A teacher must be friendly to all, even though some are far beneath him socially and others may spurn his friendship. His greetings should be the same to all. Often a teacher discriminates against the outcast and thus earns for himself the reputation of being proud. To be friendly to all does not mean that one must be an associate of the outcast. It is a matter of expediency to treat all alike so that one’s influence may work for good and the uplift of the masses.
A True Leader
It is evident from the foregoing requisites of the teacher that if he can acquire all the qualities set forth, he is a teacher who has himself under control and can, first of all, discipline himself—a condition that is necessary if the teacher expects to control and discipline those under his tutelage.
“The well-trained man is the man whose mind is stored with a fund of varied knowledge which he can promptly command when the necessity for it arises; he is the man who can keep his attention upon the problem in hand as long as necessary, and in the face of distraction; he is, moreover, the man who, having paused long enough to see the situation correctly and to bring to bear upon it all the relevant knowledge he possesses, acts thereon promptly and forcefully.”[[7]]
Can he square up to every qualification? If so, he will be a true leader and teacher. It may seem discouraging to be required to measure up to so many requisites, but after all they will insure true contentment and happiness—those qualities that come only to the really prepared—and lasting success will most certainly crown the efforts of such a teacher.
While it is true and right that every teacher should demand his wages, still, it is almost a crime for a teacher to measure his services by the amount of his remuneration. The true teacher’s services are rewarded by the good he has done, by the useful lives that have grown under his beneficent teaching, by the services rendered, by men and women, who as boys and girls, have felt the influence of his life. Such a reward is never ending. The good sown in one life will transplant itself into another and another long after the teacher has received his final reward. The teacher’s recompense is not measured by dollars and cents, but by the good done to humanity.
[7]. Angell, Psychology, p. 438. Holt.
Summary
1. The teacher’s is the noblest of all professions.