Teacher and His Work
67
But the teacher’s usefulness depends not so much upon the actual
amount of his acquirements as upon the standard at which he aims.
The true teacher is not content with dull thoughts, an indolent mind,
or a loose memory. He constantly seeks higher attainments and better
methods. His life is one of continual growth. In the work of such a
teacher there is a freshness, a quickening power, that awakens and
inspires his pupils....
Teachers are needed who are quick to discern and improve every
opportunity for doing good; those who with enthusiasm combine true
dignity; who are able to control, and “apt to teach;” who can inspire
thought, arouse energy, and impart courage and life.
A teacher’s advantages may have been limited, so that he may
not possess as high literary qualifications as might be desirable; yet
if he has true insight into human nature; if he has a genuine love
for his work, an appreciation of its magnitude, and a determination
to improve; if he is willing to labor earnestly and perseveringly, he
will comprehend the needs of his pupils, and, by his sympathetic,
progressive spirit, will inspire them to follow as he seeks to lead them
onward and upward.
The children and youth under the teacher’s care differ widely in
disposition, habits, and training. Some have no definite purpose or
fixed principles. They need to be awakened to their responsibilities
and possibilities....
He who discerns the opportunities and privileges of his work
[104]
will allow nothing to stand in the way of earnest endeavor for self-
improvement. He will spare no pains to reach the highest standard of
excellence. All that he desires his pupils to become, he will himself
strive to be.—
Testimonies on Sabbath-School Work, 118, 119
.
Provision for Increased Ability
We must have consecrated teachers, who love God supremely and
their neighbors as themselves. The Lord has made ample provision
that teachers may have increased ability from Sabbath to Sabbath, that
they may teach to some purpose, working as for time and eternity. We
need in our schools young men and women who have vital godliness,
not a cheap, superficial experience, but a deep inward piety that results