El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-10-05
PERSONALITY OF THE TEACHER.


The text which has been assigned to
me- for consideration at this meeting is:
The Personality of the Teacher"
However, before at; emptipg to ex-
press any views on the subject, L wish
to propose another which may be
| worthy of some thought by the teach
ers between now aud some future meet
ing. 1t is this: rs it fair to the
teacher to be required to prepare writ
ten theses during school work." Per-
sonally l think not. The time of a
teacher interested in her work is am
ply occupied. Her daily work does not
cease with the sounding of the bel
| which dismisses the pupil for the day.
I There are many obligations to be met
which make the day s work for her at
times much longer.
Tren she too should have her hours
of relaxation; but her spare moments
| for more than one evening must be
given to paper which is pres snted
| for criticism to body of teachers.
There is still one other objection,
among many not mentioned, which Is,
! that teachers are inclined to resent, in
one of their number, anything that
savors of paterpal ism. | wish there
| fore to preface what have to say on
the theme given me, that [ write from
au Ideal point of view, conscious that
! in many things | lack much of nv ideal
and that for this occasion, it were bat
ter for me and for you, were | among
the disciple Of the lecturer and some
one of you were in my place here.
| To briefly summarize my interpreta-
ton of 1.-THE Personality of the
Teacher, l would say: She should in
| character conform To the perfect pro-
duct of an ideal Christian home. AS
applied to her school work what should
be the results of such training? Com
potency, order. government and self
reliance.
The higher Writ les which belong to
the do main of ethics | will not consid-
er, because it canEor be for moment
thought possible that the plastic minds
hours daily, to the direction and
moulding of one who in her own char
acter does not eXemplify, with human
limitations, thu teachings of Him who
spake As never man spake. Passion
in any of its forms, has no place in one
Who presides in the school room. There
reason, deliberate and love should be
guiding pr nclp es, and the pupils
should be led to the acc )mplishment of
triumphs of mind and heart, rather
than have those desired goals pointed
out to them. The teacher who doe:
not reach her pupils heart, hiss missed
her call NJ. These little bodies are
impressed first through the emotions
and in this way the mini is reached
Then the mind, as it's training is per
fected learns to guide the emOt OnS, ht
sentiments, the heart as commOnl,
say. in larger fields of thought and &C
, tion.
, Why should the teacher possess or
] der? Becausa all school training shoult
d i'm at defnate end, and it is unrea
. sonable to hope that such an end can b
OBJ aimed without system attic M ode o
procedure.
The teacher should of course be the
, governing power in the school room
but the less the child is made to fee
, that, the better The government. Sh
will procure aud preserve order not 70
r orders sake. Where she preSides ont
f may not be able to hear the clock ticl
/ but it will be obsary that the chill
) dren work, Even at the risk of shock
ing the over sensitive, she could en-