
ever hostile public sentiment; and without it
no matter how favorable the conditions the
result will prove IL failure. This is indeed the
pressing, urgent need of our schools. While
there is reason to believe that progress is he
ing made In this direction still there is great
room for Improvement. Let me in brief Indi,
cate the Teacher we need:
0) He will not be indifferent to his pay.
While no true teacher will nlak"a living his
; highest. strongc-t impulse IN his work., he
ought 10 mak his calling yield him compc.
tpnce. 1t Is so in other Professions. Even the
minister. who Is required, above all others.
TO look not Mt the things which are seen AMI
temporal; to find his reward In the lofty con
seriousness of doing good, who ~ to be a pat.
tern of self-dcnial. and worldly rcnuncia.ion
even he Is to live by the soSp' J.: and whl!c he
are to minister 10 him in carnal things. Sure
~ the profession Of the Teacher is to be no OK.
ccption.
We remember once to have been the pupil OF
q Teacher, who declared that, with him, the
pay was no consideration; so delightful was
the task Of teaching the young idea how to
shoot that he never raised the question OF sal
ary. His new method of controlling and gov
erning the pupils by moral SuaSiOn alone was,
he contcnded, so beautiful and successful that
his labor brought It's own reward. He was a
g d-hradcd Scotchman. Due West was
wreathcl in smiles on The arrival OF the new
pleasing to parents than that tuition wa Il
mere hagatGllc. And for the boys and girls 1t
was cQua! to a circus, TO know that the rule of
the roll was for once to be laid aside. With
those who had been accustomed TO receive
their weekly allowance of n sound drubbing.
plans and schemes Of mischief were cOncoctcd
with great gusto and amazing fertility and
originality. Superiority of nalghtincSs was
revelIing in a Wild arrival Of frolic. On the
third day of School the Teacher began his
moral suasion with a vcngcncc. Hc sworc at
nsi like Il sailor-with a persuasive vlgor and
force that despiscd the Euphelnisms of the
Revision. IIades and Demon were entirely
too mild for his new method of govern
mcnt. Gehenna and DiabOlaS without dilu.
ton or periphrasis would alone reach the case.
He hurled anatllemas OF the most direct and
unequivocal character at every Offender. Cen
uin surprise and amaZcment were written
Tn every face, Anrompt report was made to
school for the very Satisfactory reason, that
lie was without pupils. This Is the only
Teacher we 7lave ever known that was indif-
fcrcnt aiout his pay.
method and rule are Indispensable but they
are after all only instruments of work they
must never become master. There IS II t:n-
dency in Our day TO regulate every thing Ivy n
sort OF military eSactncSS. Every movement
is by signal. 1t has much to recommend IT, in
the cultivation of orderly and methodical
habits, but 1t may run mad. The Teacher
may become fascinated with certain cast-iron
forms which furnish no opportunity for the
manifestation and development OF individu-
ality. System with all It's obvious cXccllcnces
may be so rigid as to crush out the special
characteristics Of the pupil. The Teacher
should be guided In all cases not so much by
n regular unbendin5 programme of exercises
MS by the demands OF the pupil. Every one
who has had much 10 do with children knows
that sustained attention soon wealies. What
Older persons call regularity. is to them mo-
notony. And hence it is wise sometimes 10
Consult their reStlCsSncss to change their posi-
ton. TO vary and modify class exercises. A
song sung by the school, q tale we'll told by the
Teacher will at times be worth more than the
recitation in Arithmetic or In Spelling. Or
course oil such relief will need TO be carefully
guarded, and restrained. But prudence and
discreliGI mI,if,nu them helpful.
~ The Teacher should be always and readily
approachable by the pupil. He sLonld invite
the free and full presentation OF such Difficult
ties as hinder the progress OF the pupil. This
Is a familiarity which has to do only with
"edu"ational ends as DR.. Caldcram well cX-
presses it. SayS1kr, "Therc is an exercise OF
authority by the Teacher which utterly ignores
and trowns upon amy tendency to direct inQui-
rieS to i'm The most experienced teacher"
continues he, will allow that h cneeds To be,
helped to the discovery of his pupils, difficult
ties" 1t is singular what plumbers children
make sometimes out of the brief comments
Of the teacher from the text books. If you
wonder at their strange misconceptions. Now
it Is just in reference 10 these difficulties at
which children and youth so often stumble
and over which they worry, that the help of
the instructor IS most grateful. II he cuiti-
vate n distant reserve and discourage inquiry
the result will be that the pupil will make 1t
his chief effort to conceal his ignorance. The
TEACHER Is never to forget that his business is
to teach and thatcrerything is to be tributary
to this. lie iSnOt a mere ta>l Observation-Disclosures
ing lessons and hearing rccitatinns. IF he
thus narrOWS his professional duties "he will
become a drudge and the work OF the school
will be drudgery TO the scholars" If he be
worthy the name he bears and the vocation
he has chosen he will be solici Gus to know
the special difficulties of his pupils and he
will feel IT no compromise Of his dignity to
be freely approached in reference TO tncsc.
The prime question with him will be. How
can help my. pupils u learn? He who takes
this view of his work will honor his culling
and bless the community where he laborS.
Beneath his care, learning will grow, a
'thriving vigorous plant and he will realize
whatever Is grandcst and noblest in the life Of
q Teacher.