The Adair County news. [volume] (Columbia, Ky.) 1897-1987, 1911-01-18
THE TEACHER, HIS CHARACTER
AND ABILITY.

The special meeting for men at the
Christian church the second Sunday in
this month was new experience in
| church service, and very satisfactory
one. There was good audience and
the addresses were all good and helpful.
The following paper on the subject,
"The Teacher, His Character and Abili-
ty to Teach" was read by Prof. -Farris
and was so much appreciated that it
was requested it should be published in
the News.
Every individual has the right to
think as he pleases. He not only has
the right to form his own opinions, but
it is his duty to form his opinion,
whether he expresses them or not, and
not be undecided in his views.
To some of us there is no work
greater than, or above that of teaching
though to others there are other pro-
fessions which are greater. Why do
we think teaching is such great work?
Because we are dealing with human
souls. We have in our charge the high
est creation of. God. The likeness of
God. The human mind is the most COM
pick of all things; the most difficult of
all things to understand the develop
ment and workings of, When, in
school. we survey the shining eager
faces before US, we see there the
children of to-day, the men of to-mor-
row, and the immortals of eternity
What costly works of art, what splen-
did galleries of sculpture, or of paint
| ing, won by nations arm or purchased
by nations wealth are comparable in
! value, to the treasures we have in our
children.
Since the material with which we are
to work IS so precious, so great, what
must be the character of him, in whose
hands it is placed?
All of us are not teachers, all of US
cannot be teachers, and on the other
! hand it seems that some of US would
fall short of being anything else.
No one can be a very successful
teacher unless he has given himself a
liberal training and preparation. There
is no work in which we should be better
qualified and prepared.
If We would make strong. noble char
acters out of those put into our care,
We must be and act the same as We
would have them be and act. In the
Sunday school we are not only aiming
at the minds of our pupils, but chiefly
at their moral natures. We seek not
only to inform them, but to develop
their religious characters; and gain, he
who would influence morally those I'M
der his control must himself be what
he wants his pupils to be.
1t is well to remember that in many
cases the religious character of the
teacher is the loftiest with which the
pupil is acquainted. How important
therefore that the character should be
as high as possible. After it the pupil
is apt to model his own character, and
if that of the teacher be low, that OF
the pupil is apt to be low as well
What manner of man of woman
should the teacher be in order to exert
the best influence over the pupil? In
the first place, the teacher must love
the SAVIOR. If he does not what inter.
est has he in trying to excite the same
love in the hearts of his pupils? The
stronger that love the better fitted is
he to try and lead others to the same
Master. The weaker that love is, the
less is he competent to do what be
should in this line.
Again. to be good teacher. one
must love the word of God. 1t is that
which he has to teach every Sunday IL
the year. If he does not love it he viii
not come to study the lesson in the
right spirit, and can he teach it with
any degree of interest?
One to be good teacher, must also
love his pupils. There are some very
good people who do not love children.
They are not as good as they would be
if they did love the little ones. Those
who do love the boys and girls are more
likely to become good teachers than the
others. We should not merely have
love for good children, but we should
have the love of childhood that makes
US love the good for what they are and
the bad for what they maybe. There
are very few children who have not
some good traits of characters, and
those who have none need our love all
the more on that account.
Then too, the good teacher must be
able to remember his own childhood.
One difficulty with many of us is just
here, that we forget how we felt when
we were children, and so unable to
smypathize with the little ones in their
joys and sorrows. Our pupils joys and
sorrows should be our joys and sorrows.
Child burdens are as heavy as those of
older persons and we are apt to forget