Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1900-04-12
Essential Qualifications Of the Teacher

The following paper one of a series to be
presented weekly has been submitted to US
from the Platteville Normal. The aim of
these articles is to bring the public school
and its patrons into closer touch.
Among the qualifications OF a teach
er, these two, namely: abundant
scholarship and professional insight
are essential. Every teacher needs a
scholarship qualification beyond the
direct needs of instruction; that is,
every teacher should know more about
subject than he expects to teach.
Let 1t be understood, however, that
not the number of facts known but
the way in which these are related de-
termines their value for teaching pur-
poses. An idea adds to its value by
striking roots into other ideas, in this
way each giving strength and clear
ness to every other. 1t is by knowing
things in this masterful way-in their
relations-that we can lead pupils to
view subjects from different points
A few leading facts known in this
way will build up mind much more
than very many detached facts can
possibly do. Indeed, it may be said
that solitary fact or idea is worth
less. Generally the value Of any item
among our mental possessions is in
proportion to the number of connec-
tions it sets up in the mind. And
thus it is that some ideas become rich
in content while others remain power
ty stricken. In teaching the facts of
descriptive geography, for instance,
knowledge Of social conditions,
physical geography, history, botany
and geology may be used to enrich
what otherwise would be unintercst-
ing because unrelated.
While abundant scholarship guar
antees sufficient material, it does not
insure ability to impart. A walking
cyclopedia often fails in teaching.
Most teachers need to cultivate pro-
tessional insight by studying the child
to be trained. Some seem to have
this insight by nature, but the great
majority must acquire it by patient
long continued study. Now the laws
by which childhood advances to man
hood and womanhoCd are fairly well
understood and must be counted with
in the management of the child. The
teacher who is unfamiliar with these
laws will not rise to the demands of
the profession. Teachers ought to
make themselves familiar with what
ever of science there is in their call
ing and apply its principles in prac-
tice. Success as teachers will be very
largely measured by the efforts to un-
derstand, in a rational way, the de-
tails Of school work.
Briefly, then, the teacher who is
content with knowing only what he
must teach lives a hand-to- mouth ex-
istence which is no less precarious in
mental affairs than in financial
Business security and standing de-
mands a fair margin over the capital
actively employed; so professional
standing demands some margin over
immediate needs, the larger that mar
gin the more confident will the teach
er be in his own ability and the more
confidence will others manifest toward
him.
But capital, however large, without
business sense or insight, will lead
eventually to Embarrassment, if not
bankruptcy; so knowledge, without
ability to employ the same for the
purposes of education, must result in
disaster, if not to the teacher, GER
tainly to the pupil. Hence, every
teacher should strive for abundant
and rich scholarship and a clear in
sight into the nature and needs of the
child mind. ALVIN CARLsEN, Junior
Class.
Cures dizzy spells, tired feeling,
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Keeps you we'll all summer. Rocky
Mountain Tea taken this month. 35c.
Hatch Bros, and Benefits Phar-
macy.