But it may be made a fine art, a fact that is not so
generally recognized. The difference between the traditional school and
the vitalized school lies in the fact, to a large degree, that, in the
former, teaching is regarded merely as an art, while in the latter it
becomes a fine art. In the former, the teacher is an artisan; in the
latter the teacher is an artist. The difference is broadly significant.
The artisan, in his work, follows directions, plans, specifications, and
blue-prints that have been devised and designed by others; the artist
imbues his work with imagination. The artisan works by the day--so much
money for so many hours' work with pay day as his large objective; the
artist does not disdain pay day, but he has an objective beyond this and
has other sources of pleasure besides the pay envelope. The artisan
thinks and talks of pay day; the artist thinks and talks of his work.
The artisan drops his work when the bell rings; the artist is so
engrossed in his work that he does not hear the bell. The artisan plods
at his task with a grudging mien; the artist works in a fine frenzy.
=Characteristic qualities.=--It is not easy to find the exact words by
which to differentiate the traditional teacher from the artist teacher.
There is an elusive quality in the artist teacher which is not easily
reduced to or described by formal words. We know that the one is an
artist teacher and that the other is not.
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