West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1901-12-12
TEACHING AS A PROFESSION.
A Few Facts That ARE Facts, by an
Ex-Teacher

ministers, merchants and men in
many other occupations have very
often a record as teachers, while
many farmer or farmers wife has
taught in the public school A far
mer may go into business or a pro-
fessional man may go into farming,
but as rule, a person takes up a
calling with the view of following it
indefinitely. Unless he is a man of
rather unstable character. he does
not change his employment unless
there are strong reasons for doing so.
But it is not so with teaching. As
is plain enough to any person of
common observation, scarcely a
man, or woman either, takes up
teaching with the view of making it
a life-work After one, two, five,
ten, or possibly twenty years he
quits. In our county the average
term of service is about FIVE years.
And even then it is usually used as
an adjunct to other employment.
Our teachers work five months in
the year. Our professional men,
our farmers and our laboring men
work twelve months. No one ad-
vocates keeping the schools open
the year round, but 1t is no serious
hardship for school children to
spend six hours day in the school
room for 100 to 200 days In the
year. Would lawyer or merchant
feel very devoted to his business if
he had to lie off entisely for seven
months in every year2
There is another inconsistency.
In order to do his work well, the
teacher is expected to fit himself by
study. Normal schools are estab-
lished for him, and academies and
high schools provide courses of
study With reference to his needs.
And yet, while our school laws are
full of exacting requirements, we
give the teacher only 100 days in
the year and pay him no more, and
oitentimes not so much, as he can
earn by common, unskilled labor.
This alone is enough to cause him
to regard teaching as mere step
ping stone to something else, and to
get out of it as soon as he can find
a reasonable excuse.
This, however, is not all. The
farmer hopes to extend his opera
tions from year to year. The mer-
chant hopes to enlarge his trade.
The professional man hopes to in
crease his practice. And as we
know, these hopes are often real
lied. But the teacher has no such
incentive TO stir him to his best en-.
beavers. He may teach 20 years,
and yet earn no more in a term
than new beginner, and to the
reproach of many school teacher,
the application of the experienced
teacher is somtimes turned down in
favor of the inexperienced one.
The teacher is not even on the level
of the common workmen, because
the experienced one is on a better
footing than the greenhorn. There
is no strong appeal to the teachers
ambition and he turns 20 something
else in which he may see his work
grow.
There is no calling, hardly even
excepting the christian ministry. in
which are greater possibilities in the
direction of character building and
good citizenship, than in the teach.
er's calling. And to use a mechan-
les expression, there is no calling
IN which there is so great degree
of lost motion. The years of child
hood are formative years. As the
twig is bent, so the tree is inclined.
is very just saying. We growl at
the teacher and find fault with his
efforts, and then wonder why he so
often prefers to try new school
each year. We undo his work by
hasty criticism and by unfolding
the pupils in their misdoing we
are Witnesses to the often noticed
Circumstance that the pupils do not
60 10 learn but to have what they
call a good time. And then we all
wonder at the spirit Of lswlessness
Of which we daily see so many man
Ifestations, not stopping to think
that the seeds Of much Of this very
lawiessness are sown in the schoo!
room and the school yard
The purpose Of this letter is not
TO Jay down the remedy, but to help
point out the direction in which the
remedy may be sought. XII.
CHEAP HOLIDAY EXCURSION
TO New York CITY and Return via
HaIffmorc A. uI,fo pafTroad ua,