The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1883-01-09
Teachers Institutes.
Fl ON the Columbus DiSnatch


The prime otjec;s of teachers insti.
tutrs Is TO perfect instructors in the
methods Of government and instruction.
They form in sons respects a helpful
auxiliary to the sohopl system and, in
so far as they minister to the improved
efficiency OF educational forces. their
efoits will ho Cordially seconded hy all
who recognize the value Of culture
even bs thrse u,ilitari ans, VINO, schouled
In politics AMI business. are apt to es
TEEN education vslnahla only as means
OF po~er over nature, and hence OF MS
terial gain or comfort. For Adopting
this practical view OF the matter, cul,i-
vated mind is money The wses, nd-
Viduals, it is trne, are seldom the rich
es', but the wisest communities, the wis
est nations. are always the wealthiest.
While such Organizations. as aids, are
more or less imp ,rtaut to the various
forms OF development, it should not be
forgotten, anil the peiag ,gue him self
should remember, that their function ls
chiefly ex'ernal, superb ,ial rather than
fundamental, mechanical rather than vi
tai. The large conceptions which sre
Indispensable to the best results in th.
class room, are not engrafted. They
are given bv no rule, M nrecept and can
be expressed in no formula. Tive true
teacher, like the orator, AMI the poet, is
horn TO his work. His resources are
mainly within himself r. he is meth.
olicsl, he ia unconsciouslv so. He has
no code, hu, he is equai to every emer-
-gencV by that inspiration which ennohlas
bis office and enthuses his pupils He
h.s little need OF Institutes who has 8
worthy ideal Of achievements, who feels
the nobleness Of fis calling, who realizes
the greatness Of his Opportunity, and
who, over all, performs his duty with a
warming and unfailng enthusiasm No
teacher can make married SUCCESS, if
not possessed OF these qualifications
especially the last, A man cannot saw
wood particularly well, unless he does
it Enthusiastically.
These requisites, it may he added, are
nei'her proven nor diaproven In anv Civ
en- case by the ability or inability to ans
wer categorical qrnstions OF fact. such
as are contained In the u.usl examina-
ton list. That anv one shruli give the
population of Ohio at two hundred
Thousand, as represented bv one of the
State Exsminers is q proof OF incom-
potency to teach only s0 far as is is
proof Of imbcclltv-a lack Of common
horse.sense; but that the applicant for
certificate should be ignorant OF the ex-
act figure, or from some geographical
data, is far from being proof OF "illt-
erocv'" Tho applicant nigh. fail on
half the qres'ions prop'un1e |. and yet
he an Instructor Of exceptional hrilian-
ey On the other hand, he might return
to every question the exac. answer, yet
fail miserahlv as a teacher. How manv
OF the foremost educators in the coun-
sry-meu whose repuissious are histor
ical as schohlmasters-woud succeed
before board OF county examiners1-
And II the situations were reversed, how
many Of the examiners themselves would
have the ready facts demandedl This
suggests that the chief consideration is
not whether the candidate has q, hand .
certain fact, but whether he has the men,
tai grasp and strength TO acquire this
aud other facts, sa occasion may render
it desirable so to do. Perhap. there is
room for Improvement, according 10 a
better conception OF things, in the work
OF Slate and county ex,mioers. whereby
their questions nav become more gen.
erslly tests of available power and dis
cipl'ne rather than ofspecial kno wledge