The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-06-12

She Must Dress Well and Be
AtYcctionate SChenpness of the
Teacher often Considered of More
Importance Than Scholarly, Fed
aEogicaI Insight OF Character
Hot Summer Days and the Inclf-
nation to Go to the Fields.
Many persons who know something
of the trials and difficulties which a
public school teacher encounters in gov
erning her school of fifty or sixty pu-
pills, are yet unacquainted with the real
problems Of her mission as real guide
and instructor who is responsible for
the moral, intellectual and physical de-
velopment of those under her care. In
the training of the minds committed to
her charge she must employ the usual
subjects of Notwithstanding arith-
metic science, geography, grammar,
music, drawing and others; and it is
oftimes thought that the use Of these
agencies is a very simple matter when
once they are acquired by the teacher
herself. The average layman does not.
and perhaps cannot, appreciate the
difference between knowing a subject
and understanding how to use it so as
to secure proper development of the
child mind; and he will accordingly
judge that when one has finished his
scholastic training he will have to think
no more about the things he is going
to teach, because he is already ac-
quainted with them. This view has
been quite commonly held in the past,
but is being rapidly, and very right
fully, abandoned in our own day. The
first requisite of a successful teacher
now, aside from her ability to organize
and control a number Of pupils work
ing together, is not be technically
familiar with such subjects as read
ing, arithmetic, and the like, but be
able to present them in such manner
that the pupil will not only acquire
them readily, but will be deeply inter-
eSted in the process and will receive
valuable discipline thereby.
A teacher in our times, then, must
understand the minds of her children:
she must comprehend the relation of
the physical and mental, and must be
a student of the influence of heredity,
home life. and environment upon the
mind of each pupil whom she instructs.
If she finds defects or deficiencies,
either emotional or intellectual, she
must diligently and conscientiously
single out the elements which make
up the child's personality to see if she
cannot find the cause, so that she may
modify or eliminate the effect in a
proper manner. This is of infinitely
more Importance than to possess tech
meal knowledge of the branches of
study-such knowledge, for example, as
the lawyer has of law and the mechan-
zeal engineer has of machinery. There
is great difficulty connected with this
work also, for the study of the mind
IS necessarily very abstract, and no one
can hope to attain much success in it
unless he apply himself in the most
diligent and watchful manner. In a
way. of cour- E. every one studies human
nature. but yet very few know much
about the workings of the mind. 1t is
one thing to be able to Judge in o
general way of the character of in
diVidualS with whom we are aSSociat-
ed; but it is an entirely different mat
ter to know how that character may
be developed or changed, and to I'M
derstand the laws of mental action, 50
that when any certain effects are de-
sired definite agencies can be applied
to bring them about
OTHER CHARACTERISTIC
Besides these intellectual qualifica-
tions the successful teacher must pos
sess other characteristics that are not
thought to be absolutely essential for
prosperity in most callings. Being as
she is a model before the eyes of child
hood at a time when everything is OBJ
served and initiated, she must possess
graces of heart and person which will
make her not simply an example
worthy to be followed, but which will
enlist the sympathy and affection
of her pupils. Her features must
be expressive and sympathetic; her
voice gentle and modulated, and
her manner gracious, quiet and rest
full. Her dress must be attractive and
becoming. and her whole bearing and
personality such as will not only COM
mand the affection, but the respect
and confidence of her children. She
must herself have affection and he
ready in its expression. She must be
glad and cheerful, ready in making
friends, easy to approach and social
in nature. This may seem to be an
ideal, but it is one that is constantly
held before every teacher now, and if
she fall far short of it her tenure of
office cannot be long, at least in posi-
tions that ara at all desirable.
1t would seem in view of these things
that the teacher ought to be the best
paid person of any profession; for
when so much is required of her in the
discharge of her arduous responsible
tiles in the school room there is neces-
-isy for spending much time and money
in preparation, and also in securing
those aids toward physical and intel
lectual relaxation and comfort that
will make it possible to endure the
strain of hard and eXacting labor
Even though the teacher possess the
spirit of a missionary and receive a
PORTION of her reward from the good
she can do, still she cannot fly in the
face of nature a great while without
making restitution in some manner
Yet it is a lamentable fact that teach
ers on the average receive far less for
their work than do the members of
most, if not all. other professions.
If it were possible to ascertain the
average income of the lawyers, doctors
and other professional men in any
city it would in all probability appear
TO be a number of times that of the
average school teacher. 1t is a fact
Of common observation that young men
of ambition. but of limited means, who
engage in public school teaching con-
tinue at it but a short time-only long
enough to accumulate a sufficiency to
Fay off debts, OF to prepare for some
other profession; and it is universally
admitted that in financial way a
young man has far greater advantages
as a lawyer even Of the pettifogge1
sort, than does a teacher of the finest
quality. If we compare the salaries OF
those in the employ Of the government.
in it's various departments with the
wages of the public schol teachers, we
see that the most moderately paid 20
sitions yield at least twice as much as
does school teaching, while the mos
lucrative places yield many times as
much as do the majority of places il
public schools.
SERVICES EXCEPTIONAL.