Entering the Child’s Activities
It is, indeed, the discreet teacher who can place himself upon the level of the child. There is no teacher who can expect to render to the child the service due him, if he does not enter into his life. With propriety can the teacher be one among the children. A boy with the boys or a girl with the girls. It is imperative to enter into their interests. The suggestion to enter into the lives of the pupils, has furnished many a teacher with the means whereby he saved the wayward boy or girl. The teacher who places himself above the children, either in the grades or in the high school, by word and action, loses his influence for good and useful service. Such a teacher cannot be a true teacher. Many of the uplifting truths of his own life, if he may possess such, fail to impress his pupils. Children of every school age love the teacher who tactfully enters their activities and games—enters them in such a way as to forget that he is a teacher, and his pupils subordinates, but as if all are children having a good time. The Chinese sage, Mencius, said, “The great man is he who does not lose his child’s heart.” Big boys and girls always love and admire the teacher who can enter into their sports, games and athletic activities. It pays men teachers to have some knowledge of athletic sports.
Even a woman can do much in promoting athletic sports. The benefit is two-fold; first, the health of the teacher demands the exercise which athletics affords; secondly, the pupils can be much more easily controlled by the teacher who enters their sports and activities. There is a world of knowledge to be gained by entering into the child’s life. Needless should be the caution that the teacher should not allow himself to grow old in spirit. The teacher whose years may have reached the half century mark can still have “that youthful spirit” and that sprightly manner that will fire youth to its fullest activity. Such a teacher will never grow really old. Of him it may well be said, that he grows younger with the years until he reaches eternal youth.