The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1889-04-11
Educational Department.
j. j. ZUcCARELLo EDITOR.

Theology, law and medicine are
considered the learned professions.
| can sec no reason why this should
be so unless it is that in these
branches men can make money,
get regular and constant occups
ton, or, at least, make living;
| and conseq uently more men have
made them their occupation for
life. Occasionally man makes
profession Of chemistry, pharmacy,
Journalism and the like, but the
great majority of men who stick to
one branch for life are found in the
three professions aboye1 named.
Many men teach awhile, or edit a
paper awhile, but there are but few
who make either of these a protes
sion for life. Money must certain
y be at the bottom of it, The
three professions, (so-called Learn
ed, always afford a chance to
make money, or, at least, living.
The poorest of preachers are sup
ported. The pettifogger makes
money, AMI the quaek literally
coins it.
The majority OF teachers are
mlserabIy poor and remain so all
their lives, and many are obliged
to seek out some other occupation.
Why do 10 many good teachers
abandon the profession and take pu
law, medicine or theology. The
reason is plain. There is more
money in them, more assurance of
living. We would, no doubt,
have better teachers had we more
men who devoted their lives to it.
But what is the remedy? Pay
them better. But we can not con-
troll that. Supply and demand,
regulate prices in this matter as in
everything else. 1t is naturs. for
boards of education to employ the
cheapest teachers; other things be
ing equal and where there are so
many claiming place. So many
make teaching only stepping
stone TO something higher, or rath-
err, or rather something else, for
there is no profession higher than
that OF the teacher.
In cities and towns teaching Is
becoming a profession, for the
schools can be kept up nearly the
| year round and can be graded 50
that one teacher can manage sixty
or seventy five pupils, but in the
country one teacher must try to
manage fifty or sixty pupils of all
ages, from five o twenty one, and
of oil grades, from A b c to alge-
bra, How can the county teacher
become an expert2 What 8 there
TO encourage him in the p ofessio9?
He sees nothing but failure before
him. Few teachers can manage a
couHtry school and even possibly
please their patrons Then to think
OF their poltry wages. Their wa
ges look large in most peoples eyes
because they get from 80 to SO dol
lars per month. But take it at the
highest figure, what does it amount
to at the end ola ear? Very little
for he is out of employ ment half
the time Men can follow teaching
in the country and support a faai
| ly by close economy. But how
many brainy, energetic men will do
it when the la or medicine offers
them much better recompense, and
thus q kind of natural selection
thins out while others anxious to
earn few dollars while they are
preparing for another profession
come in to take their places. Thus
The country schools are generally
, taught by kind of floating class
of teachers who never intend &c
make It business for life. Can il
be expected that such teachers
would take the interest in teaching
that one would who expects to
make it life work.
/ have the following advice tc
give young men starting in life:
Whatever you do or attempt tc
do, try to do it in the very best
manner. Suppose you are intend
, ing to become physician, but are
, teaching school while pursueing
, your studies, trying to earn littl.
/ money to take you through med
g ical course. If you throw you
J whole time and attention into tht
g work while you are NJ it, it will pay
{ you If you do not get any NOR,
a money for it. You are training
!. yourself for future usefulness
Just as you work now, you will
: work in the future. Strive to be
come interested in your teaching
n and try to be the very best teach
8 er, and when you leave the profess
s sion and adopt another, the habi
t will be fixed of doing well what yo,
r undertake, and you will try to b,
! the very best physician just as yor
e tried to be the very best teacher
y So with other professions you may
' take up.
A man who succeeds rs a teach
er will succeed in almost anything
e else. Many of our great men be
gan their career of greatness in @
country school house. IN the capac-
ity of teacher. Teaching is no
: BILE profession, il it is sometimes
made the stepping stone to the 9th
or professions. In one sense all
great and good men are teachers.
They are trying to better mankind
and il they do not teach by pre-
cept they teach by example Re-
memper that Socrates, Phthsgoras
Plato, Aristotle, onfucius, Newton,
Agassiz, Humboldt and the greatest
! OF all, Jesus, were your predeces
sors in this profession. Strive then
to honor your noble calling while
you are IN it, and If you leave it for
one more rcmunarative, remember
the lessons you learned while In
your little country school. | write
maily for country teachers, because
my experience has been mainly in
country schools. can sympatize
with them in their trials and rejoice
with them in their triumphs.
Hams Creek.
|