Durango semi-weekly herald., 1905-12-14

: II seems to me, then, that the
| whole school question is that of teach
ers. How are we TO induce suff
cient number of the best men and
) women 10 enter aud remain in the
ranks? How are we to keep them M
TO the inspiration point in the face OF
so much chea1 petition, so many
thoughtless .luC needless parents, so
much brain, nerve and body racking
duties? ! do not believe can answer
my own question, but am fully con.
vinced that we can only do our duty
by the generations coming on by sup.
plying such teachers as | have indi.
Gated. We can have good schools on; :
as we put into these modern palaces
OF education such men and women to
lead our children as we are anxious
that those children shall become. Per
sonal contact with generous. brave,
noble and cheerful souls illumines and
strengthens the character as nothing
else in the world can.
| They say that poets are born-not
made, and similar statement re-
garding teachers has often been
| found. II is true that there are born
teachers. just as there are born any
| thing else, and thrice fortunate is that
! school which is able to secure and re
tain the born teacher. Not many
such teachers are 10 be found how
ever. and in this age when several
hundred thousand teachers are EN-
ployed. we find it necessary 10 make
teachers. In this making process the
main thing is a development OF quiet,
dignified powerful. masterful, enthus-
iastic magnetic, sympathetic, consci
entious personality. When we can
meet this condition we have made"
teacher who is nearly, ii not quite. on
A par with the born" teacher.
You see, it is not altogether mat.
Ter of educational preparation as so
many have foolishly supposed. True
it is that there should be broad elu.
cational training. and the day is fast
coming when the required training
will be much greater than at present,
say: Speed the day when such
condition shall exist but we snail
mining whether candidate has that
peculiar fitness for leading the child
mind without which there can be but
little effective teaching. Formerly in
the English schools when they used
the pupil teacher system only those
who showed this ability were allowed
to finish the course and receive a Ger
tiiicate for teaching. | suspect that
we may have 20 adopt some modiiica-
tion of this plan in American schools.
The most effective teacher is nos
the noisy one, Noise is not partic-
1larly repulsive to most children. but
ii never serves as a spur to better
study, and the teacher who allows
much of ii or makes much of it sell
dom has a vital influence for moral
and intellectual growth. Somehow,
the pupils feel that she has no reserve
power. They admire the one who
seems to be infinitely greater than
hey are, They point with pride to
he one who knows so much more than
they, who seems TO have such re-
serve of power but they have scant
respect for the one who is working at
her limit. Quiet frmness is the kind
it home or at school which is effect
we. II implies reserve, it indicates
,ower. while noise indicates lack
of it.
The nervous, fidgety, irritable cross
individual who is unable to get con.
rol of herself ought to change her oc-
1upation if she happened TO drift into
the teaching profession. She has no
business to imagine that she is call
I'd" to it; she misunderstood the spell
ing in the call" God needs those
who can lead children to better living
n all lines. but the individual JUS
described can not perform that ser.
ice. God, no doubt, has appropriate
abor for that individual, but it can
not be in the field of school work. II
my OF you, when you take meurul
inventory. find such condition, think
deeply before you 80 much farther In
the work. Unless you can gain control
'ou are not an educator and can never
jecome one. You are not even good
trainer.
Effective leadership demnads digni
y. This does not mean long, grave
'ard faces. No! No! No! But it
loes mean a good deal more than
AN be found in the silly, insipid, friv-
Jlous, butterfly, don't-care type OF peu-
Die. The dignihed teacher is one
whose bearing indicates that she is
aeenly alive to the responsibilities and
opportunities before her: that the nor
nal child entrusted to her care has al
most infinite possibilities in the way
Jt development which depend upon
Ier wisdom and guidance more tnan
lpon any other factors; that no mat
| er what others do she Will perform
1er work to the best OF her ability in
cheerful, conscientious and effect
We manner.
| Personal appearance has much 10
| 10 with ones influence. Fortunately.
| most teachers nowadays pay sufficient
| attention in tnis line. but we occa.
iionally see one who Is careless. No
natter how slovenly the child may be
| IN he xt4I. T.. ID