Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1892-03-26
EDUCATIONAL COLUMN.
How Association Benefits the
Teacher.

How Association Benefits the
Teacher. Ii
q. T. Noaan.)
The nature of man is such that he
esires company. It is through this
esire that men form themselves into
ribes, congregate in towns; and, and as
hey grow more populous, finally become
lations.
Association then, being one Of the
natural attributes of man, is as essential
O his happiness here on earth, as any OF
he other peculiar attributes which God
las given him. This desire for company
s, in fact, all that makes life worth living.
Man wonld not take the wealth OF
nations and agree, therefor, to select
some wild and barren spot, and to be
forever shut off from communication with
mis- fellows. He could not make such a
First, because he hasn't the
secondly, if he were to offer to
make one of such character, he would
be adjudged insane and sent to an
asylum.
By the same parity Of reasoning, what
is good for the whole is good for the
parts. Reasoning, therefore, from the
whole to a part, association among the
different classes of men, is equally essent-
ial to the welfare of each particular class.
It may be said, that this is not necessarily
30, since we may learn from one another.
True, men may learn from one another;
the shoemaker may learn. and in fact
does learn, something from his neighbor,
the saddler; the carpenter learns from
the cabinet-maker; the blacksmith, from
the machinist; the doctor, from the law
yer, and visa versa; the minister from the
school teacher, and the teacher from the
minister.
Yet, is it not time that the shoemaker
would learn more about his particular
trade from his fellow shoemaker; the
saddler from fellow saddler, and 80 on
throughout the various trades and pro-
fessions? That it is true, we think,
admits of no other conclusion.
Admitting, therefore, that association OF
classes is beneficial, it may be asked how,
in what way, does it benefit the teacher?
And this is what shall try to explain.
Teaching, land what I shall say, will
not be from any prejudice which 1 may
have against it) is, of all the professions
if such you choose to call it, the easiest to
which one may gain admittance. 1t is
not guarded by any number of years; it
has no regularly prescribed course; its
departments are many; and open, pro-
miscuously and without reserve, to all
who have partly learned ''readin', writln'
and cipheriD." These words, of course,
must not be taken iterally-for such I
do not intend them-the idea which l
mean to convey is, that the preparation
is not up to the standard OF the other
professions, and this I am ready to verify.
Would you permit young man, or
woman, who claimed to be doctor, but
had had no more preparation for his
profession then you had for yours? Qn
addressing this question to the teachers,
I have reference to the rule and not the
exception; few teachers have been pre-
pared before they commenced, but the
majority have not.) Would you, I again
ask, allow this would be doctor, to ampu.
tate an arm or other member, when
there we're those at hand who had thor
oughly prepared themselves? Most as.
suredly not.
How would it be with the minister and
the lawyer, if their preparation were nc
greater than ours. They would not be
permitted to pursue their vocation, since
the minister would not be called to any
church, and the lawyer would be withou,
clients. The people have no confidence
in such doctors, lawyers and ministers.
Since majority IT the teachers, then
have not had the necessary preparation
the association acts as medium through
which the teacher is to gain NOR,
knowledge about his vocation; and, thus
are the better fitted to impart instruction
Yet, the association is of no benefit t.
the teacher who does not try to aid him
self. 1t is proyerbial saying: "Tha
God helps those who help themselves,
and no where can it be better demon
strated then at teachers association.
There are great many teachers VIII
have good ideas; yet, they keep thes
ideas to themselves, never putting then
into practice, nor in any way communi
eating them to their fellow teachers.
This class of teachers is no particular
benefit to themselves or any one else
they might as well have never had an,
ideas on the subject, since that which i
not used in some way, is of no rea
practical value.
What good would it have done PRO-
Morse, or the people, if he had neve
made known his discovery? None what