The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1903-01-09

ton and Minnie Van Wormer.
Qualifications Of Successful
Teacher.
paper read before the Southern Shawassee
Teachers Association by PrinI- L. M. YoungD
Under the qualification Of successful
teacher first let us consider the idea Of
health No one is qualified to enter the
school room as a teacher who does not
possess at least average good health. A
person needs all u energy he can get
to devote to his teaching and we cannot
expect person who does not possess
good health to possess energy. Often
we hear people remark that they cannot
endure hard out-of-door labor so will
teach for living. Putting such per-
son in the school room is like putting a
dilapidated engine into factory and
expecting it to furnish energy to supply
the demands required of it. Then con-
slider the effect such person has upon
the pupils. When we find an energetic
teacher we find an energetic class OF
pupils and when we find weak IMAM
bilious teacher we find a poor class OF
pupils. The day will come when teach
ers will have to undergo physical as
we'll as mental test. We can see more and
more in the schools the tendency toward
physical development of the teacher.
A teacher should have natural desire
for the company of young people. Do
not we look back with joy to the teacher
who took part in our games and sports,
to whom we could tell our pleasures and
our troubles and who always had some
healpful word for us. A child soon
knows whether teacher enjoys teach
ing or not and woe to the teacher who
gives pupils the impression that her
work is distasteful. Meet the pupils
half way. Show them that you like
them.
Love of subjects taught: Many teach
er makes some subject burden to
child simply because it is not presented
in the right manner. All find no trouble
in teaching subjects we like and if we
must teach subjects which we do not
like then those are the subjects which
require our preparation so that we can
present them in pleasing manner. II
is surprising how interesting distaste-
full subject will become to teacher
who endeavors to make it interesting to
: the pupils.
Power to explain: Many time when
a pupil has become discouraged by some
difficult lesson or problem, can good
, teacher by few helpful suggestions
encourage him to renewed efforts while
others would only make him more
confused. Probably most of us have
had teachers whom we were sure knew
the things themselves but still they
could not make them plain to u.s.
, Study ways of presenting new lessons
in the light of the old ones. Action
4 counts. Feel the purpose. Feel the
responsibility.
Be ideal. You can hardly realize the
dependence young pupil puts in his
teacher. Teacher said So" is to hin
a positive proof that a thing is so. Ever
parents must be secondary to teacher
| in these matters Give him reason fol
his belief A few careless statements
or actions will shatter his faith in you
Imitation is strong in children. If TIT
teacher be an egotist or a stammerel
the pupils will be also. "Plato wa
stoop-shouldered and half of his pupils
walked bent" The personal infiuenc,
is more lasting than the text books.
Be persistent. Be sincere. Be syste
matte. Be earnest. Be honest. Ever,
act of the teacher is perpetuated in hi
pupils. Be sympathetic. "You Cal
get more flowers in the springtime by
an April shower than by a hail storm.
Be natural Don't think that JUS
because you are teaching you must &C
as though you were sort of walking
impersonation Of dignity. You Otter
, hear the remark that teachers can b.
! told anywhere by their actions. Don
talk school all the time. When on
of school throw away your cares an,
enjoy yourself. A story is told of tn
st. Paul teachers which illustrates wha
mean. The teachers of st. Paul wer
given a couple of days to visit tn
I Chicago schools and before starting on
/ they were addressed by their superin
: tendent who told them not to thinl
, about school or act in such a name
1 that everyone would know they wer
E body of teachers, until they reache,
! the schoolhouse and were ready TO
e business.
I On arriving at Chicago they ALL abou
two hundred in number, got off th
e train and no sooner had they done S
/ than q small news boy mined ont WEirs