The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1926-11-23
SIMPLICITY
OF TEACHING
by Garrett p. Serviss-

At a time when the prevailing
"A fad in educational theory Is
the cultivation of the researcher,
it is well to remember the teach
err. The researcher is seldom a
good teacher--if he were he would
be d poor researcher. University
and college presidents, backed by
their boards of trustees, who esti.
mate things by business princi-
PIES" are continually on the out
look for men of the research
stamp to fill the chairs that are
intended for teachers. To such
men salaries are offered that
make the simple teacher sick
with envy or encouragement.
The simple teacher. Don't mis-
take the significance of the term.
The simplicity consists in a love
of learning and of imparting 1t to
other minds. Nobody in the educa-
tionaI field should have a higher
salary than the truly gifted
teacher. AMI nobody should have
more of what may be treasured at
a higher rate than the salary,
viz. honor and appreciation.
The school, taking the word in
it's widest sense, should open to
the mental vision of childhood,
youth and young manhood. view
of the world and humanity like
an outlook from a commanding
hilltop. 1t should not resemble
the interior of deep mine, where
nothing is clearly visible beyond
the lode that is heink worked.
c,-oo.nIs.ok so,, TranA
Every ten ency of our times Is
toward specialization, which COM
presses and distorts the growing
mind and narrows it's outlook for
ever after. The utmost effort
should be employed through the
organization and administration or
the schools and colleges to resist
and counteract the evil influence
of the spirit of specialize ton when
it invades the general educational
field. It's only truly useful place
is in institutions devoted to Spe"
cial, technical education, where 1t
follows, or should follow, after
thorough course of the widest pos
sible instruction and general men"
tai training, pursued in untech-
meal schools
We were not created machines:
Then, despite the demands or IN
dustrialism, commerclaliSm ana
the other shackling agencies or
our modern civilization, let us
keep our minds free, as open as
possible on all sides and filled with
the sap of universal inquisitlVe'
ness. Let US run the machine, but
not be it. Vino Is willing to be
nothing but cog? You may otttn
serve as cog, but you are not
one if your mind is iIee. But your
mind cannot be truly free without
general training and knowledge.
Teacher Points Way
1t is the teacher who can
guide you to these things. 1T is
he. or she, who stands beside
you on the hilltop and points out
the beauties, the relations, the
variety of the landscape, and IN
spires you with admiration, COM
prehension, and emulation. For
the true teacher knowledge
springs up anew, and grows and
ripens again with every return
ing school year. and his mind is
refreshed by the renewal.
But in active minds the teacher
lifts the detent and guides the
action. Here the most exquisite
exercise of the teaching gift is
shown. The teacher must be a
born psychologist. an instructive
reader of human nature. Pecun.
larry compensation is often based
upon the responsibility involved
in the work that is pAid for.
What responsibility could he more