The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-03-18
w @ K K
Gan Address to Teachers ]

to Teachers.
fountain. One retains. the other t:iyc.
forth. What we need In this world Il (
only ns much knowledge as our mental
Organization, proprcly trained and dec
| yeioped, VIII enable us to assimate at;t
organize Into a basis for action /. gfy
us more, and 1t may become tnj,irioiiss
There nre people who areas heavy from
undigested learning as others ara iron
an oyer-fulness OF meat and drink.
To develop mental power, then, should
be our aim, and to this end mental dis
l8cipline and mental exercise are tlis
prime essentials. And how are wo to
accomplish this? I answer by woris.
Work on the part OF the teacler--work
on the part Of the pupil--and especially,
by work on the part Of the teacher to
make the pupil work. And let us re-
member that work In every department
OF life consists In overcoming resistance,
and is measured In every instance-in the
| school oom In the counting room, on V
the bench and at the hardy the simple
formula to which have adverted. And
let us not forget another very important
4 fact which our formula teaches, and that
4 is. that resistances can only be overcome
\ through space: and hence II the resist
4 ance factor Is looked after the space fac
tor can never be naugl1t, and hence work
Il Will always be done. Insist, therefore,,
1 Upon your pupils reading understand
ingly. Be satisfied with nothing less
than thorotghness. although this re-
duirement may necessitate the reduction
| OF lessons OF pages to lessons Of lines.
The space covered may at first be brief
can be, will be, heightened. knowledge
is secondary; the ACQUISITION %
knowledge Is primary in all UNDER
graduate work. 1t Is tho high office OF
Education to strengthen ard Improve this
instrument with which she Works-ths
intellect itself; to expand it's powers-to
enlarge It's grasp-to sharpen Its preccp-
| ttons.
Permit me a few words as to the
three elements which. in my Judgment,
| so to mako q successful teacher: @ ~ Ss
l.. A loving interest In the welfare OF
1.-The pupils committed to his care.
a teacher without this interest is woe
fully unfit for his assumed vocation. and
will, at host. but distnntly approximate
4 the hest results. The average pupil, as
| with the average man. will do more for
one lie loves and who loves him for the
yake OF that OF love. than no could ever
| be induced to do for mere sake OF SELF.
And he must have,
2. Enthusiasm born OF an apprecia-
ton of the dignity and responsibility OF
| his calling
The pulpit excepted, there IS no plat
! form from which a man can WELD greater
or better influence than that OF thu
teachers. The young come to you al
4 the impressionable and formative period
of life. and should leave you with fixed
bias. both OF mind and character, for all
4 that makes for good. And lie must have,
.. Patience. This Is an important elc-
I ment--a requlsite-in successful teaching
|! Be patient with the plodding-and all are
( plodding-the difference between pupils
| In this respect being only ono OF degree
! The so-called good scholar may BIO bright
the average student of his age being the
standard OF comparison but 1t more frc-
dnently happens he has the genius Of
duplication more largely developed than
his fellows. The average young person
has very little mind, and the younger he
is the less he has. Yours It Is to take
the germ as 1t comes to you, to dig about
!. 1T. to fertilize 1t and thus to mako IT.
, grow.
DR.. Arnold. OF Rugby the, most sue
cessful teacher OF his day, whose name
even In these later days is n synonym
for tho model teacher, relates tho fol-
lowing experience: 'On one occasion, In
/, my early career. was very much ans
noyed by the failure Of n boy to con-
strue his Latin prose correctly. Tho
failure had been oft repeated. and felt;
Justified In beratinE him severely before
his class for his apparent neglect, After
the class was dismissed the young man
remained. He came to my desk, and
looking me squarcly in the face, said:
Or. Arnold you have been unjust to 3
me; you have no right to speak to mo
as you have done. I have honestly tried
done the best I could. You should not
quarrel with me; you should help me. ~;
From that day to the end OF his career
DR.. Arnold says he never again qtinrreleel Il
with plodding boy. To those OF us to 4
whom the young are committed for pre-
cept and example this Incident In tho
life Of this useful man should teach 4 1
valuable lesson. 81 & si III sss,gss
final word: The young committed D
to our care are as pieces OF refractory
clay In tho hands OF a potter, and this. &
spiritually. morally, mentally. It largely
depends upon you--upon mewhnt herS or
not these pieces Of clay are moulded into
vessels OF hopn- or into vessels OF dis
honor. Our allinE Is high. Let us meas
iilare9 up to Its responsible t1es-to Its fsS
sduttes.$A And. sides the satisfaction that
proceeds from a consciousness OF duty
faithfully performed than which earth
offers no greater happiness there will
T be those to rise up In the after years
who, with O grateful appreciation OF tnag
beneyolences and benefactions of the
present, will call US blessed, 9
r. w. y NICHOLS,
Professor Mathemattc Virginia Military
Institute.
5ment OF Mr.. James r. Laughter, y Of
Randolph -Arncon College. It has an. en-