The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1916-03-29
The Qualifications
of The Teacher
(By Thomas R. McMurray.l

In order for US to understand what
qualifications to expect of the teach
er it is necessary for US to know
something of his responsibilities. We
cannot get away from the general
truth that life everywhere is full of
responsibilities. 1t is impossible for
US to evade this responsibility no mat
ter what trade, profession or calling
we may enter. Then if there is re-
sponsibility for those who undertake
to teach only how to live in the mate
rial world, what must be the respon-
sibility of the teacher who undertakes
also to teach how to live in that broad
and eternal world of mind.
The first essential qualification of
the teacher is scholarship. By scholar
ship we mean not only a knowledge
of facts but the ability to discern the
relation of facts, interpret them COM
pare them, classify them according
to their fundamental connections. The
successful teacher must know not on
ly the lesson he teaches but the book
he teaches and the subject he teaches.
He must know it's relation to other
subjects and to life.
Without scholarship, no teacher
can hope to create interest among his
pupils. The interest of the pupil does
not so muchgrow out of the subject
as out of his attitude toward the sub
ject.
In every organization lack of skill
ed and competent leadership breeds
i he
school is no exception. If the teacher
succeeds in bringing the pupils into
the proper attitude toward their stu
dies, and that interest that is sure tc
follow, is aroused, the problem of dis.
cipline is largely solved, and the tea
cher comes into the good graces not
only ofthe pupils but of their parents
and neighborhood as well.
In order for pupils to put forth the
best efforts they must have high j.
deals and standards and these ideals
must be embodied in some living per
son. Now, if the teacher is worthy of
coming the ideal of the pupils he
certainly has the opportunity of be-
coming a great influence in Their lives
1t has been my fortune to have
some teachers, who with their vast
amountof correlated knowledge could
inspire me to faithful study, and it
has been my misfortune to have 9th
ers who did not possess this valuable
qualification and it was my expert
ence that there was not much inclina-
ton on my part to study. 1t takes
scholarship not only to direct the
work of the pupil but to appreciate
his work after it is done. And when
the teacher fails to appreciate the pu-
pills work the pupil usually fails to
work.
There is such an intermingling of
subjects that no one subject can be
properly understood and taught with
out a knowledge of other subjects
Geography cannot be eliminated in
the study of sciences, in arithmetic
and history. In fact there must be
correlation in all successful teaching
and this is impossible without scholar
ship.
Another important qualification of
the teacher is professional training
and by professional training we mean
a knowledge of psychology, Methods,
school management and history of
education.
In the past we had very few pro-
fessionally trained teachers and there
are several reasons for our not hav-
ing them. The people have not de-
handed professional training Of the
teachers from the fact that they have
considered the education of children
of secondary Importance. Then after
they were to some extent awakened
to the Importance of education most
of the efforts were directed to the
material phase of the great problem
of popular education. One great rea-
son that in our own state we have
had so few teachers with profession
al training has been due to the fact
that they have not been provided
with facilities that make it possible
for them to take advantage of such
training. Now that we have the State
Normal schools hundreds are taking
advantage of them, and the time is
coming when every school in the state