Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1914-02-26
VITAL NEEDS or RURAL SCHOOLS.

II &N-&aa@
fRead before the Polk County Teach
ers Association. January 1914, by
Miss Bertha 3. Leabetter, MIL
Spring. n. CD
The most vital need OF the rural
schools is good teachers. we, who are
teachers, should catecise ourselves to.
find out if we are good teachers-H our
teaching Is successful. Ask yourself
ia all seriousness, sAm I ft to teach?e p
YOU may not be a born teacher. Very
few persons have the unborn qualities
50 strong that teaching and teaching
alone will satisfy. There are some
qualities that will help you, some quail
tiles You may cultivate If you wish to.
aspire to be leaders and models for
young people.
LIST. Your character must be above
reproach. Whatever else you may
lack your character must be above sus
picion. Character unqHestioned and
unQuestionabIe first for Ills is the
first essential thing. If you are to be
the model after which the boys and
igirls-the most precious product of the
Fstate-will consciously and uncon-
sciously fashion their lives, you must
be in all things a worthy model. Pure
thoughts, pure words, sincerity, hon.
estys earnest and deep convictions
fmust be habitnal with you. The pur:-
~ Of your own thoughts, the sincerity
9bf your own motives, flashing through
Iyour eyes. the windows of your soul,
Unjust call out and strengthen the puri-
ty and nobility OF other minds.
Your character and your reputation,
too, must be without flaw or Flemish,
Character is what. You are; reputation
IS what others think you art. Charac-
ter is essentiaIto pure womanhood and
pure manhood but reputation is essen
tial to the teacher. Reputation cannot
exist long without characer, but fo~
any cause, even, though it. be Unjust,
your reputation is lost, even though
your character remain, your useful
Eess in that immediate community is
gene. Then guard well your life if you
teach. Avoid not only evil but the ap-
pearanee of it.
End. A thorough knowledge of the
subject taught is essential to success.
You cannot be a successful teacher Of
the things you do not know. A thor
ough and systematic knowledge of the
subject you teach will give you teacn-
ling power. Your teachers knowledge
must be broader and deeper and better
organized than the pupils. You must
see each subject in relation to other
subjects. Each chapter must be seen
iE its relation to other chapter, which
precede and follow it. To teach a sub
lject is to learn that subject anew, 20
sec it in a new light, in a higher and
deeper significance. You cannot as a
teacher reach your highest uccess
with but a students knowledge and
view of the subject.
3rd. You must keep your knowledge
fresh by study.
Growing minds alone are to teach.
To teach well you must keep growing.
Young teachers usually do the best
work because they are thinking, inves-
tigating, growing. They are full OF
life and enthusiasm and the spirit is
contagious with their pupils. The
young teacher faces the future with
faith, hope and enthusiasm. He is
winning laurels not resting on those al
ready won. He is losing his life in his
work and will find it again in the lives
Of his pupils. You must carry on some
line of study or investigation for when
you cease to grow o begin to decay.
4th. You must love the work of
teaching,
If after a fair trial you do not love
to teach you had best quit. No one is
fit to teach who finds the work thor
,oughly distastefuly and who does not
love children and young people. No
sadder sight, 1 think, is ever seen than
a lo~ng-faced pessimist in the school
room. 1t is nothing but cruelty to
keep children in the school room I'M
der the chilling, blighting influence of
a sour-grained teacher-long since
dead to the beauty of nature and the
tbcuyancy of childhood. Teachers
should be full of health, beauty and
good cheer. Children should not look
to teachers as masters to drive them
hut as friendly companions and leaders
with strength enough to inspire, t.
guide and to direct to higher, purer
and nobler things. Teachers must be
allie to see the beauties and harmonies
lof nature all about them, and to lead