St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1897-10-01
Apt at Teaching.

Editor CALIFORNIAN.
When d church society wishes to en-
gage a pastor, it looks for something
more in man than mere book learning,
important as that is. 1t not only ex-
poets him TO be man of learning, but
also a man Of ability and piety, with as
many other good things as can be found
in one man. And if this man have the
happy faculty Of understanding human
nature pretty well, his success in a So
ciety is assured.
So it is with the teacher. We look for
something more in her than mere book
learning. We look for that peculiar and
happy faculty in her that is known as
''apt at teaching" for such teacher
does not have half the friction in her
work, while her success is much greater,
than that of the ordinary teacher 1t is
well to understand that there is a mystic
rious something about some people, that
not only makes them attractive, but as
sures them success almost from the start.
This is as true of teachers as any other
class of people.
Most teachers are very well qualified
| as far as education is concerned; but it
is often the case that they lack this
happy faculty of being apt at teaching.
Hundreds Of well educated persons are
not worth cent to teach They may
be able to do some other business with
success; but to plainly present to Others
what they know, is uphill work. It is
well.known, that while some lawyers
make first rate advocates, they would
make very poor judges. Judges must
not only have learning. but they must
have the faculty OF being logical, clear
and just. So the teacher must not only
be "up to date" in education, but for the
best success, she must be apt to teach.
The teacher should learn from the start,
that the school is business institution,
just as much as the factory or the store.
Teaching is real business, calling forth
the same general faculties, and efforts, as
any other business. Teaching is not a
sentimental affair at all. We, therefore,
say to all teachers, get your business lac
ulties we'll in hand about as soon as you
enter the schoolroom. This will not be
very difficult if you have been brought up
to wash dishes and sweep the house Tor
your poor tired mother. speak of this
principally Tor the reason, that the
teacher with business habits will be apt
to be better manager in school than
those who have had no business respou-
siblity.
hold as rule, however, that the apt
teacher, like the true poet, is born, not
made. do not say this intending any
reflection on that great army of teachers
who, perhaps, are not July apt at teach
ing. The same may be said of all the
professions in the world.
What | would impress upon the
thoughtful would be, that an apt teacher
knows just what, when, and how, to say
things to her pupils. She is not wholly
confined to the text book, but her teach
ing qualities are within her, They come
from her as naturally as rain comes from
the skies.
Perhaps the apt teacher cannot exactly
tell how all her success comes about, but
like the roughish school boys whistle il
seems to come o. ITSELF
Another nice thing the apt teacher ha.
) for her help, is her understanding o
human nature. Through it she know:
just how to approach her pupils. 1t ha.
been said that Henry Ward Beecher oweC
his success as a preacher largely to hi
great knowledge OF human nature. HI
knew what the people wanted, and hi
gave it to them.
If pupil cannot learn geograph,
f easily, the teacher ought to know why
1t is not always because the pupil isinat
tentve and dull, but more often becaus
f certain faculties have not been developed
or drawn from him. 1t is not enough t.
tell this pupil that geography is simply ;
: description of the earth surface" Th
apt teacher will find a way through dia
: grams, globes, and maps, and her owl
= personal way, so this pupil can under
r stand the topography OF the country
} and the varying points OF the compass.
The same may be said in some deere
OF all other studies. The boy who ha
/, only confused idea of numbers, mus
not be scolded and found fault with
Probably he has no clear conception o
a anything as arbitrary as umbers, which
e to be right at all, must be just right
4 But this boy may excel all the rest OF tn
. school in some other direction. 1t is i'm
portant, therefore, that the teache
e know something beside arithmetic an,
# grammar, to have the highest measure @
y success in school.
!, think as successful teacher as hav
ever known, was one peculiarly we
:. versed in character knowledge. She ur
}. derstood human nature remarkabl
). well, and was kept teaching as long a
her health permitted Her tact was YER
great, and her aptness at teaching ur
II exceled.
n F. V. POWERS.