Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-06-06
WHY TEACHING REPELS men
A Dependent and Narrowing Profession From
Which They Hold Off.
4ttst4 80 - - I. :. -.
Erom the EdueatIonaI RepIelO.

United States decreased twenty-four
per cent. It is not matter of wages.
Professionally fitted men teachers get
a higher average salary than the av-
erage incomes OF lawyers, physicians,
clergymen and business men in their
communities. There are even begin
ming to be prizes for superior teach
ers. Salaries of $4,000 are common,
$4,000 is not infrequent, $4,000
has been offered several times; there
have been private school principals
who cleared 100000 a year. But
four reasons make the thoughtful
young men hesitate First, 1t is a
hireling occupation. A college presi-
dent was once comparing his work
with mine. "For one thing, you are
your own MASTER" he said. Eyes"
replied, at is a good many years since
l have had to take orders from any
body" "That's just It," he unused,
thoughtfully; and though he is one
of the great college presidents, a man
with whose work mine is not for a
moment to be measured, could see
that in this respect he envied me.
That president is as little accus-
toned or likely as any man / know
to be interfered with by his trustees,
but the ordinary man teacher is en-
tirely at their mercy. The law makes
them the authority as to course Of
study, regulations, selection of teach
ers, equipment and supplies. Out
side of the board of education that d.
rectly employs him the community
feels authorized to dictate whether
he shall smoke or dance or play cards
1 or call on a lady twice week. The
present principal of the high school
at Newark, N. j., lost place in Cort-
land Normal School because when he
applied he was wearing a red necktie;
the chairman of the committee dis
liked red neckties.
Second, teaching is looked down
upon in the community. We might
as well face this fact. when A was
principal of a grammar school," said
the head of normal school, she
would run across the street to shake
hands with me. Now that he has
passed his law examination and hung
up his single he expects me to run
across the street to shake hands with
him" In other words, A feels that
to be at the tail of the law is higher
than to be at the top Of teaching.
The teacher may have personality
that commands respect in spite of his
calling, but as teacher and outside
of his especial work he is regarded
by business men slightingly, as an
improvident visionary, thinking in a
world of imaginary conditions, like
Alice in Wonderland.
This is shown from the fact that
the teacher is so seldom elected to a
place of responsibility not educa-
tional. ooh, but look at the high
school principal of Lancaster elected
Mayor, and the deputy superintendent
of instruction elected Secretary OF
State in Pennsylvania! you cry. Yes,
you who live in Pennsylvania point to
those two men, and II you lived in
Illinois or Louisiana or Arizona OF
Oregon, and were well informed, you
would point to the same two men.
Why? Because they are the only
ones. There are 10000 men teach
ers in the United States and two OF
them have been elected to responsible
public places; the exceptions are SO
rare and noteworthy that they prove
the general rule that teachers are not
80 trusted. Eat your age George
Washington had mastered mathemat.
les" remarked teacher to an unsat-
isfactory pupil. And at yours he
was President Of the United States,
was the retort, and it stung.
Third, teaching usually belittles q
man. I do not say it ought to; 1 dc
not say it always does; say it usual
ly does. His daily dealing is with
petty things of interest only to his
children and few women assistants
and under regulations laid down BY
outside authority, SO that large Ques
lions seldom come to him for consid
Grafton. His environment narrowi
him, he grows to have only one in
terest, and that limits him in public
and in social life. You cannot usually
get it out of the heads of the kind o.
men who go into teaching that they
are dealing with inferior minds. Tht
child cannot answer back; the teacher
has the last word; ergo the teacher II
correct. OF course the real teacher 1,
a listener; he learns more from hi
children than they from him, becaus,
1t is an ever new delight to watch tn,
impression of ideas upon the buddinJ
mind. But how many men teacherl
are there of your acquaintance whC
listen? How many Of them delight ii
childish mind quick enough to catcl
them In a blunder2 How many O
them say when the child fails to com
prehend, "How stupid my teachin,
must be?" 1t is the assumption tina
the teacher knows 1t all and tn,
child nothing that belittle. Tn,
teacher who has browbeaten hi
school is at loss when he comes on
OF the school into the cemmunit,
which can answer back and is by n,
means disposed to accept his ips
dixit.
This suggests the fourth and las
leason I shall give, that teaching
tends to bad manners, and the brigh
young men who see this hesitate Il
be classed with teachers. Some year
ago there was a vacancy in the sci
ence department Of the Syracuse hiel
school. Among those who appeare,
before the committee was man frou
Buffalo. He replied to the question
; put to him and then he asked tire
or four. When they were answered
he said: Gentlemen, withdraw m
application. l thank you for consid
ering me. The place has not advan
= tages enough over my present one t
warrant me in changing. Good day.
And he was gone in less time than /
had taken most of the candidates t
introduce themselves. When the doo