The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-09-18
SCHOOL WORKERS
EXCHANGE IDEAS
Good Meeting of Principals and
Teachers.
NEEDS ARE POINTED OUT
ENCOURAGING ADDRESSES BY
PROMINENT EDUCATORS.

All the principals and teachers of the
city schools met yesterday in the as
sembly room of the new Lafayette
school to listen to addresses upon
school work. The principal speaker
was A. c. Nelson, state superin-
tendent of public instruction. who
took for his subject, The School.
It's Organization, It's Teachers and It's
Curriculum.
can see no reason why the school
year of l904-5 should not surpass any
previous year. We have the best corps
Of teachers the schools have ever had.
and there is perfect harmony between
them and the school board"
In thus quoting from the report OF
the clerk Of the city board of education.
Mr.. Nelson added. Il believe that the
clerk Of the board did not resort to any
eXaggeration of facts when he reported
that every indication at this time points
10 the most successful school year the
city has ever had.
1t is eminently fitting that we should
meet today to discuss acquaintance.
Last Monday morning nearly 1000
children entered the schools of Salt
Lake City for the first time. These
children came representing the home
training and influence of an. almost
endless variety of conditions. These
materials form the warp and woof Of
which you are asked 10 weave a fabric
that shalt contribute to the strength
and efficiency Of our national welfare.
And ] wish to make the contention
here with earnestness that the most inn
portant service Of school life is not the
rurveying Of a little information. but
of nj rrt-Ir
Of living together i'm harmony and mu-
tual helpfulness. II is in our public
schools that our national unity is to be
conserved
Pressing Social Problem.
Mr.. Nelson went on TO outline the
difference between the influence of
home and that Of school training, and
10 emphasize the necessity for eradicat-
ing all tendencies towards exclusive
ness THE pressing social problem of
today is TO prevent cleyage between
the rich and the poor. If our schools
do. not train children for upright man
hood and pure wOmanhood they fail
of their highest utility
sir. Nelson cOntended that utilita-
rianism was i'm reality the most real
form of humanitarianism i'm many
cases. The superiority Of American en-
gineers over Englshmen in the man
Hgement of the mines in South Africa
was the means of bringing about the
most important educational events of
this year. one of them being the com
ing Of the Mosley commission from
England
The speaker regretted the fact that
the former functions of the home and
church in training the youth on ethical
and moral lines are being transferred
20 the school But" he said. Eve as
teachers must meet the conditions with
renewed energy and vigor.
1T is true that some of our large and
heavily populated communities have
given rise to complex organizations
which craTup the Observation-Disclosures ap-.
probably destroy the usefulness of
those Immediately charged with the
education of the child. Such hamper
ing conditions do not surround you
here in Salt Lake City. The machinery
Is simple and necessary. With such
conditions as prevail here the indi-
viduaIity Of the teacher is unimpaired."
Superintendent Nelson dwelt on the
great advantages possessed by a teach
or with q pleasing personality But
he said. ut was necessary over and
above this for the teacher to have a
thorough grasp of the subject to be
does not have, neither can she intelli-
gently direct or inspire her pupils to
acquire knowledge Of a subject of
which she is ignorant. l know of moth
ing more helpful for a teacher than for
her TO pursue a definite course of study.
Ii matters little whether it be closely
or remotely related to her work
In conclusion, fellow teachers. per-
NIT me to congratulate you on the IA
Vorable conditions under which you en-
tef your work Of this year"
Why Changes Are Made.
d. H Christensen. superintendent Of
the city schools. took for the subject of
his address, The Teacher and Her Re
Iation 20 the Course of Study" He said,
in part.
There are certain studies now being
taught in the public schools which
were formerly deemed fads, but are
now considered necessary to the educa