Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1914-11-28
MORAL TRAINING in OUR SCHOOLS
(MRs. MAY GREENWOOD

world 1t is all we take with us. 1t
seems that the world was created
and man placed here for the express
purpose of developing right character.
1.-THE glory of the lite below
Is not in what we do or know
But dwells for ever more for
what we are"
Moral training is much the most
important part of teachers work
Though an accom- plished disciplin-
arian, thoroughly educated, and
skilled in imparting instruction, if
this be neglected, the teachers work
is a failure
If pupil is to be immoral, carry
ing the contagion of sin TO others,
the less power of leadership he has
the better. The man or woman of
corrupt character is a great menace
TO society if given the mental train
ing supplied by our best schools.
You have read this declaration of
the National Education Association:
1.-The n. E. A. wishes to record its
approval of the increased apprecia-
tion among educators of the fact
that the building of character is the
real aim of the schools and the ulti-
mate reason for the expenditure of
millions in their maintenance
Professor Cove, for many years
superintendent of the Denver schools,
and once president of the n. E. A,
used to say that if our public school
on which it would be wrecked would
be immortality.
Children are natural imitators.
They will speak, think, and act like
their teacher. You can never teach
what you do not know, or lead where
you do not go.
Emerson White in his School
Management, one of the most helpful
of teachers books, says, eff the
writer had the power TO make one
law for the governing of American
schools, and only one, and that in a
single sentences law to be written
over every school room door - he
would have little difficulty in de-
termining what it should be. 1t
would be in about these words: mo
man, or woman shall enter here as
teacher, whose character and life
are not fit models for the young to
copy"
When i was a child our superinten-
dent decided one year that all the
city schools were to close with public
oral examinations. Our teacher as
signed US our parts long before the
last day. and drilled us individual
ly on them. We never afterwards
had the least respect for that
teacher.
Another teacher once had three
pupils in her highest class. In Geog-
raphy she had one learn to draw the
north coast of Asia, one the east and
one the south coast. Neither could
draw either of the other outlines and
that was all the map drawing they
ever did. When the county superin-
tendent or company came, which was
not often, the class was sent to the
board and parts assigned and they
made fine exhibit of map drawing.
You see it is easy to give lessons in
dishonesty.
Please do not misunderstood me.
Those beautiful memory gems, the
little exercise songs or concert recita-
tions that the pupils delight in, the
flag salute and school songs are quite
different. Those are intended as
special memory treasures. Company
will enjoy them at proper times.
They are worth repeating and are
just what they appear to be.
Its pleasant to talk of those things
that are true, honest and of good re-
port.
1t was morning of teachers ex-
animation at our High school. Some
young ladies holding first grade
certificates were waiting in the
library for the time to write some
paper for grades in the new subjects.
and quiet little third grade teacher
was consulting reference books.
A young lady who had a certificate
but wished to raise some of her grades
came in with the first set of oues-
Iions' mo use," she said, 1--we Civ
en- it up''
Read us the questions and we will
tell you what you should have writ
ten-''
20 please don't, Just wait mo-
ment. / have TO write that set.
wanted to look up something first. /
am going now; This from among
the reference books
She would have had to do nothing
but sit still TO have heard a thorough
olsucSslon OF those questions, and
certlhcate meant so much to her,
But quietly, simply, as matter of
course, she refused to listen.
III L were a member of a school
board L would rather employ a teach
er who would do that even if she had
but third grade certificate than
one with a diploma from the best
educational Institution in the county.
OF whose honesty 1 had doubts.
Years ago, we mothers told our
school board what teacher we wanted.
We all thought her the best in the
county. She taught our school and
we were not disappointed. One of
the nneSt lessons she taught us was
near the close of the year. Some of
her pupils were to write the county
examination.
All the questions for both days of
examination were given TO the teach
ers though there was week or two
OF school between the Two examina-
ton days. She refused to take the
questions in that way as she said in
selecting them out for the first -iay