The successful teacher of the teen age class—­

(a) Always sees and plans things from the viewpoint of the pupil.

(b) Teaches the scholar and not the lesson.

(c) Knows personally every member of the class—­the home, school, business, play, social and religious life of every member.  This is often accomplished through an invitation to dinner, a walk, a car ride, or some other plan, which will bring the scholar and teacher together naturally.  With this knowledge in hand, the teacher can prepare the lesson to fit the individual needs of the pupil.

(d) Visits the parents.

(e) Is always on hand, unless unavoidably prevented, in which case the president of the class is notified.

(f) Has a capable substitute teacher to supply in the event of such absence.

(g) Realizes that the function of his office is that of friend and counselor.

(h) Follows up an absentee (1) through the other members of the class; (2) Membership Committee; (3) telephone; (4) postcard or letter; (5) personal call.

(i) Does not play favorites, nor neglect the less aggressive scholar.

(j) Has a plan and an objective, with special emphasis on the training of older boys for leadership of groups of younger boys.

(k) Always keeps in mind that the supreme task and privilege of the teacher are to win the boy to Christ for service in His church.

=The Teacher and the Home=

The Teacher can do his best work when working in conjunction with the home.  It is a good plan to visit the father and mother of the boy.  It is also a pretty good thing to occasionally drop in to see the father and mother personally, telling them how the boy is getting along.  An invitation extended to the parents through the boy himself to attend a week-night meeting of the class will also afford a valuable means of contact with the home and parents.

The Teacher should by no means try to become a father to the boy.  The responsibility and duties of parents must not for one moment devolve upon him.  The following editorial from a New York evening newspaper puts this idea in a very clear manner, and it should be given careful consideration by every teacher: 

“It takes time to point a boy right.  The great merchant can touch a desk bell to give orders for a steamship or a draft of a million dollars.  But the merchant’s young son, age fourteen, cannot be touched off in that way.  The lad has just begun to move out among other boys.  They do a world of talking, these young chaps.  The father must watch that talk, and he can, if he will take the time.

“The older man has every advantage, for he is looked up to and beloved.  It is not so much the ‘don’ts’ as the ‘do’s’ that constitute his power.  He can inspire with high resolve.  He can narrate his own victories over sore trials and fiery tests of his integrity.  He can draw the sting of poisonous suggestions, moral disheartenings and malice which his child has been cherishing in his young heart.  But this means time, and time may be money.  Yet no money can buy this sort of instruction, nor put a price on it.  The coin is struck in the soul.  It is the costliest barter, the very exchange of the soul.