Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1906-12-18
TEACHERS ATTEND
VACATION SCHOOL
"MARMS" EXCHANGE PLACES
WITH PUPILS

sion Of Annual Institute-Super=
intendent Talks Of Heredity
and Environment
Nearly 5000 city ard county public
school teachers gathered sterday
morning for the opening sessions of the
annual teachers institute, which will
continue daily through the week.
The gladstone holldav season for the
care-free pupils will be a week Of
study and deep thought for their teach
crs-a time when pupil and teacher
change PLACES.
Early yesterday morning the teachers
assembled at the various places Of
meeting and were busily engaged in
discussing the plans for the weeks ses-
sions. The women were i'm the major
ity. with here and there a man in the
assemblage. The 1ratty little school
harms will have to put Christmas
presents out of tier minds for at least
during the sessions, and with studious
brOws listen to the latest methods of
teaching the ruly and unreceptiVe
minds of their you. charges I'm all the
branches of Tearing that comes under
the common school ducation-and then
some more.
The program mapped out. which was
printed in full in yesterdays Herald,
is ono of great interest and help to the
sHucators.
The county teachers meet in Simpson
gather at the poly high" In the aft
gather at the POLY high In the aft
ernoon the various grades were taken
up in the different rooms eighteen ses-
sions being held.
DR.. Moore Speaks
The city teachers opened their ses-
sion at the Polytechnic high school with
the singing of America" which was
followed by the opening address by f.
G. Moore, superintendent of city schools.
DR.. Moore was very emphatic in the
expression of his ideas of heredity and
environment, which created quite a
sensation among tie assembled teach
ers. According 20 the cory of Super
intendent Moore q child cannot be born
a drunkard, insane or consumptive, but
that these tendencies can only be in
herited from afflicted parents. He said
in part:
This is a fine day for us all to come
together and to become better acquaint-
ed with each other and to learn more
on the lines of educ lion. The way to
do is to speak to people and not stop
outside Let us make this great edu-
cational success.
Il believe one great axiom of educa-
ton is theory. l think that we can
stand much more of 1t and that 1t is
not limited to any one th-lg.
1--WE see things from different stand
points, and L think that a mind full of
question marks is open for improve
ment and should be encouraged.
"All science is classified with rules
and general i1eas, and these ideas are
Important factors. If you will honestly
tell me of eight principal points of your
belief 1 can tell you what you will do.
-tThere- is a man who goes around
town saying Get right with God, or you
will go to hell l think that If person
gets his heart right on general views
and principles the latter will blossom
of themselves.
1--WE are inclined to aim too low in
the affairs of life. If 1 were to employ |
a carpenter his good faith in his work |
and tools, knowing his qualifications,
would be much in his favor for me. 1t
is so in educational affairs-a hearty |
zeal must be put forth for good accom- |
plishments.
1T is a common belief that free will |
is all powerful. regardless of associates
or environments. The question is. If
man commits murder, could he have
done differently? l contend that he
could not, as his environments and edu-
cation has made him a murderer long
before he committed the act. He had
not been properly reared and the muir
der was the result of the substance of
his improper life. l think that every
man is the product of education bring
ing up.
"The will is the expression of our
thought and if according to the text,
'Ye shall know the truth and it will
make you free it is quite important,
for it is the truth that makes us free,
and it means much whether we use it
in its fullness.
Suspicious of Heredity
"As to heredity, I think that a false
light is often put upon it. There are
various attributes connected with it. If
a blacksmith with strong muscular
arms has a son, will that son inherit
the strength and muscles of his father?
If a parent plays the piano, is the son
a pianist? Certainly not from heredity,
and the child of a criminal parent is
too often looked down upon and wrong
ly accused because of the faults of his
parents This is not right. The parent
may be q drunkard, but that does not
signify that the child will inherit that
to shirt sleeve in only three genera
tons is preposterous.
1.-THE Bible statements have colored
our views. Ezekiel is responsible for
the following interpretations, which it
would be well to cast out Of your
minds:
1.-The sins of the father shall be Wis
tied on his children even unto the third
and fourth generation
"'Fathers have eaten grapes and the
children's teeth are set on edge.
superintendent Moore further said:
In cutting off the tails of mice it
does not indicate that the progeny will
be tailless mice And the small pinched
up feet of Chinese do not indicate that
the children will be born with pinched
up feet.
1T is said that insanity is inherited,
but no careful student says that a
child is born insane. He may tell you
that he may become insane, but never
born that way. Consumption is not
hereditary disease, but II is contagious.
and that is where the trouble comes in.