2. The teacher’s service is a service to mankind, moulding the child life, thereby shaping the destinies of coming generations.
3. The teacher must have the right motive for teaching. His motive must be true service to mankind. Should he not have such a motive, he should leave the profession.
4. The teacher must be thoroughly prepared—his knowledge must be fresh and ready for use. This will enable him to win the confidence of his pupils and lessen the necessity for discipline. In other words:
(a) He must be educated and trained in a Normal School, having at least one year of such training. A college education, while not absolutely necessary, is a very great asset.
(b) He must be a lover of Nature. That is, he should have a profound interest in all the phenomena of Nature.
(c) He must be a student of psychology since it is a needful adjunct to the teacher’s education. It is an interpretation of human nature; consequently, it has value in understanding child life. A teacher should read good texts in psychology every year.
(d) He must be a student. He should always work over his lessons and read in subjects related to the work in hand.
(e) He must be a reader of good books bearing upon the many phases of learning. Fiction and poetry are real aids to a teacher’s preparation.
(f) He must not be superficial. If he follows slavishly books on method, he is shallow. Such books are intended to suggest only. The discreet teacher improves by every suggestion.
(g) He must be a reader of the daily paper, the magazine, and the teacher’s paper. They are a part of his educational equipment. Only the best should be read, and they not to the exclusion of other literature.