Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-07-04
THE DEEPER SCHOOL PROBLEM

The conference al the State Univer'
sity this week between DR.. Suzzallo of
Columbia and the teachers in the state
normal school is significant of the
careful attention that Is being given to
the subject matter and the methods of
the instruction impaired in the public
schools.
The question, Is not pedagogy, or the
formal and professional training Of
teachers for their vocation. held in
rather low estimation by many regular
University professors as distinguished
from those In normal schools? was the
first to he put to the lecturer from Col
umbia. and was propoundod by Presi-
dent Kingsbury.
The answer given is well worth not
ing IT was that the problem of educa-
| ton In America is "A new one and is
not to be solved upon European mod
els; that we are today seeking TO edu
cate the whole OF the youthful popula-
| lion. while until now education as such
was received by comparatively few peo-
| pie. aud those few the ones who by
| inclination and leisure were especially
easy to educate; and that America is
plunged into the midst OF the new prob
lem OF educating her children for Am
erican standards of life, which have
really no parallel in other countries
| without any adequate preparation on
| the part OF either the schools, the public
or the University faculty, for the ac-
complishment OF any such a gigantic
task
The teachers profession, Doctor SUI
GALLO holds. IS an art rather than a
science ana depends upon two factors;
namely, his general education and his
personality or teaching power. There
is little use, he suggested. in teaching
methods in general, but only in Illus
tratlng good methods In particular
| branches, nor does either general
philosophy or history OF education do
very much 10 make the teacher more
sklllful In presentation. This latter
power or exquisitlon II attained from
a knowledge of child nature and more
especially from n sort OF intuitive in
depreciation on the part OF the teacher
Of the feelings, degree of comprehen-
sion, and motives of the child al work
IN the school room--the state, that H.
NJ the child's mental attitude as evil
denced by the expression OF his coun-
tenanco, his Involuntary gestures OF
other signs, and his apparent interest
In what he Is doing. The successful
teacher Is the one who can read these
spontaneous signs OF appreciation OF
tho lack of II on the part Of the child
Then. like a business man seeking IL
succeed IN dealing win a customer, the
teachers interest In the child and II
the subject matter wlll IL both these
interests are really and strongly fel
BY the teacher, lead to a successful
manner OF presentation 10 the pupil
Is there danger Prof Stewart asked
In the present tendency 10 enlarge tn
place given 10 manual training anC
vocational skin in the schools and il
the public demand for something In tn
schools more practical than the regu
lar subjects are held by the public 4
bof And the doctor thought that then
is both danger and the realization q
: some Of our best educational ideals II
/ the public demand FOR vocational or In
! dustral work In the schools The dan
! ger lies In the fact that the unedueate