The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1907-06-20
The Traihine az the IntI,vidoal

1t Is clear that the training OF the /
individual Is potsSto be executed in'|
any perfunctory Manner. Assuredly
the student graduated from school,
no matter Wharf.-The rating of tho
schooi is IN scholarship, Is not ex-
i'll. But he is expected, or should be
expected at least TO posses an acumen
of power In action. No rational be-
ing will question the statement that
| 1t IS our soc1alfconcern that method.
purpose, and underst nding be found
In the one who attempts to do a
piece OF work. He must ind meaning
in his activity. Would you have a
a blacksmith smith make cnt glass, or Jew
| What kind of education does then
individual need? To state 1T ethically
it could probably be put in mo- sim
pier language thaH that OF Buckham
rIll: sex . A.
| Happy is the,%oollege whose stu
dents learn from Morrill, to Guilt
vate worth rather than ostensation;
to prefer the resp4cts which ever at
tends modesty and sincerity and
good work to the admiration which
for the moment only Is bestowed ON
qualities that are shining but super
fetal; to regard as the most coveta-
BILE human attainment the power and
the will to serve ones own and all
succeeding generations"
This training isst6 be given to the;l
whole youth. Society can be true to,l
itself only as It Is true to the beSt,l
interests Of all it's parts Reall
democracy can find satisfaction oniy.1
in the education OF all.
| In states where the one institution
does not supply education to all
classes. the time ultimately will
come, and may God hasten the day,
when all schools will have uniformly,
the very best accommodations at |
tainable. This Is true; for In the
increasing diversity of our interests.
society will come to have no more
use for the unskilied, or untutored
individual ! than does the hive for
| the drOne. ,..,
| The Opportunity of the Teachers.
! 10 you who are teachers: What Is
your. opportunfety? Next to the
family circle, you have the grandest
the noblest, the most sacred oppor-
tunity given to man. Your duty is
to teach the youth of the nation.
When you have become . aged, the
| wheels of the. government will be
fabricated and%operated by the men
and women whom. when children,
you taught. Their force will be !
measured largely by that with which |
you shall have imBued them. To de-
Velope, to enoble, TO spirituaize; to |
take into your care, and keeping the |
young organism endowed with the
normal psychic characteristics and
so nourish it that it will evolve into |
beauty Of excellence and a power
of achievements or to allow it grad
ually to- become q mental weakling
and physical anomaly, this is the op-
portunity of the teacher.
The shipbuilder is paid $3.50 the |
year, the watch maker Is paid 1921,
the public school ;t4eacher is paid |
1868. But does THU estimate the
relative inheSent value OF these du-
ties? No. More; valuable than all I
the ships Of the English navy was the
genius of one Nelson; more dreadful |
than all the arsenal of the French
Republic was the WEAKNESS of one
Mirabeau; more enhancing than all |
the metals Of Switzerland was Pes
talozzi, the teacher, VINO like beg
gar went in order that his pupils
might live like men aaHt'The evil that
men do lives after them; the good is
eft inferred with their bones" Often,
but not always. If there is any field
of human endeavor in which the
good works of an individual are
Vouchsafed longevity, = surely it is
the field of teaching.
Personality and conduct count. 1t
is the personal influence that gives
tone to the teachers life. By one
act, he can do more to influence a
pupils career than he can do by forty |
lectures. Greatest among his values
&c n ~
Il thoroughly be lieve in education;
but the older 1 become and the fuller
my experience, as between instruc-
tion and inspiration, / recognize the [
greater force In Inspiration.
Because Of the broad opportuni-
ties which the profession confines
the teacher needs to recognize his
responsibilities. He needs to study
his environment, the community and
the individual homes Of that COM
munity. In the words Of Liggett,
mo dean or professor Is SO wise or
SO well equipped that he cannot
learn something from the men who
walk between the plow handles and
put all the theories to the test Of
actual practice" The teacher must
adapt his course to the needs Of the
community, and come to the fun
realization that upon him devOlves,
In large measure, the duty Of maxi
ing precedent. In the language Of
Washington, we must "learn to do
the tasks about our door"
We hear great deal, these days,
Of the wide divergence OF opinion
among the so-called leaders Of our
society and the various allied forces.
1t Is question whether any one or
two beings in orr complex avenues
can be considered to embody the eie-
ments necessary to promote proper
~ the responsible functions OF these
numerous and varied agencies. In