The Educator

The Educator BY ORSON F. WHITNEY Written in honor of the N. E. A. session at Salt Lake City, July, 191 3 Who is mightier than the teacher, Than the master educator? Mind-uplifting, soul-expanding, Re-creator of the creature? Mightiest when truth revealing, Life unfolding and perfecting; When all sacredness revering, All sublimity unveiling. Bringing from the deep potential, By persistent, patient toiling, Treasure that might else lie hidden, Buried out of sight forever, Lost to human weal — undreamed of Even by it's dull possessor, But for thy benign exertion, Thy unselfish, strong endeavor, Education! Mighty miner! Precious ore — life's crude material, Crass and coarse, made fine and finer, By thy marvel-working effort, By thy wonder-wielding power, Soul-evolving thought and labor, By thy pains and sacrifices, Rarely known, requited never. Shall I paint the model teacher, As the mind-eye now beholds him, Looming like a stately mountain, Capt with snow and crowned with sunlight, Source of weal to smiling valleys, Listening at his feet, receptive? First of all, a true commander, Master of himself, and teaching Precept by his high example. Bending not to pagan idols. Seeking, past the gift', the Giver; Past the creature, the Creator. Troubled at no bigot's frowning, To no despot's dictum yielding, 'Gainst all guile, all wrong, contending, Damning sin, yet saving sinners. Tyranny and error fighting, "Liberty and Light" the legend Blazoned on his lofty banner.

THE EDUCATOR 1033 Playing to no gallery plaudit, Courting not wealth's recognition, Nor the rabble's vain approval; Swerving not for praise or censure, From the line where duty leads him, From the path where judgment guides him To the goal where honor crowns him. Scornful of all petty practice, Stabbing no man's reputation, Filching not another's credit, Envying no life its laurels, Governed not by pride or passion, Coveting nor gold nor glory. Tolerant of all opinion, Modest, temperate of expression, Given not to contradiction, E'en when sure that truth confirms him'; Wielding an advantage mildly, Generous to a fallen foeman; Angered not by loss or losing, Nor in triumph's hour exulting. Willing — eager for correction, Welcoming from truth instruction, Humbled by his weight of knowledge. Ne'er too lofty to be learning. Hungering for fact, not fiction; Unsufficed with classic nothings, Ancient myths or modern fables, Premature, half-fledged conclusions, Maybe-so's and peradventures. Waging war on vain Assumption, Heir, misborn and misbegotten, Of thy folly, Education! Of thy dalliance with Error. This the portrait of my fancy — This the ideal of my dreaming. Name no teacher "educator," Who perverts his noble calling, Youthful minds and hearts misleading? Prostituting and profaning Reason's shrine with ribald worship, Offerings of alien fire, Incense unto atheism. Israel, Israel's God forsaking, Bowing down to Baal and Dagon. Spurning Truth, time's navigator, Captain of the craft Experience, With his trusty lamp of guidance, Lit for valorous exploration

1034 IMPROVEMENT ERA Through the zones of doubt and darkness; Past the frozen seas, outsailing Icebergs of old dead tradition; Past the cheerful camps of science, On the coast of demonstration; On through shoal and lake and river, On to Wisdom's open ocean. Fares not so false Self Assurance — Pirate craft, the pennant flaunting Of the brave ship "Self Reliance;" Reckless bark on danger's billow, Heeding not the warning breakers, 7'hundering 'gainst the reef of ruin; Steering not by star and compass, But by comet blaze — false beacon, Beckoning on to fell destruction. What of those, as teachers posing, Who most need instruction's training, Switch of satire's keen correction? Sneering cynics, supercilious, Swollen peacocks in full feather, Airing their superior (?) knowledge — Showing thus a lack of learning, Poverty, where wealth is wisdom, Wanting which, all else is wanting; Can we deem them educators? Oracles of commonplaces, Stale old platitudes repeating; Parrots of the musty proverb, Truths self-evident proclaiming; Education's praises sounding In pedantic threadbare diction, Superannuated phrasing, Ancient Wisdom's cast-off clothing. Owl-like e'en in worldly knowledge, Batlike to divine revealings, Shunning light and seeking shadow, Lost in maze of aimless aimings, Lost in endless flutterings, flounderings. Parasites of education, Blight upon a great profession, Loftiest of man's vocations. Whose throne higher than the teacher's Chair of chaste and wise instruction? Shames what king the pur<e preceptor, Christ's most Christlike emulator? He who aims to lift his fellow, He who strives to make the creature Grateful to the good Creator,

THE EDUCATOR 103: Equal unto earth's requiring, And eternity's demanding — Master of both situations. Education's aviator, Cleaving skies of last attainment; Victory o'er self securing All of life and perfect living. This thy mission, Alma Mater! Blest vocation, Christ's own calling. Near to thee, divine Creator! Next to thee, O God the Giver! He who makes thy boon seem greater, Thy benefic meaning plainer. Great thy mission, Education! Complement of thine, Creation! Ending of thy vast beginning, Laying hold at thy leave taking; Ocean's arms the craft receiving, When the land hath done its launching. Education and Creation, Are they not as one, scanned wisely? Are they not the same, seen clearly? He who spake as no man speaketh, Master, Teacher, of all teachers, One with Thee, Almighty Maker! Thou with Him, great Educator! Gaze upon the Universal! See Intelligence — God's glory — Mind and matter — self-existent Soul materials — molding, forming; All outleading, all uplifting, Organizing and directing, Guiding Energy Eternal! Sire and Sovereign Everlasting, Bent to share his shining sceptre, Empire of the worlds unworldly; Allwise Parent and Preceptor, Sending forth His spirit children, Taught in early spheres aforetime, Donning nature's garb and gowning For the treasures of earth knowledge, And the touch of mortal training; Thence to rise by graduation, From the Classroom Intermedial, To the College of the Spirit, And the Temple of All Wisdom! Worthy Aspiration, seeking Heavenly light through human darkness, Gain of power by world experience, Wisdom's apple, sweet and bitter;

1036 IMPROVEMENT ERA Winnowed grain, the wind-blown refuse Lost in Lucifer's down-whirling; Loyal spirits, Michael's legion, Changed to souls by Eden's action, Down to lowly deeps descending, Yet to soar, all heights attaining; Downward- -for ward — onward — falling, Prelude to progression's marching, Prologue of redemption's drama. Pledge released from fatal pawning, Ransomed by the Christ of Calvary, Shepherd of the sheep Him following From the glooms of sin and sorrow, To the Light and Life Eternal! Earth, redeemed from dole and darkness, Every thorn and briar blossoming, Glorified, a Heaven becoming, Home of man, and goal of gladness Unto myriads coming after; Gods, once men, their valor greeting, Their continued victory crowning! Man, God's symbol and foreshadowing. Image, likeness, male and female, Heir unto the Power Creative, To His perfect stature climbing; Dowered with divine outreaching, Halting not from holiest, loftiest, Aspiration and achievement! What is this? Hold up the mirror! Is it not thyself, Creation? Ir, it not ALL — Education?