New-York tribune., 1907-09-07
THE ART OF TEACHING.
What Is Demanded of the Modern
Teacher-Hozc Supplied.

One of the latest reports of the census bureau
Hhows that Numerically teachers now constitute
the most important professional class. exceed
ing the total number of lawyers, clergymen and
doctors. According to the same reports, the
proportion of teachers to population in the
United States has doubled in the last thirty
years, and their average age has increased.
Showing. says the report not only teachers OF
greater maturity but of increased efficiency
1t is the consensus of authorities that the ten
dency both in Europe and America during the
last generation has been toward teachers OF
vigorous. adult life. In view of the fact that
the teachers in this country have increased so
rapidly in numbers, it is rather surprising to
find that they have also increased proportion
Rtey in efficiency.
The permanent existence of our democratic
form of government depends in large part on
universal education. More than dozen years
ago a public speaker here in New York de-
clared that "there is profession higher or
more important than that of nstructng the
children of free America that they will be-
come intelligent. broad and patriotic citizens
Simply to know the things that one is expected
to teach is not sufficient equipment for impart-
ing instruction to the young. The teacher must
be trained how to teach in order to obtain the
best results.
MUST LEARN HOW TO TEACH.
AS soon as need for trained teachers began to
be felt in America schools for their instruction
Bprang up. and Ne now have courses of pedagogy
In many teachers colleges in several universities
and normal colleges in various parts of the CouD-
FRY AS q general thing a woman has
to be especially gifted teacher to receive
place if he or she has not been trained in one of
these institutions Not only do the public
schools observe this rule, but private schools in
all parts of this land have found that they can
not afford to get any but the best trained in
structors.
In this Republic every citizen is entitled to
vote and every vote counts just as much
other. This puts q who only make his
mark equal political footing with the
deepest scholar and the most proficient student
Of governmental policies. If the time came
when the illiterate vote exceeded the educated
vote and was pitted against IL this democracy
would be nearing its end. II is only by educat-
ing every young boy that he will be able to
exercise intelligently the right of suffrage that
sve can guarantee the prosperity and progress
of this nation among the other nations of the
world
II is not too much 10 say that we could never
have attained our present position among the
world powers had fathers and f1refathers
not laid much stress upon the Importance of
Education. The old blue-back spelling book and
the three Rs have played important part in
The development OF this continent.
A LEARNED PROFESSION
But times have changed and no longer does
Reaching consist in the drilling of these ele-
rncntdry, if fundamental, lessons into the heads
Of the pupils. No doubt many Of those brought
up under the old system regret the change. The
same hard headed common which laid the
foundation OF our commonwealth can never be
brought out in youth they say while chill
lren have to puzzle their brains over the many
diverse studies that make UP the modern cur
T1culum. Here and there. doubtless the cur
ricuum is overloaded and the child suffers but
progress in education cannot be stayed by the
objections OF the reactonary by the expert
Tnents of the visionary. With the elevation OF
teaching TO the rank of Il learned profession the
training of our children may safely be left to
the care OF the earnest body of and women
who make up the teaching personnel of the land
tended normal colleges in America last year In
addition to this large number many more took
The special summer courses for teachers which
pre- offered at almost all the larger universities
Even as late as the middle part of the last CEN
Lury the idea prevailed that knowledge coupled
with ordinary amount of aptitude made a
feacher, For any one to make a great success
bf teaching genius and genius alone was thought
necessary. Alexander Hamilton, however re-
tutej that argument long ago.
GENIUS NOT NECESSARY.
"Men give me credit for genius" said
Hamilton "All the genius l have lies Just in
this: When have subject in hand I study it
profoundly. Day and night it is before me
explore It in all it's bearings. My mind becomes
pervaded with it, Then the effort which l make
the people pleased to call the fruit of genius
II is the fruit of labor and thought"
SO in the of all great teachers it will be
found that their whole thought was conccn-
lrated upon the best means of imparting knowl-