s of the politician.

=The Idealist.=--This is equally true of the vitalized teacher. She is a
practical idealist. In the words of the poet, her reach is beyond her
grasp, and this proclaims her an idealist. In her capacity as a
politician she makes a close study of the wants of her constituents,
both pupils and parents, and so learns how best to articulate school
work with the interests of the community. She does not hold aloof from
her pupils or their homes, but studies them at close range, as do the
missionary and the politician. She lives among them and so learns their
language and their modes of thinking and living. Only so can she come
into sympathetic relations with them and be of greatest service to them
in promoting right substitutions. She finds one boy surcharged with the
instinct of pugnacity. This tendency manifests itself both in school and
at home. Her own conclusions are ratified by the parents. He wants to
fight. His whole nature cries aloud for battle. In such a case, neither
repression nor suppression will avail. So she attaches a phase of school
work to this native disposition and gives his pugnacious instinct a fair
field.

=An example.=--Enlisting him as her champion in a tournament, she pits
against him a doughty antagonist in the form of a problem in arithmetic.
In tones of encouragement she gives the signal and the fight is on. The
boy pummels that problem as he would belabor a schoolmate on the
playground. His whole being is focused upon the adventure. And when he
has won his meed of praise, he feels himself a real champion. The
teacher merely substituted mind for hands in the contest and so fell in
with his notion that fighting is quite right if only the cause is a
worthy one. He is quick to see the distinction and so makes the
substitution with alacrity and with no loss of self-respect. Ever after
he disdains the vulgar brawl and does not lose the fighting instinct.
Thus the vitalized teacher by knowing how to make substitutions wins for
society a valiant champion. If we multiply this example, we shall
readily see how such a teacher-politician deserves the distinction of
being termed a practical idealist.

QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES

1. Distinguish the following terms: demagogue; politician; statesman;
and practical idealist.

2. Subject to what limitations should a successful teacher be a
politician?

3. Enumerate the qualities of a successful politician that teachers
should possess.