CONTENTS.

SECTION I.

DUTIES OF PARENTS IN EDUCATING THEIR CHILDREN.

These duties have been treated in too general a man-

ner-The peculiar duties of those who educate their

children in the district school have not been sufficiently

enforced-These considered-The parent's first duty is

self-examination-The parent is the natural instructor

and guardian of the child-Parents neglect their chil-

dren during the susceptible years of infancy-Children

begin to act and learn from the first moment of their ex-

istence-Parents do not notice the effect of their own

example before infants-The mother may shape the

character-Parents leave the education of their children

too much with the schoolmaster-They frequently have

a bad government over their children at home-Difficult

to govern
such children-Parents should co-operate with

the teacher-Supply his defects-Parents should con-

tinue their children's education after the school days are

ended-This by giving them the means of knowledge-

By example-By showing the pleasures and advantages

of knowledge-The parent's happiness depends upon

the education of his children-The child's happiness de-

pends upon its education-The difference of early train-

ing makes the great difference among men-It is the

parent's duty to his country to educate his children—It

is his duty to society-If the parent does not educate

his children, the world will-Virtue and knowledge need

a teacher-If children are useful in after-life, it will be

because they obtained the power to be so while young.

SECTION II.

QUALIFICATIONS OF TEACHERS.

The want of well qualified teachers in the United

States-The number of common school teachers em-

ployed-Some of the deficiencies described-Ignorant

of the studies which they teach-Ignorant of the nature

and operations of the youthful mind-No preparation

made for teaching-The profession made a temporary

thing-In the first place, teachers should well consider

the nature of their employment-Teachers should ex-
amine their acquirements-They should be good readers

The poor reading in our schools noticed-Instructions

in this art to teachers-The example of good reading in

the teacher-Teachers should be good penmen-They

should be ready and accurate in the science of Arith-

metic-With Geography-Teachers should have a

thorough knowledge of the Grammar and Philosophy of

the English Language-They should be well versed in

History-They should be able to impart knowledge to

others--The inability of teachers, and all students, to tell

what they know, or what they think they know-Our

system of education deficient, in making men commu-

nicate, or make a practical use of what they learn-The

great necessity of the teacher's having this ability of im-

parting to others, .

SECTION III.

QUALIFICATIONS OF TEACHERS, CONTINUED.

. 37

A teacher should have a good moral character-He

should govern himself-He should have a good judg

ment--A teacher should have an even, uniform temper

--He should have decision and firmness--He should be

able to sympathise with his pupils-He should be

able to discriminate character-He should be able to

illustrate and simplify-He should teach as Nature

teaches,

52

SECTION IV.

QUALIFICATIONS OF TEACHERS, CONCLUDED.

A teacher should love his business--He should make

his business his study and his profession--He should be

patient and persevering--He should be able and disposed

to overcome the various difficulties of his arduous

profession-Several difficulties described-A teacher

should always appear pleasant and affectionate--He

should be qualified to show his pupils the importance

of knowledge,

SECTION V.

65

THE ADAPTATION AND IMPORTANCE OF COMMON SCHOOLS,

AND THE DUTIES OF THOSE WHO HAVE A GENERAL SU-

PERINTENDENCE OVER THEM.

The school system, adopted by the state of New-

York, recommended--The wisdom of this system--

The importance of good common or district schools--

The neglect which learned and leading men have given

them--The claims of these schools upon the wise and

wealthy--The good effects of general intelligence-The

duties of Inspectors--The lax manner in which they

fulfil their duties-They should be more rigid--The

duties of the Trustees of common schools--The man-

ner they have performed their duties-The duties of

Commissioners-The duties which ministers owe to

common schools-The duties of every inhabitant of the

district,
75

SECTION VI.

TEACHING SHOULD BE MADE A PROFESSION.

The teacher's profession should be made as distinct
as the lawyer's or the divine's-We should require
professional knowledge in the teacher as well as in the
preacher-Teaching is not made honourable because
teachers have not prepared themselves for their business
-Teachers should avail themselves of all the help they

can obtain-It must be their highest ambition to be good
schoolmasters-In a profession there is a constant ac-
cumulation of experimental knowledge-In the art of
teaching there is no instruction in the past-Teachers
have not communicated with each other-If teaching
was made a profession, teachers would sympathize with
each other-They would feel that they had the honour
of the profession to support-That the eyes of the world
were on them-That they might be known and hon-
oured-He could then compare himself with other teach-
ers-Each teacher would receive a part of the respect
which would be paid to the profession,

SECTION VII.

THE GOVERNMENT AND DISCIPLINE OF A SCHOOL.

89

The government of a school should be a constant

moral discipline--The end and object of all government

should be, to make men govern themselves-The teacher

should labour to make his pupils understand what is

right and what is wrong, or the foundation of law--A

teacher should govern his scholars as rational, moral

beings--The superiority of a government of reason-

Punishment should always answer its end--Punish-

ments should not be inflicted before the school-Crimes

which are common should be brought before the school

-The teacher should show his scholars that he is acting

under moral obligations--A teacher should have the

same government over himself out of school, that he

has in school--The government of a school should be
regular and systematic-A teacher should not threaten
or fret-A government should not be severe at one time
and lax at another-The manners of children in school
-The manners of the American people-The language
of scholars,

SECTION VIII.

THE RESPONSIBILITY OF TEACHERS.

95

The teacher is placed with the young and ignorant

mind, which is to be instructed-Teachers do not feel

the responsibility of their office-Their responsibility

is increased by an original principle in children to im-

itate-The principle of imitation may be turned to a

good account-Teachers are under a high responsibil-

ity, since to them parents have committed the education

of their children-Society expects that teachers will

make the children and youth social, honourable, and be-

nevolent members-Teachers are responsible to their

country for the manner in which they educate her youth

-The responsibility of teachers is great, from the con-

sideration that they will give character to future com-

munities-The responsibility of teachers is seen, by

reflecting, that the happiness of each scholar is, in a

great measure, in the hands of the instructer-And

lastly, how responsible are teachers, since their influ-

ence will reach into the world "that is to come," . 107

SECTION IX.

THE TEACHER'S COMPENSATION.

The labours of a teacher are arduous and responsi-

ble-They are not well rewarded-There is no labour

for which the American people do not pay more than

they do for Elementary Teaching-A young man can-

not afford to expend one cent in preparing himself to

teach a common school-The unwillingness of parents

to pay an adequate compensation to qualified teachers

-Parents do not perceive the bad effects of giving low

wages to teachers-If parents would give higher wages,

it would induce young men to qualify themselves for in-

structing-It would be for the parent's interest to pay

higher wages, and employ qualified teachers-In the

first place, because it would save tuition money-In the

second place, because it would save their children's

time-And in the third place, because it would save

parents much expense in Books, Paper, Maps, Slates,

&c.-By employing a proper teacher parents would

know that their children would be well educated-Chil-

B