Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1889-11-28
The Teacher and the Association.

| lWHtten Tor the IRON COUNTY REGISTER.l
Every man is debtor to his profession
| Every man should willingly contribute the
| result Of. his experience to those who labor
| with him and succeed him. Every teacher
| owes it to himself, to those who employ hin
and 10 those he is to teach to put nothing
but his best into all his work. We are judg.
ed by what we do, not by what we can do
Granting this, and the fact that all are re-
sponsible not only for the harm they do, but
for they good as well, teachers, those who
have the shaping of child character, should
feel a common interest and fraternal sympa
| thy with each other in everything that per-
tains to their work, and should cooperate
ia all efforts for the advancement of popu-
lar education. 1t Dehooves the teacher,
therefore, to take every advantage offered
to improve and cultivate his mind, to ele-
vate himself above the common standard OF
| his profession, that as he grows in years he
may likewise grow in knowledge. To ac-
complish this grand object, one of the es-
sential means is thoroughly organized
system of teachers meetings, reaching with
its benign influence every teacher, and so
far as possible, rousing the aohOle people to
deeper sense Of their obligations and du-
ties to the cause of education and the proper
training of their children for the realities Of
life. The utility of teachers meetings has
been taught us by experience, the best of
teachers. They are not merely a capricious
invention, tangled notion, bat rather the
outgrowth of the necessities of the pro-
gressiye education of the times. They az
ford the teacher an opportunity for profess
sional and social intercourse. They enable
him to form agreeable acquaintances, to
compare views, and to receive the benefit
of individual experience in school work.
The teacher, if he wishes to succeed, must
exchange opinions with his fellow teachers;
be must counsel with other and more ex-
perienced teachers and endeavor to advance
higher and higher in his vocation. To es.
tablish system of schools, to create vast
school funds, to build school houses and then
to send the children of the people to be
taught by half ucated, unskilfIll, incom
petent instructors, is aspecies of waste
fulness, not to say of folly, that would not
be tolerated in any of the material enter.
prises Of life, where wealth is to be acquired
by an Intelligent adoption Of means to ends.
School funds and school-houses cannot ac-
complish what is required, they are but the
Instruments; the teacher is the power. A
teacher who wishes TO be successful must
love the work of instruction, and must con-
secrate all to the best interest of his school.
He needs quick perception Of character,
a mastery knowledge of ways and means;
should be familiar with the elementary prin-
ON ~ nj, io1o nd y,cv hnI hot
laws of body and mind may be understood.
Teachers, remember you are sowing the
seed that shall bring forth fruit that shall
influence for good or for i'll the destinies of
our nation for the twentieth century.
Twenty years hence the pupils whom you
are now instructing will be the men and
women whose influence will mold the future
of this Republic. Look back twenty years
and recall your early teachers, and remem
Der those faithful ones who endangered to
teach Alright and to build up noble charac-
tiers in their pupils, and call to mind those
pupils who have lived out in their lives those
honor and respect of all who know them,
and you will at once see the responsibility of
your position. Now let every teacher in the
county turn out to the Association. Take
note book and pencil with you, make care.
full study of your deficiencies as teacher,
and write down the supposed remedy. You
should feel that you are personally re ponsi-
BILE, to some extent, for the success of these
meetings; and that the amount of good you
receive from them will depend largely upon
the interest you manifest in them. There
Gov h, Al oohy md vy,,o
and use your influence to induce others to
attend. All will not be expected to take
part, nor will any be placed upon the pro-
gramme without his or her consent. But
you can come out and rub up against your
fellow teachers, the friction will do you
good. Try it. TEACHER.