The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1911-09-10
TEACHERS ARE
STATE-BU|LDERS
SPERINTENDEN RICHARDS SETS
FORTH THE TEACHERS RE-
SPONSlBlLlTY.

= 4 teachers institute was held a,
the high school building all lasI
week, for the purpose of planning
and unfying the work in Ardmore
schools for the ensuing year. The
normal instruction given, and the
discussion Of methods by the teachers
Themselves, made the sessions most
interesting and helpful, but the real
feature OF the institute was the
series Of short talks 20 the teachers
given by Superintendent Richards.
These We're meant to be inspira.
tional to give the teachers a sense
OF his awful responsibility in I'M
dertaking to shape the development
Of human souls. and TO give him n
vision of the greatness OF his work
and its wonder, and to fill him with
enthusiasm and passion for his sd.
cred task.
These talks touched on matters so
vital to society, and NJ the same
time revealed so much of the per
sonaity of the man who made them
his profound knowledge of the
erea; educational principles, his grasp
of the great modern conception of
human life, his passion for his work
that it seems well TO give an cpl
tome of few of them.
On Tuesday morning Professor
Richards spoke ON the equipment of
the teacher for his task The teach
er, he said, belongs 20 a great army
Of half million, which is in large
measure shaping the ideals and the
character of the nation. This throw.
upon him tremendous responsibility.
Realizing this, he must lose himself
in his work-lose his life TO gain il,
in the lives of others.
Having such a great task before
him, he must have thorough equip
mtnt. The poorly equipped teacher is
a menace to society. The teacher
should have thorough knowledge of
three things:
/. He should know the material
with which he operates.
II. lie should know the method Of
operation.
Ill. He should know the material /
upon which he operates
lie should know, and know thor,
oughiy. the material with which he |
operates the subjects taught, and the |
manner in which these subjects eX- !
ercise the mental powers of the child, |
and help them 10 develop.
lie should know the most approved
methods OF bringing the subjects be-
fore the child in such a way as to
attract and interest him, and know
how to bring his own personality
TO bear upon that of the growing
personality he is to assist in its de.
velopment.
he should know the material upon
Whica he operates, the child. \ child /
Is not a small man or woman, to Ne
treated as such. \ child IS an embry-
onlc concentration Of all the past
metal moral and physical experiences
of lis ancestors; it is an epitome
Of the race. Life began with single
cell, and evolved through the ages
into hiehe" and higher forms until
at last il reached the human. Since
then it has been developing into
higher and higher forms of human
life, with rich soul experiences. The
child is an epitome Of all this eN.
1euenCe. And in lis growth il re-
produces, briefly. the great periods
IF the past As an embryo 1t goes
trough the physical changes. as a .
'hild, the memal and moral changes
So there is a period in a child life
when il is barbarian and nothing .
II the world can make it a Greek.
t must be treated as barbarian.
hat is. as being having the needs
md cravings Of the stage of racial
'Nistence known as the barbarian. It
wants 20 climb, and fight, and is
He'd with tendencies Of savage
.aIme. The task of the teacher. is
ot 10 kill out these tendencies that ,
: an impcssibility-bu To give them 4
uch activities as will make taem ed. +,
cational forces in the life of the
hild
\ child lives over. or is capable of
wing over. all the past experiences
( the race. Now human experience
as been had as well as good. The y
5acher must try to eliminate the =
ad and direct the life of the child p
0 that it lives over only the good. ;
The different mental powers of the
hid develop a, different ages. Thu,
le Imagination comes first. reach II
~ its Towering stage at about the f,