Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1913-11-21
Superintendent Wilson's Address
at the Normal
CBy W. NJ. wIcKHAMJ

are before me in session, teach your
pupils that they are to be citizens of
Oklahoma. Deal with them as the flu
ture supporters and directors of our
commonwealth. A few more years
will change the scene--the teacher
will go to his grave and the student to
shoulder the responsibilities of direct
ing and building our state.
Teach them the truth This is
an old induction, but today still there
is nothing worse than falsehood. The
boy and girl allowed to grow up with
this habit, ninety-nine cases out of a
hundred. will irreparably be bound by
the force of this habit and you are
familiar with its psychological aspects.
and woeful effects. The trouble with
us teachers and parents is that we
make conditions favorable to lie.
Pedagogically We should avoid plac-
ing children in an attitude conductive
to falsifying. Make conditions favor
able for telling the truth and then they
win be stronger to suppress the lie by
reason OF the habit of truth.
Establish the confidence of your
pupils in your integrity as man or
woman. When you have thus won
their respect are you most efficient
as q teacher. Students form opinions
of you which when they have been es-
tablished are almost ineradicable.
Years after memory win picture you
to them in the same light and upon
meeting. their opinion of you will
still be unchanged.
II believe that the teacher should
~. h. M N hn
communitay. BY that / do not mean
that they should attempt to run af-
fairs for In that case It would be i'm
proper and the community would soon
run them out But the teacher by
reason of her position should mingle
freely in the social and religious af-
fairs of the community reciprocating
the confidence of the parents and stu
dents with whom and for whom she
works. The fullest confidence and CO.
operation should be reposed in the
Board who will always respond heart
lily with the sympathetic. efficient and
loyal teacher.
"The great question confronting us
today is not the monetary one; 1t is
not the traiff, but it is the moral
question. The splendid achievements
wrought and the brilliant outlooks of
the future is fraught with the seeds of
moral dissolution. The church is en-
deavoring to stem the tide; 1t cannot
wholly stop It, II therefore remains
to be attacked by the public school
teacher. who in conjunction with these
other agencies spends five days in the
week with the pupil. where the Sun
day. school teacher spends but one, A
great responsibility therefore rests up
on you to influence those under your
charge so that they may come to be
stalwart and upright citizens and thus
perfect the warp and woof Of moral
fibre on which alone enduring great
ness and achievement of the individ-
ual and state alike rest.
Now your students of the normal
who are to become teachers. ] pre-
sumo this, for in the midst of the hot
fight for abolition OF some of our
schools last winter. / have gone up
and down this state contending that
you were here for that purpose. I
want to say. that in taking up the
teaching profession. you are entering
a profession with meyer nay.
"The monetary rewards are small
but above and beyond this is the
splendid reward of satisfaction that
you have eiven yourself to the unlift
of your fellow man: given yourself tc
the ameliorsting of untoward condit.
ions; surrendered yourself and in sc
doing have won the plaudits not only
of YOUR own conscience but the smoker
and unspoken praises and veneratior