3.3.5.2 Sincerity

Surely this is a foundation principle in teaching:

“Thou must to thyself be true,
If thou the truth would teach;
Thy soul must overflow,
If thou another soul would reach.”

A teacher must really be converted to what he teaches or there is a hollowness to all that he utters. “Children and dogs,” it is said, are the great judges of sincerity—they instinctively know a friend.

No teacher can continue to stand on false ground before his pupils. The superintendent of one of our Sunday Schools, having selected one of the most talented persons in his ward to teach a Second Intermediate Class was astonished some months later to receive a request from the class for a change of teachers.

The class could assign no specific reasons for their objections, except that they didn’t get anything out of the class. A year later the superintendent learned that the teacher was living in violation of the regulations of the Church, on a particular principle, and it was perfectly clear why his message didn’t ring home.

The sincere teacher not only believes what he teaches—he consecrates his best efforts to the task in hand. He urges no excuse for absence or lack of preparation—”he is there.”

He lets his class feel that for the time being it is his greatest concern. He meets with boys and girls because he loves to and reaches out to them with an enthusiasm that cannot be questioned.

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