October 5th is World Teacher’s Day. Congratulations to those who were, or are teachers. My mother and daughter are two from that crowd! To celebrate teachers, I would like to showcase a few books. This is one of the oldest teachers book I have: “The Teacher: or Moral Influences Employed in the Instruction and Government of the Young” by Jacob Abbott, published 1834. This is a wonderful read.
Mr Abbott was a tough teacher. In his explanations in this book on excuses when student was wrong, or failed, especially if unprepared: “In future life, you will certainly be unsuccessful, if you fail, no matter for what reason, to discharge the duties which devolve upon you…I want good recitations, not good excuses. I hope everyone will be prepared tomorrow.”
My next teaching book is a little newer, “The Teacher’s Assistant or A system of paractical Arithmetic” by Steven Pike, published in 1852. This book begins with simple addition, and then into banking math of compounding interest, and then Geometry.
An even newer book is “The Art of Teaching” by Gilbert Highet, published 1950. The author goes into the history of teaching, and explains that teaching is now an art. No matter what subject, the ways of teaching remain the same.
In case one has that really obstinate student, I have the book “Teacher Spanks Johnny-a Handbook for Teachers” by Catherine Humbargar Rovetta and leon Rovetta, published 1968. This is actually not a handbook on how to use corporal punishment in schools but more of the laws, back when a teacher could use corporal puunishment.
As the authors state “This handbook has been written to inform teachers, administrators, and school board members of the rights, responsibilites, and risks involved in corporal punishment situations, to present authoritative material in this area, to remove teacher confusion, and hence to lessen many classroom problems and tensions. “Ignorance of the law is no excuse.'” I had hoped this might have been a treatice on how many holes to drill into a paddle for effective windflow and whistling.
Love Your Bookshop Day is Octover 5th. I again have several books on this topic. First is a famous pair of books by Christopher Morley “Parnassus on Wheels” and “the Haunted Bookshop”. These novels were first printed in 1917 and 1919, but my copies were published in 1955. “Parnassus on Wheels” is about a traveling bookshop, a wagon full of books. The second book, “The Haunted Bookshop” is about the same bookseller, now with a stationary bookshop, but with complications.
My next book is “Born in a Bookshop” by Vincent Starrett, 1965. Starrett was a author and book columnest for the Chicago Tribune. This is a great book about authors, books, bookstores, and book collectors. Any private library or deep book reader should have this book.
I thought at one time, that when I retire, I would run a used bookstore. I bought to study “The Complete Guide to Starting a Used Bookstore” by Dale L. Gilbert, 1992.
I had talked with my mom, and she was going to hangout at the front desk chatting with people walking in, and ring the register. Mom and I both thought it would be a good idea-after all, she was going to live forever. Unfortunately, that did not come to pass. And also, it seems that I have been adopting most of my books – I cannot bear to sell members of my library. Perhaps I will do so when I get a little older. Until then, still buying books for me, not to sell to others.
Thanks for reading.
Librarytomes 