The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-02-21
SCHOOL DISCIPLINE.
BY c. T. WRIGHT.

Written for the Democratic Advocate
In venturing another article upon this
subject I shall take it for granted that
teachers and others interested have perused
my former one, and remember the points
which were presented. The first thought
that occurs now is to make few inquiries
of those who are preparing to enter the
list of teachers.
Have you, before deciding to teach,
given serious thought to the nature of the
labor upon which you purpose to enter ?
Do you fully realize the magnitude of the
responsibility you are about to assume
Are you seeking for an opportunity to do
what you think to be a useful and noble
work, or are you simply DESTROYS of place
where you can dispose of your surplus
time, and legally make little extra pocket
money
A proper sense of justice recognizes the
right of the teacher to make his living and
a little over by his profession, but have
never known man or woman, whose
highest motive was pastime or money
alone, to be good teacher. Such have
no soul in their work, and soul, after all,
is the best, highest, grandest motive power
in life.
Some people think that teachers and
preachers ought to ''work for nothing and
board nowhere" [ think the teacher
should work for duty, for humanity, for
God, and take his wages because he has
earned them fully and faithfully, and be-
cause he, with all others, has an equal right
to comfort and competency.
Are you prepared to endure undismayed
and unmoved the uncharitable and detri-
mental criticisms of those who condemn you
and your methods without investigation,
without discrimination, without justice?
Do you understand the philosophy of
what Franklin calls "stooping?" Not in a
cringing, obsequious, cowardly spirit, but
manfully and gracefully bending to meet
the just demands of your profession and
the exigencies of the hour, remembering
that "a aoise man adapts has measures to
has erigencies," and thus becomes the
master of circumstances, which would
otherwise render him subservient to their
requirements.
The teacher who cannot, when occasion
demands, step out of the cloak of unbending
dignity with which he too often envelops
himself, is neither graceful nor wise, and
before he attempts the difficult task of gov
erning, he should apply himself very dill
gently to the study of human nature. A
teachers progress and usefulness ends just
where self satisfaction and self-conceit be-
gin. Inordinate self-conceit is disagreeable
in any one, but in teacher it is simply
pitiable, if not despicable. What do we
know if we spend lifetime in the severest
study and the most searching investigation :?
Only the extremely ignorant think they
are wise, for they have never formed a
conception of anything beyond the mar
rowed circle of their own vision. l re-
member a few years ago of travelling by
rail across range of mountains. AS the
train moved on l glanced ahead from the
window, and right in front of the laboring
engine there seemed to rise an unpierceable
wall of rock; nothing could be seen beyond
it; the track was to all appearance closed
by this impregnable barrier; but suddenly
the train shot onward, the frowning gate
way was opened, and far ahead the winding
and graceful curves beckoned us forward
to interminable scenes of beauty and
grandeur. Chow true, thought, 'of life.
we must pierce the dense wall of ignorance
before us before we can see the splendor OF
the great unexplored world beyond" A
certificate or diploma, strange to say, fire.
quently becomes this barrier to the pro-
gress of the young man or woman who
contemplates teaching. Having barely
"squeezed" through the examination, the
worthless piece of paper or parchment is
Haunted in the face of all concerned, or
unconcerned, as an evidence of superior
culture, or even of perfection, after which
the blissful and accomplished CD recipient
settles down in happy Inconsistencies OF
anything more to learn. From this slight
diversion [ will return to the subject Of
my article L was once asked bya gentle
man to take charge of his school for few
days in his absence. Upon arriving at
the school I found young lady assistant
in charge, who proved to be an element of
positive weakness in the discipline of the
pupils, because she possessed not the
slightest particle of self-command, nor did
she appear to have the faintest conception
of womanly dignity. I have often won
dered since, when so frequently hear of
the failure of young ladies to succeed in
school government, whether their failures
are attributable to the lack of those quail
ties that constitute firm, digni6ed, self-re-
liant womanhood. Young ladies will never
be competent to secure and maintain the
decorum of the schoolroom until they give
more attention to the cultivation of those
quiet, modest and intellectual graces so
beautiful in every woman's life, and so
potent to win and retain respect, and de-
pend less upon the display of those for
ward, superficial accomplishments that be-
come useless, and positively injurious, in
the hour of trial and responsibility. The
pupil who cannot pierce at a glance the
himsy texture of such shallow Drained
wamanhood, and see that the would-be
teacher sadly needs teaching in the first
rudiments of substantial character, must
possess an obtuse intellect indeed. l do
not desire to discriminate here in favor OF
young men, for they, as well as young
women, too frequently form but shallow
conception of the grave nature of the
teachers profession. They often look
upon their work as ordinary, irksome; be-
come careless, teach stupidity, lose the re
spect and control of their pupils, and re
ceiye from their trustees or directors at the
end of the term the complimentary and in
spring notice that they are not wanted any
longer. This should not be. This cdnnO,
be, and the teaching profession escape the
stigma of incompetency and inutility.
In my next desire to dwell upon the
Importance of correct Interpretation o.
laws and rules in the discipline of truth.
Stesoartstoao'e academy, Pa.