Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-08
ADEQUATE PREPARATION SEEN
AS MEANS TO SUCCESS IN WORK
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vocational and professional school offer,
teaching opportunities in its own line
The persons with managerial minds are
needed as superintendent, principals
and supervisors where they may find
endless opportunities for doing good and
achieving distinction.
Teaching Opportunities Limited.
Unlike business and the professions
Of law and medicine, the openings ir
teaching are limited in number. The
teacher as rule must wait for an APP
pointrient. Owing to the World War
teachers were scarce from 19l9-1924
and it was easy for the beginner to OBJ
tain foothold. but since 1924 there has
been an over-supply of trained instruc-
tors. Good teachers, however, always
will be scarce. Every good teacher
must nowadays also be trained
teacher, but it by no means follows that
every capable person who has the back
ground of education and is well trained
in the theory and practice OF teaching
IS therefore good teacher; the in
dispensable personal adaptation may be
lacking.
J The diff1culty for all concerned is
found in distinguishing the person born
for teaching from the person born for
some other calling before appointing
him to responsible position. The
course in practice teaching is doing
something, but this needs to be supple
mented by period of apprenticeship
and by diagnostic tests. Psychologists
are working on tests for teaching fitness,
but so far they have achieved relatively
little.
Field of Effort Compared.
It is easy enough to evolve tests for
intellectual ability, but to devise tests
fitness is battling. Were such tests in
existence much could be saved in time,
money and heartache by guiding young
people into the right channels of
preparation from the beginning. This
is the ideal and will no doubt be APP
proximated in time, but the present
\ method of limiting the supply of teach
ers by merely extending the period of
education and training is probably do
ing as much harm as good.
The primary reward In every calling
must be found in the consciousness of
achievement, in the satisfaction of
service, and in the exercise of personal
powers. To this teaching forms no ex-
ception, but neither Is there an excep-
ton found in any other honorable call
ing. The young person who starts out
IN life with his eye primarily on a
fortune has his vision conferred wrong
no matter where he steps in.
Average Return Not High.
The salaried rewards of teaching, like
those of Government service and sala-
ried positions generally. do not aver
age high, but they have other advan-
tages that Offset this. They are def
mite, they are sure, and even the low
est do not fall far below the average
The teacher knows where he stands
He has enough for modest scale of
living while in service and a pension
now generally when he retires.
The discouragementS that beset the
teacher are not financial, primarily
but personal. Teaching is a social call
ing and the teacher must do team work
in corps. Whenever this is the case
friction, due to the clash of personali-
ties, is almost sure to arise A domi-
neering superintendent, self-centered
principal, or a one-track supervisor may
be the source of endless difficulties
Even one misfit teacher in a building
may be grave annoyance to all of his
colleagues.
On the other hand it should be noted
that group life is one of the great at
fractions of the teachers calling. We
all crave the fellowship of our kind
ana Ceacnlng onerS THIS fellowship.
Give group a competent leader and
the chances are good that it will be a
delight to be connected with that group.
Fine group spirit, Furthermore, is the
first condition for good work It is
this that gives the selection of SUPER
intendents, principals and supervisors
such outstanding importance. They are
the ones who strike the keynote and
lead the ensemble. It depends upon
them whether they have harmony or
discord.
Discipline Problem.
Another drawback that is said to be
inherent in the teachers calling is the
problem of managing a group of
youngsters. This, far more than in
structing. makes the work nerverack-
ing. But, it is interesting to note, only
certain teachers are troubled with dis
cipline. Others, even when handling
the same group, may forget all about
discipline. It is here where inherent
fitness for teaching especially mani
tests itself. It should be admitted,
however that teacher unsuited to the
fourth grade may be well suited to the
twelfth.
Teaching demands almost infinite
patience, it is beset with troubles from
above and from below. it has its share
of drudgery and its financial rewards
are modest, yet in spite of these limita-
lions It is still the ideal calling for those