The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1908-05-29
Why TEACHING REPELS men
A Dependent and Narrowing Profession From
which They Hold Off.
-. -. !. =. :. =. :. .....tt...:
From the Educational Rerier,


number OF men teachers in the
United States decreased twenty-four
per cent. 1t 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,
$1,000 is not infrequent, $4,000
has been offered several times; there
nave been private school principals
who cleared 100000 a year. But
four reasons make the thoughtful
young men hesitate. First, IL is
hireling occupation. A college presi-
dent was once comparing his work
with mine. "For one thing, you are
your own master" he said. "Yes,"
replied, "it is good many years since
| have had to take orders from any,
body" That's just it," he mused.
thoughtfully; and though he is one
OF the great college presidents, a man
with whose work mine is not for
moment to be measured, I could see
that in this respect he envied me.
That president is as little accus-
toned or likely as any man I 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 dis
rectly employs him the community
feels authorized to dictate whether
he shall smoke or dance or play cards
or call on lady twice a 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 grammar school," said
the head OF a 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 shingle 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 a 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. "Oh, 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 if you lived in
Illinois or Louisiana or Arizona or
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
so trusted. AT your age George
Washington had mastered mathemat-
ics,' remarked a 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 a
man. / do not say it ought to; I do
not say 1t always does; l 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 aues-
tions seldom come to him for cousid-
Grafton. His environment narrows
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 of
men who go into teaching that they
are dealing with inferior minds. The
child cannot answer back; the teacher
has the last word; ergo the teacher is
correct. OF course the real teacher is
listener; he learns more from his
children than they from him. because
1t is an ever new delight to watch the
Impression OF ideas upon the budding
mind. But how many men teachers
are there of your acquaintance who
listen? How many of them delight in
a childish mind quick enough 10 catch
them In a blunder? How many OF
them say when the child fails to COM
prehend, How stupid my teaching
must be?" 1t is the assumption thar
the teacher knows 1t all and the
child nothing that belittle. The
teacher who has browbeaten his
school is at loss when he comes out