Albuquerque morning journal., 1913-11-25
NJ 'FARLAND MAKES
VIGOROUS PLEA
FOR TEACHERS
Retiring President Of Educa-
tionaI Association Gives
Valuable Suggestions in An
nuaI Address,

In his annual address delivered yes-
terday before the New Mexico Educa-
tional association, Professor w. b..
Mcfarland, superintendent OF the Si.
Yer city public schools and retiring
president OF the association. made n
strong plea for the teachers. His sub
iect was "Somc Suggestions for the
Improvement OF Teachers Already IN
the Service Professor McFarland's
address follows
II Is probably sofe 20 say that most
teachers are made. not born. else
most of us would have Co DE born
again. The born teacher Is not an ex-
tinct species and happy lis he whose
certificate rs heavon-seut. hut the
born teacher is so rare that. while
he Is not yet classed with the dodo
and apteryX, he is as seldom seen as
those other rare BIRDS the born ora
tor, and born musician. and the born
painter. Whatever debt of gratitude
and administration we may owe to
those souls that burn with Prone
thean fire. the fact remains that the
worlds work Is not being done by
genmses, but Il Is being done by ordi-
nary people, who have devoted "a fair
degree of Intelligence and high de-
gree of conscience, and such humble
virtues as courage ana persistence, to
rendering themselves efficient.
The statement OF the topic implies
two things. First that many Of our
teachers are a more or less inefficient
lot: second, that their Improvement isI
conditioned largely on external stim-
uli. / shall take it for granted that
the teacher already in the service had.
at the beginning of her career. aver
age attainments and capacity. But
the teacher who has passed the proba (
tion period without exhibiting prom /
Use. and has a positive way OF perss- T
tently missing the point, ought to be +
cut off without benefit of clergy To /
be sure her official execution should I
be done with "a due regard 10 the die F.
tates of humanity. This discussion Is /
not for her But # is for her who Is /
capable Of good work but for some
reason has not gotten started in the
right paths.
Upon the superintendent more than
any other agency depends the im- I
provement OF teachers after they be- /.
come members Of his corps. Next 10
the selection Of teachers in the first
place no function OF his office Is OF
higher concern than the training Of
mis- teachers to higher efficiency, for /
upon the selection and training OF
teachers depends all school progress.
There are no good schools where there
are no good teachers and the pres
once Of one or two poor teachers in a
building greatly reduces the quality oil
the schools work.
The superintendent may or may not
he of great aid TO his teachers by class
visitation and inspection. Il Is largely
a matter Of manner 1t is said that
an experienced observer could tell in /
parliament which way the ministe- /
rial wind was blowing by noticing the /
way In which Sir Robert Peel threw
open the collar Of his coat. A teacher
need not be very old or experienced TO I
tell which way the executive wind is
blowing when the superintendent vis-
its her room Woe betide her IL the
wind blows strongly and continually
from the east.
In small cities like those Of New
Mexico, a superintendent finds IL pos
sible to meet his teachers frequently
and to gather an intimate knowledge
Of the scholarship and working pow
crs Of each one, here he notes those
personal traits ana habits which are
sure indiees of character here he dis
covers in the management Of the
school the presence or absence of
ideals and Of correct educational phil.
he takes note of economic or
" asteful methods. Then, in confer
ence with the teacher afterward, with /
patience and tactfulness he endeavors
to correct whatever of faulty manner
or method he may have observed. OF
course he never crticises her before
the school, but the praise which is
her due may very properly be uttered I
in the presence Of her pupils His APP
proval of her work is a powerful slim
ulus both to teacher and to school,
Often such a word of praise has cre-
ated for the teacher a favorable sentl-
ment where some antagonisms have