teaching

[winterbadger]

In writing a review of two books on child-study (an early term for child psychology), my great grandfather wrote:

Teaching is an art; teachers are artists, and those who would enter the "profession" should recognize the necessity of special training for the work. The American public is slowly coming to see that education is not simply a formal process; that a teacher needs something more than the capacity to read a text-book prescribed by an unscientific board, and to hear the children "recite" their lessons; that the education of young children is one of the most important subjects that can occupy the public mind, that it should be in the hands of experts, and that it is worth paying for.

That was in 1896. I think "slowly" is too generous a progress estimate. I look forward to the day that America really comes to see that educating children is worth paying (properly) for.

Comments

[ingenious76.livejournal.com]

Thats made me feel really rather happy. Thank you for posting it.

[winterbadger]

You are very welcome! Yesterday was Teacher Appreciation Day in the US, so I'm a day late. But I've been running across bits of his writing while dredging the Internet for info, so it seemed apt, especially given my family business and its overlap with my nouvelle amour.

[ticktockmary.livejournal.com]

Wow, intelligent great grandfather you had! That's a wonderful quote.

[winterbadger]

He was great; I want to find his Economic Primer--I might be able to understand it!

I also ran across a journal article about a survey sent out to a group of economists that listed all their responses. Some of his were wonderfully acerbic!

Wish I'd ever got to meet him...