The sun., 1908-04-13
KRY TEAoRNe REPELs IN.
A Dependent and Narrowing Profossion
FrOm which They Held on.
From tAe Educational Reviets.

In the seven years ended 1908 the number
OF men teachers In the United States decreased
a per cent. Itbnot matterof wages. Pro-
fesslonally fitted men teachers get higher
average salary than the average incomes
Of lawyers. physicians, olefgymen and busi-
mess men IN their communities. There are
even beginning to be prizes for superior
teachers Salaries OF 5000 are common,
$4,000 IL not InffeQuent, $4,000 has been
offered several times there have been private
school principals who cleared $780, 900 year.
But four reasons make thoughtful young men
hesitate. First, II IL q hlreling occupation.
A college president was once comparing bis
work with mine. For one thing you are
your own master, he said. Yes replied.
1t IL q good many years since have had
10 take orders from anybody" That's Just
IT," he muaed, tbouehtfully; and though he
IA one Of the great college presidents, q man
with whose work mine Il not for moment
10 be measured, could zee that In this re-
spect he envied me.
That president Il a. little accustomed or
likely a. any man know 10 be intefered with
by his trustees, but the ordinary man teacher
Ia entirely at their mercy. The law makes
them the authority a. to course OF study.
regulations, selection Of teachers, equipment
and supplies. outside Of the board Of edu-
| CATION tnht directly emDlOlb mn Nhp VVh-
munity feels authorized 10 dictate whether
he shall smoke or dance or play cards or call
on q lady twice a week. The present prln-
cipal Of the high school a. Newark. N. j.,
loat q place In Cortland Normal School be-
cause when he applied he was wearing q
red necktle; the chairman Of the committee
dlsllked red necktles.
Second. teaching 10 looked down upon in
the community. We might 90 well face this
fact. When A was principal Of q grammar
school, said the head OF q normal school,
-he would run across the street to shake
hands with me- Now that he has passed his
law examination and hung up his shlnEle
be expects me 10 run across the street to
shake hands with him" In other words, 4
feels that to be At the tail Of the law ls higher
than to be at the top Of teaching.
The teacher may have a personality that
commands respect In spite ofhis calling, but
a. q teacher and outside OF his especial work
he Ia regarded by business men Sllghtingly.
a. an improvident visionary, thinking IN a
world Of imaginary conditions. like Alice
In Wonderland.
This IA shown from the fact that the teacher
u so seldom elected to place Of responsible
lty not educational "Oh. but look at the
high school principal OF Lancaster elected
Mayor, and the deputy superintendent Of
IN Pennsylvania" you cry. Yes, you who
live la Pennsylvania point 10 those two men, |
and II you lived In I'LL nos or Louisiana or |
Arizona or Oregon, and we're well informed, |
you would point 70 the same two men. Why |
Because they are the only ones. There are |
1000 men teachers In the nlted States |
sponsible public places; the exceptions are |
general rule that ts4chers Sre not so trusted.
Al your age George Washington had mas
tered Mathematics" remarked. teacher
to an unsatisfactory pupil And at yours
he was President Of the United States. was
the retort, and IL stung,, 49,,
Third, teaching usually belittles q man.
do not say II ought to; do not say Il always
does; sSy II usually does. His daily dealing
Is With petty things OF Interest only to his
under regulations laid down by outside au-
thorlty, 30 that large questions seldom come
to him for consideratiOn. His environment
hSrr9"s s.nS5 sId hI9 ne gr1w' 70 have 0RIy one H.
social HE. You cannot usually get II out
OF the heads Of the Kind Of men who go into
teaching that they are dealing with inferior
minds, lie thild cannot answer, back; the
teacher has the last word; ergo the teacher
T. correct. Or course the real teacher Is a
listener he learns more from his children
new delight to watch the impression OF ideas
upon the budding mind. But how many
men teachers are there OF your acquaintance
who listent How l,,Any Of them delight In q
ip a blnnder? How mahy Of them say when
the child fails to comprehend, How stupid
that the cher knows II all and the child
nothing that bellttleS. The teacher who has
browbesten his school IA at q loss when he
comes out OF the school into the community
which eau answer back and is by no means
disposed 10 accept his ipss DIRT.
This suggests the fourth and last reason
shall give, that teaching tends TO bad man
hesitate to be classed With teachers Some
years ago there was vacancy In the Science
department Oi the syracuse high school.
Among those who appeared before the cQu,
70 the questions put 70 him and then he asked
three or four, When they We're answered he
said: "Gentlemen, withdraw my application
has not advantages enough over my prsseIr
one 70 warrant Inc in chaA glng. Good day.
And he was gone in less time than il had
themselves. When the door closed unoH him
the committee looked at one another and the |
superintendent said; i tell YOU what ! think,
gentlemen; when We come % choose q pri1-
elpal for our c9mrterclSl high school that's
our man. And 10 that place he was elected, !
although be had given no special attention TO
Now what must be the Reneral oonditlon
Of teachers manners when It Is such distinc-
tlon as this to have the appearance and bear
ihs o. a Se9tleman and the decision and
aIrsc1nfiSs uniS.,, 81 business man? hormsl
perience wns . candidate for a place In the |
Albany normal, and was pretty sure OF il up |
10 the point when he called upon the State |
superintendent, This oficsr was at hls desk. |
and the candidate when he came in Seated
himself femlllarly on the side Of II. That
cost him his appointment. and Il ought TO-
A. rule men teachers are uncouth crude, mi
&C ease In company. They do not know how
10 enter drawing room or business oh1ce !
or how or. when TO get out OF either. IL IL ,
amazing what difference II makes in teach-
er's presence II he goes into business for a |
tune and learns how 10 meet people,
Men principals are often petty tyrants.
they accept and demand obedience 10 the
point. Of servillty, How often you see a
principal and his assistants coming In a body
70 an association. the women ClutterinR about ,
him and he struttinR majestloally like oock
and hens In baTnyard. ! could name q !
man, q fine man and teacher at that, who has /
yielded 70 this influence 30 much that he never !
listens 70 a remrk when IL Ia first made. but !
expects u TO be repeated. A superintendent
)f schools In one OF the large cities was walk
nE from one building 10 another with some
of his teachers. IL was an oppressyelv Rot | ,
lay In june. and they we're In the Elare. III. ,
lAlly one OF the ladies' suggested :"Dr, -
iont you think Il would be better 10 WALL I
IN the shady side" -0h, no, he repIIed
mperturbably. Il don't mind the sunlf Us
VAS a really great man, 70 whom American
'ducation owes not little, but he got M