The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-03-19
THE TEACHER WORTH WHILE.
An Address by Prof. Il. !. Ellerbe Before the
Teachers Association on last Saturday,
9th, and Published at the Request
OF the Association.

OF the Association.
Mr.. President, Ladies and Gentlemel
When was first asked to make tn
talk before YOU this morning I was pr
foupdly struck with the magnitude
the scope OF the proposed subject. Il
Us see just what this subject, "Tb
Teacher Worth While" has to de;
with.
First-What is a teacher9 A teacl
is one who iustructs others. 1t make
20 difference whether it be in regar
to matters scientific, religious. polltlca
or what not. am going 10 confne N
remarks to the teachers in the publ
schools and address them in par.icula
to those of Clarendon county and Of tn
State of South Carolina. Let us look
little farther and what do we mean b
the expression. worth while. All pee
pie are divisible into two classes. viz
Those who a. worth while. Those Th
are no: worth while.
The person is po5 worth while VIII
makes no contribution for the better
ment of the human race Also he is no
worth while whose destructive parasite
contributions are equal TO or are great
er than his constructive contributors
TO be worth while a person must make
some constructive contribution over ant
above his destructive parasitic contri
buttons for the uplifting and upbuild
ing of his community. of his state ant
nation. and OF society ar large.
No one has greater opportunity o
being worth while than the teacher il
the public school, and especially in the
schools OF South Carolina, owing to the
great number of il!iterates within hel
borders. God has given you at least
some few talents and the greatest o
opportunities 10 use them. What are
YOU doing with them? Are you worth
whileo If not then why not?
Let US review our subject and see il
as it now stands revised and restricted
1t stands: The teacher in the public
schools who is making some contribu-
tion for the betterment of mankind and
the advancement Of civilization.
The teacher is Gods medium for es-
tablishing and continuing civilization.
There is not. neither has there ever
been, any people on earth whose civil
ization has been accom- plished through
any medium other than that OF the
teacher.
The teacher has the opportunity and
duty. Let US see how he must use it
and what he must do and be, to be
worth while. He must first be well ed
ucated, for how can one impart to an-
other that which he has not himself?
No one teaches unless at the same time
another learns. The greater the store
OF knowledge which he has to draw up
on the more can he impart to another,
other abilities being equal.
He must be seif-sacrifcine, subsidiZ-
ing his every interest to the interests
of others. insofar as it is best for the
general welfare. This self-sacriice is
true charity. the greatest OF all virtues.
bow low in respect and admiration to
the self-sacri6cing women and teachers
of our land, some OF whom are stronger
in this virtue than man ever has been
or ever will be.
He must be tireless in his efforts to
do good, never giving up to his desires.
TO take things easy. Nv friends, there
are too many who are lazy, lax and
triaine in their work, being satisfied 10
merely drift along, doing just enough
work to hold their positions. The
teacher worth while is never satisfied
with the work which he is doing but is
always striving to work some addition
al good for the betterment OF his fellow
man.
He must be patient always holding
his temper in check Knowledge is not
ACQUIRED in day though same acquire
il more readily than others. Be gentle
and kind to the backward child. At the
same time he must be firm, exacting
and relentless. ever ready to praise a
good work and swift in his punishment
for bad one.
He must be methodical, having def
bite we'll arranged plans for his work.
Yet at the same time be must be pro
yressive studving the plans and meth
DDS of others and substituting these
whenever it will promote the general
efficiency of his work. In this exchange
sacrifice thoroughness for nothing, for
is the standard of effiic-
ency.
We have stated the elements of the
teacher worth while, let US view the
compound as whole. The teacher
most worth while is well educated,
tireless, patient. gentle,
kind, firm, exactipg. relentless. meth
odical, yet machine-like person.
The teacher has a great responsible
ity: the training of the boys and girls of
today TO be good, useful, able men and
women for tomorrow. The teacher aids
in the increasing of the inductive, per-
ceptive and productive faculties OF the
child's brain. The teacher worth while
will at the same time instil into the
child's mind the proper ideals, morals
aud ambitions to secure 10 society the
work of this future trained brain.
The teacher is a servant OF the gov
ernment for has he not il charge the
training of our future rulers. In free
country like ours where every man has
a voice in the government, the shaping
of the very foundations OF our govern
menu IS ID Cue lldu1S VI Iuc sCuOoi
teacher and upon him rests the respon-
sibility for the status Of our future gov
ernmept and future civilization.
The teacher worth while will have
firmly fixed in his mind aud heart the
purpose 10 do the greatest amount of
good of which he is CAPABLE. We all
have a certain stated ability OF being
worth while. My exhortation to you is
that you not only utilize this present
ability but that you strive to increase
the amount OF this ability of being worth
while My friends, just as the plough
man in laying off his furrow across a
field sets his stake at the far end Of it
and with this as his goal steers as
straight for IL as he can, so set YOU your
purpose stake at the far end OF the field
Of life and with this ever present in
your mind and eye, so live and labor
that when you have flushed your task
aud have been called home to meet your
Father at the judgment throne q
Heaven, you may look Him in the face
and tra1hfuly say. Father, have ever
s,riven to plough my furrow straight
and 10 plough it as deep as | could with