Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-12-28
DISCUSSION BY TEACHERS
Department Meeting Held al The High
School.
Henrt and Head Training Necessary
for Successful Teachers-The Speer
School In Arithmetic.

Association had lively as well as an
interesting time this morning, several
department meetings being held at the
High school building.
In one room. Miss May explained
kindergarten work, illustrating her re-
marks by specimens Of work from the
children.
In another room, Miss Elliott brought
forward the subject of art and draw
ing In the schools, and free discussion
followed. taking a wide range. Mr..
Evans, Mr.. Harwood, Miss Elliott and
a number Of teachers participated.
BY far the most popular Of these
meetings was in the assembly room,
where a teachers round table" was
held.
Superintendent Cooper presided, and
in the debate was frequently drawn in
to The discussion. The subject was the
qualifications for teaching, but It took
a very wide scope and was made to in
clude several other things. Widely diff
fering views were presented and ably
supported, and towards the close, re-
straint was thrown aside and the teach
ers talked very freely.
Among the leaders in the discussion
were Mr. Cooper Prof Brown. Prof
Van Colt, Prof. Roylance. Prof. Gillian.
Prof. Brimhall Prof. w. M. Stewart
and several outside teachers.
Superintendent Cooper. In enumerat-
ing some OF the essentials for success
full work In the school room. said that
where a certain hostility or lack OF
warmth existed in the relations between
teacher and pupil, where the atmos-
phere OF the school was depressing and
there was a feeling that all was not
going as II should. the chances were
that 1t was due to the attitude Of the
teacher toward the pupil. Pesslmism
on the part of the teacher would bring
about just such a condition. The teach
er who was looking for defects all the
time and expected to find them would
be very likely TO find them. While those
who expected good from the pupil gem
orally found it, James Hill, the rail-
way manager, once said he wouldn't
have man In his employ who was
not an optimist, and this quality was
doubly necessary for those who were
dealing with spiritual and intellectual
things.
Another teacher suggested the neces-
sity Of heart as well as head prepara-
ton on the part OF the teacher He
believed this to be the secret OF the
thing called personal magnetism. The
teacher should go into his work at the
white heat Of enthusiasm and he would
inspire the pupil with the same warmth.
Prof. ROylance thought teachers
should be rather more subjective.
There were some who got between the
subject and the class. and others who
were rather behind the subject than
In front OF IL His belief was that
those who put the subject forward were
the more successful.
Prof. Van Colt advanced some further
views on the theme. and believed that
whatever might be added TO the quail
fication. sound scholarship was the
foundation OF all success in teaching
Water could not rise higher than its
source and while scholarship alone did
not make the teacher ii was essential
With Il should come heart and hope
and the natural knack Of teaching
Economy OF time In the school room
was VI WHY SAN0A iitiRN4 ANHNt anu
should always be considered.
Prof. Gillian widened the scope Of
the discussion by speaking at some
length OF the influence OF superinten-
dents upon teachers. He didn't care so
much for head as for heart In school
work.
Prof. Royance took Issue with Mr..
Gillian on that Heart in reference to
the teachers work and influence was
another name Of character and DISPOSE
ton. There could only be developed
beyond what they were naturally by
education, by study. by training.
Superintendent Cooper being called
on. replied briefly. He did not think II
his duty. in visiting the school room. to
relieve the teachers and hear reclta-
tons in order 10 see what progress was
being made. That could be better esti-
mated by observing the teacher az his
work. And again. he did not hold that
he could teach the class better than
the teacher. As a matter Of fact, he
could not. There was only one person,
generally speaking, who could improve |
on the teacher, and that was the teach. |
er himself. To aid him In that should |
be the effort Of the superintendent.
Prof. Stewart thought II a great mis- |
take TO measure all teachers by the |
same standard. For his part he would |
not care 70 have teacher do every |
thing exactly as he did Il himself II |
the teacher had strong purpose. he |
would get at II best In his own way |
and as the speaker mingled more with |
men OF other professions, he found him
self growing less and less pedantic. Mr. |
Stewart didn't think teachers were
born. as another speaker held. but |
made. People were born with ten
dency toward one field or another. but |
all needed training and development TO
become successful.
So much was consumed In the discus
sion that the second subject, relative
10 courses OF study was not reached.
The Speer school In arithmetic, at the |
laboratory building was In session from |
$50 asm. and the work Of Miss Jordan
and Miss Barry was given much at
tention.