Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1902-07-17
H. j. JOHNSON, Publisher.
THE TEACHER.

Gathered in this city are over
hundred teachers but on finding help
in their work that it may be more eff
fective in the education of the child
rem entrusted to them. They seek in
spiration, information and widening
of mental vision. They have much to
learn and much to teach when they
thus confer. A few great truths must
on longer reflection be borne in upon
them. They are young; the grey hairs
of the profession are few and long ex-
perience has made them slow of en-
thusiasm and careful of speech. The
young are Sustling and eager. the
world is new to them and old things as
new as they were to another genera
ton years and years ago. Old plans,
old methods, old devices for gaining
personal notice, temporary fame, are
ever repeated. 1t cannot be said that
these old things have not gained
through the many revolutions, each
generation adding something OF merit;
but still, they are the same old devices
with new trimmings and new faclngs.
But the great truth is, that it is the
man that teaches and not the methods.
Those are designed to cover the weak
ness of some and strengthen the abll-
ity OF others. The man is the thing at
the bottom of ALL He who makes
better man is teaching, whether he
does it one way or another. The great
teachers of the world did not spend
time over laws, conditions. methods;
they filed the world with their char
acter and their teachings. But it IS
not given to all to be great teachers.
These are the sublimed product OF
ages or of inspiration. We, their
humble imitators, must struggle III the
light of their example as the light falls
on each. We must seek aid from ex-
ternals to tide over our weakness and
our faults. Thus comes our Institutes,
our discussions of old principles and
methods and our struggles for some
thing new and better in our ways OF
doing things. But it is, after all, the
man that teaches.
The man is, first of all, the parent;
after him, the teacher. The teacher is
the corrective Of the parent and his
supplement-. Our institutions are apt
t. forget this and leave the world to
suppose that the teacher is the all-ln-
all in man-making Two things, then.
ought to be done; consider yourself as
a man power and then. the parent,
which means public sentiment IN edu-
cation. We waste too much strength
in seeking what are me- 5ly devices.
We trust these creations of the imigin-
alton and, when we fail, blame them
and seek others. 81 Look within. We
vainly try to force public sentiment
by laws; we conjure with fads to create
interest andissfail to clinch our work
with conviction. When we reach the
public with these things, what do we
leave, binding and permanent, with
the sentiment we have aroused? After
all has that public not something to
do as it's duty and do we impress this
upon them? We assume too much re-
sponsibility and suffer too much in
our failures.
We carry this into our school rooms.
sponsible for ALL the pupil and the
parents, for nothing. Somebody has
the duty of furnishing the straw for
our work; do we exact it? This is not
a new doctrine, but one too much for
gotten.
Responsibility is the key to educa-
ton. That for which one is response
BILE must be dope. Education is
proper laying of responsibilities on
the one to be educated. The response
bility itself is of less Importance, but
is why farmer children grow strong
and FIJI the higher world with their
ability, despite the lack of almost ev
erything we deem necessary to educa-
ton in the line of methods, opportun-
ity and example That is why the
coddling of the rich and we'll appoint
ed home, the product of the best
eo~ipped school and the victim of all
the best educational appliances, SO
often turns out failure. 1t is the
man that teaches ..and responsibility
which enforces teaching.
Don't wait for something to turn up.