The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-12-16

| attainment upon DranCneS lnaI arc
secondary considerations in the actual
work.
1t is admitted, as 1 have no doubt it
will be by every thoughtful man or
woman, that this department of school
work is professional; then ask in the
name of consistency, SIS it not the duty
of all to demand and see to it that this
work is done by professional men aud
women? So much has been written to
establish the claims of teaching, in its
various departments, to the dignity Of q
profession, that 1 deem it needless for
me here to enter upon al argument or
that subject. What we need is men and
women who are professional teachers; !;
men aud women who have consecrated
their lives to the work, and who are
thoroughly identified with the interests
and advancement of their work.
Presuming that the work is profession
al, and the necessity for having it done
by professioal men and women is recog-
nizeed,. hall proceed to consider wherein
lies the proper qualifications for profes.
sional work. One of the most important
qualifications for engaging in profession
is mans love for his work, and this IS
evidenced in his willingness to incur the
expense of time and means for a proper
course of study and training for his pro-
fessiop. Evidence of having successfully
completed such course is wherein lies
the other qualifications that entitle man
to engage in his profession: And it may
be appropriate to remark right here that
it is the exception of rare occurrence
where man will incur such expense for
profession in whose elevation he has no
interest; but even where sach an one
does it is impossible for him to compete
successfully with those who are thor
oughly earnest in their work. /,
In preparing for the conduct of any OF
the recognized professions, or even for
any avocation in life, it is demanded that
man pursue special course of study
and be subjected to special course of
training for his chosen profession. In
the absence of astsuccesses in the actual
work we accept evidence of having COM
pleted such courses as sufficient guarantee
of his fitness to engage therein. Take
the profession of medicine. A man to
be admitted to the practice of that pro.
fession must attend some college in which
is provided especial training and instruc-
ton for his future work; and 80 deter.
mined is the demand for such training
that any man engaging in its practice
without proper evidence of having com.
pleted such course, is subject to legal
procedure as an inlpostor. Ii fatal re-
suits attend his treatment of patient.
he is subject to Indictment the same as II
he took life by force. How is it with the
unqualified bungler in teaching? He
may warp, deform, or destroy for useful;
ness the noble, moral, and intellectual
principles of his pupils nature for eter-
nifty; and, so long as he holds a teachers
certificate of qualification and teaches
public school, he receives the pay for
professional work. If we must have
physician to look after the we'll being
physically of our children, with what
care we select one in whose professional
skill we have implicit confidence But
it is equally true in the selection OF teach.
ers who are to stamp for an eternity of
veal or of woe the moral and intellectual
natures of our children? Why, il the
name of common humanity, l ask, is not
that profession which affects the natures
of our future citizens aud determines the
destiny of our nation-why, l ask, Is not
that profession hedged round and protect
ed with as great care from impostors as
is the profession which looks to the well
being of the grosser physical nature?
Of what profit is all the beauty of phys
ical symmetry combined with the most
perfect development of muscular powers
and endurance, when presided over by a
badly organized and developed moral
and intellectual nature? 1t is more the
duty of the State to protect, by stringent
legislative enactments, the profession of
teaching from the professional sharks
who feed upon the enoluments OF tue
lower departments of the work, than to
protect any other: for it is upon the work
of this profession that the destiny of the
State depends. The execution OF such
enactments ought, in justice 10 the pro.
fession, to be placed in the hands of
those who have the elevation and ad-
vancement of the profession at heart, as
in the case of the profession of law 1t
is nothing but justice that the admins
tration of the system of education in its
various departments should be delegated
to that profession that is most interested.
Some one has justly said, "The three
Ms of professional knowledge are ma
terial,' mind and method" Without
proper knowledge of these three branches
of his professional studies, a man cannot
be a professional teacher; and he is as
much at loss in the school room rs IS a
man who has no acquaintance with the
three Rs of ordinary literary knowledge
in the practical business world. Under
our present system of selection we re.
quire only presumptive knowledge of
the first NJ as a qualification to teach !;
i. e., we require the possession OF the
material, or knowledge of what is to be
taught as all sufficient. Such knowl.
edge is scarcely beginning of mans
fitness for this work. He must under.
stand the mind in all of its various pos.
sibilities of development and then be
conversant with the best methods of
applying the material to the wants of his
pupils. 1t is argued in extenuaIion of
our system that if We are sure of the
teachers literary attachments that it is
all sufficient, inasmuch as he can learn,
to best advantage, the nature of mind
itself and the best methods of applying
his knowledge to the mental needs of his
pupils while engaged in the actual work
of the school room. The truth of this
position in its possibilities will be readily
admitted but We must recognize the fact
that such q course is the course of exper.
iment purely and is necessarily attended
by the possibility of grave and irremedl-
able blunders. 1t is hardly possible that
any sane man will admit to the physician
or surgeon the privilege of pursuing,
similar course of training, and yet the
blunders of the recruit in the profession
of medicine is hardly attended by more
grave results than would those OF the re
cruit in the teachers profession.
1t should be demanded Of every candi.
date to teach, both in public and private
schools, that he show evidence of having
completed special course of training
for the profession of teaching. AS is
true in the profession Of medicine, this
should be the possession of diploma
from some college whore special atten.
ton is given to such course. Some of
our educational journals are urging the