New Iberia enterprise. (New Iberia, La.) 1885-1902, 1900-02-17
MODERN LACK or COMMON SENSE

Modern civilazition, though
much III advance rs compared will
the past, is still lacking in mucl
that good common sense indicate!
would need be otherwise. Thes,
things are in our educational meth
0dS, III our home affairs and in on,
social and civil life. Much of i
grows out Of wrong conceptions OF
the real purpo@ Of education and
of training, but more Of it grows
out of false ideas Of labor, of utility
and of living. With the hope OF
calling a halt and Of instituting Il
reform at least in an occasional life
these words are written.
!. There is n waste ofeUanhood
and womanhood by proNG of de
generation that values professional
development and success beyond
real manhood aud womanhood.
There is need of full grown, full
rounded men and womF6ef affairs
for the schoolroom and fo|take the
place of the schoolmasters and
schoo6istresses that have allowed
themselves to be dwarfed and stunt
ed by the business. The call is for
men and for women, not people
who have sacrificed the highest and
freest development in power and in
character for that which has degen-
Grated them. The banker. the
grocer, the carpenter, the minister,
the lawyer, the doctor, all are more
useful to the world if they will set
the standard Of manhood above
the standard of their vocations.
2. Among teachers there is a
waste of courage and of self-con-
tidence that overvalues that so
called recommendation by assum-
ing chat it is Of great Importance.
SO much is this true that they cs-
innate their standing aud their sue
cess by the kind of papers they
can collect. I've credential craze,
the gatherinSof testimonials of
character and of experience, has
lowered the tone of the teaching
profession, and has made the teach
ers underestimate their YIN real
value as men and women. IT is
lime to quit this idolizing of writ
ten estimates, and individualize
)ne's efforts so that the work they
10 will talk for them, aud they will
not need to be further bolstered up
N smanffness and womanliness by |
written recommendations.
3. There is also great waste in
rot keeping mentally alive by
something new all the
lime, and thus by daily growth
keep in close touch with the world.
The teacher needs constant diet
If the best things in history,
science, literature, music and art
% keep up with the procession in
and thus, by constantly
putting on new life, prevent degen-
'ration, decay, disintegration and
leath. There are plenty of fossils
hat are of no use to the education
i world except to be labeled and
placed in the museum. Some peo-
lie who want the teachers field of
reach the museum state
90 early in life to make even good,
fossils, such as the cur
tor desires to have.
4. There is large waste of en-
rgy, health and strength by fool
sh and unnecessary habits in teach
ng. (a) Among these might
the criminal practice of
onstant standing in the presence
# a school or class. It is certain
y suicide for many women who
re found practicing it, either from
alse notions regarding government
II cruel requirements made by
chool authorities. Success at such
price is too dearly bought. (O
Another thing is an acquired ner-
ous condition developed by over
train and over pressure, so teach
+ gets no relaxation, and rest is
ot relief but pain. They acquire
sensibility that compels them to
e unhappy unless they are con
tantly occupied. There is more of
his nerve irritability among teach