The Detroit times., 1911-11-03

Republic. is recommended.
,I.-.-.-.-.-s.-.-s-.-s-s-s
Schoolma ans only just turned
twenty, and some whose silvered locks
bespeak long years OF service; young
men just out OF college and professors
whose shoulders are bending with
burden of knowledge crowded the cor
ridors and rotunda OF the Hotel Cadil-
lac, Thursday the hotel being the
registration headquarters OF the Mich
igan State Teachers association,
which opened a two-day session In
the afternoon. Prof K. A. Lyman. OF
the Michigan State Normal college,
Ypsilanti and president OF the Mich
igan State Teachers association, said
that the registration already exceeded
1000 with prospects OF reaching the
5000 mark This promises TO be the
largest number Of delegates TO attend
an annual convention in the history or
the association
There are many noted educators
from different parts OF the country in
the gathering, who will take part in
the programs. Owing to the large at
tendance. convention sessions are
held simultaneously in the Wayne
Gardens and the Light Guard armory.
The speakers In one hall at the close
OF their papers will be taken In taxi
cabs to the other hall, to deliver the
same addresses
The convention proper opened at
O'Clock with the annual address or
the president, music by Mrs. Eleanor
Hazard Peocock soprano, OF this city,
and prayer by the Rev. A. IL.
Cameron, OF Immanuel Presbyterian
church. President Lyman spoke on
Ideals OF Education and In part
said:
II is dlffcult. ~ not Impossible, TO
define our ideals, but we can indicate
their Significance by saying that yy tney
are things that we Judge 70 ne gooa
and worthy OF pursuit Ideals must
possess superlatiye characteristcs,
They must be the conception OF goou
tnings that nave reached the stage ot
perfection No one person possesses
all that is good. and perfect. Indeed
no cne person possesses a single qual-
ity that has reached the hlshest ue
. gree OF perfection. Hence the lucai
teacher the ideal school. the idea
pupil, in fact. ideals in general must
Sc creatures OF the imagination
/ fenr that II the ideal teacher eN-
isted N the teacher who possessed all
Of the good qualities OF ali OF the good
teachers that ever lived, and these IN
superlative degree OF perfection,
fear that IL this teacher was present
among us and did not possess any bad
qualities lie would as some have SAID:
nut the rest OF US out OF business; IL
there were very many OF his KIND
Put. however far ideals may he be-
yond the possibility OF realization. what
a person Is and what he makes OF nm
self depends largely on the Ideals ne
ri.
whether his influence is TO be FOR that
which is good, or that which Us BAD,
depends on whether his ideals are LOFTY
or low Perhaps no one ever sctuahY
attained his ideals. certainly no one
can ever he better than his Ideals.
All successful teachers have some
definite ideals which must oNershadow
all other considerations. II the puplls
arc TO be developed into men ana
women OF character and moral back
bone, they must feel the influence OF
teachers who have hlBh lueals anu
high standards
Graft and Political "PuIl"
we are not pessimIstic and We know
chat the world is full of good men and
women but IL we look about us we
can sec business men winking at dis
honorable methods 20 gain the al
mighty dollar: we can see graft In
politics and plenty OF IT; we can sec
men in important political positions
and even in important school positions
.vho spend more time in working for a
pull than In attending 10 the duties OF
the position they hold, who do not
hesitate to use questionable methods
to further their own personal ambition
instead OF working for the interests
OF the institution they represent. We
have but to notice snch things as these
sto reatiZe the influence for good that a
teacher with character, moral back
hone, scholarship, culture and eff
cheney can exert I'm shaping the lives
Of Young people.
hat n
has outlived his usefulness by the time
he is i5 or so years old. and that no
school board will employ him, and that
consequently, the teaching profession
is not a good profession for young
man 20 entor. except as a makeshift
for alfew years.
- 40 not hesitate to say that the
*Scacher who Is no longer useful at the
nge. OF 45 or 30 really never was useful
IN the true sense OF the word and cer-
tainly never gave a school board any
reasonable excuse for employing him
at all for this is the time OF life when
q teacher should have attained his
highest degree OF efficiency, because hc
has had time and opportunity to try
-oIl-hIs- theories s-and-aee eumulate- and
digest fund OF information which
can hut make him useful I'm the highest
degree.
e or course n a teacher spends his
time In being a good fellow and in
working for n pull: IL he spends his
time I'm devising means to suppress all
subordinates In order that all credit
FOR things accomplished may accrue to
himself or for fear that he may he
.pvershadowed by n stronger character
Ia has not mach time to wock TO make
2irself efficient IL really does some-
.Nmes take the people n number OF
Fears 20 find out such n teacher hut
they are sure 10 find him Out -eNantu-
aliy Ho may even continue i'm school
work TIL he reaches the age OF Is or
So -hut-the- time ~ sure to come when
no school will employ him.
-. The same might be said OF the SUBJ
= brdinate teacher who thinks he is much
petter qualified to hll the place occu-
pied by his superior than the person
holding the superior position, and