The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-11-20

the Dangers Are to Be Found
That Must Give Him Concern.
Supt. Smith, of the st. Paul public
schools, delivered another address be-
fore the teachers yesterday, on the
general subject Of child teaching. The
Particular subject of the address was
The Basis of an Education" In ore1-
ing Mr.. Smith said that he wished to
he understood in the several addresses
that he has delivered. as referring 20
certain tendencies in educational work
and rot as describing a condition IN
st. Paul or elsewhere. Prof. Smll h
said
present talk. the public discussion of edu-
cational matters. From the first I have had
no other desire than to establish, II possible
an understanding between us as TO the best
means CT conducting the work Of the syst m
l have had neither desire to instruct you nor
expectation that l could do so. I have not
believed that il is necessary to convince
you Of the insufficiency of your methods or
to advise you that your preparation falls
shor, Of reasonable requiem ants, because
neither assumption would be true. ! have
spoken fully and candidly, because | am not
able TO understand how nv suggestions or
directions if you are pleased to regard them
as such, could be Ineligible to you or to
the community, If you were not Informed
concerning the reason why they are made.
l have sought 10 place you under but one
injunction, and that IS that you should fol
low your own convictions. founded upon
careful study OF all the questions that you
must place before your pupils. Certainty
teachers should have opinions of their own
and full liberty in the exercise Of those
opinions. If they are justified by sufficient
knowledge which can be acquired only b.
diigent and impartial study.
While no one could ask. or reasonably ex-
peCt. that you should reject known and
clearly demonstrated facts In order to make
fNrfTn a cot sfrFasar
your own. neither would you be Just 10
yourself or safe in your calling if you were
inclined to accept the dictum of any one.
however plausible ii might appear. In or
der to teach you must know. and how can
you satisfy yourself that you know any
thing until il has entered into and formed
a part of your character, of your judgment
Of your conviction.
REPEATS A CAUTION.
Let me renew the caution. then, that
offered in my last talk, and urge you to
depart from no present method. however much
it may seem at variance with suggestions Of
mine, or Of others. unless you see your way
to a better one
1t is scarcely out OF place here. l think.
to recall to your attention OF the
questions that l have heretofore considered.
There Is no longer much difference Of Opin-
ion touching the most important question that
can BE- asked OF a teacher. | repea- again
that every parent who brings a child to a
teacher has a right 10 ask How do re
gard this being? From Whence? For what?
And whither2" and teachers usefulness
of necessity. largely depends upon the view
she may held touching these questions Quo
ing from my last talk let me say with
great emphasis, again The first great duty
OF teacher is to study child life and child
nature and 70 prosecute this study under all
circumstances and into every condition Of
society
Necessarily in this study we are brought
face TO face with the several views that
have the sanction Of wise men touching the
origin o. man. and that YOU may not mis-
n. "a Traa
wish 10 d. so, please allow me to remind you
that l called your attention 10 the purely
msteriaIistic contention of the origin OF the.
life OF man, which DR.. Haeckel, Of JCna,
would make the basis Of our system Of eiu-
cation. and that l objected to Il because
it is unsupported by science and IS unsafe
a basis CT education. was not and am
not nov attempting any scientific discussion
OF this subject at all. I am speaking only
/ OF science, or speculative philosophy where
II touches school work and influences school
methods. With the opinions of others have
+ no desire TO interfere, nor do I desire TO
consider any phase of thought not related
/ TO school duties.
TREATMENT OF A CHILD.
/ These references sre merely incidental. but
4 in order 10 be exact. allow me to call your
! attention to the fact that after had set forth
/ Haeekels view, as I understand It. and as
! his American disciples declare it. I con-
/ unued as follows: From this statement we
are TO conclude that TO know the child We
! must enter INTO the various ana varying
l stages OF his environment, not ours deter
/ mined by the condition of savage life then
! existing, for him and minister TO him as
I such: The treatment offered for his mental
/ benefit must conform TO his state at the time
II Is offered, and a great deal of our child
I study is based upon this theory. l am not
/ eXaggeratng. Now 1 assert that all that Is
contained IN this doctrine is theory pure and
1 simple, without the direct support OF a sim
gle scientific fact. and science can never. in
| the very nature OF things, offer direct proof
I OF thls- l am quite sure that any reader
| or nearer OF the above statement would be
| bound to accept the meaning that intended
J 10 convey, namely: That the doctrine that
| the little child when he first comes to you
| in school is in a savage state and that YOU
/ must enter Into his environments in order TO
teach him or to minister to him, is theory
1 and without scientific support. and while the