The Daily Missoulian., 1914-06-15

UlSCONCICA Dy lIt CIllluT6n, But even
worse than this his dislike may be the
cause of dislikes in children for certain
subjects of study. The important
question, therefore, for any teacher to
ask is, What shall I do to like any
subject of study" The answer is so
simple and so easy that it is almost
impossible to get teachers to believe it.
Act toward a subject as If YOU liked
it, and you will eventually come to like
it. Acting towards a subject as if you
liked it in the long run means a mas
terry of the subject, Whenever one has
reached that place where he can think
in terms of a subject, and perhaps
dream in 1t, he will like it. Most the
interests we have in this life are ac-
qured interests. We have as many in
terests as there are fields in which we
have a sense of mastery. These inter-
ests, therefore. vary in intensity as
ones degree of mastery varies. If one
says II don't like this subject it is
usually a safe answer to say, No won
der, you don't know anything about it.
If you We're to attend to it as carefully
as you are attending to some other
things. you no doubt would have
greater fondness for ia Although the
theory is current that interest is the
basis of attention, it does not state
more than half the truth. 1t is quite
as true that attention is. the basis of
interest, and it is quite as important
for pedagogical purposes.
The fourth of the great causes of
failure is weakness in discipline. Thir-
teen failures out of 100 can be attrib-
uted to this. This. of course, is not the
time nor place to enter upon a discus
sion Of the causes of weakness in dis
cipline. That so many teachers fail in
it should give us much concern. 1t is
clearly a problem for the supervisor.
No matter how much the educational
reformer may sneer at school discl-
pline, it is still one of the most i'm
portant causes of teacher mortality.
One tenth of all the failures in
teaching can be accounted for by lack
of sympathy This weakness usually
expresses itself on the side of conduct
in a domination of the weak, or in an
austerity and aloofness of disposition.
On the side of method it usually eX-
presses itself in unreasonable assign
ments and in an unWillingness to give
individual assistance. 1t is a we'll
known principle of psychology that the
effectiveness of teachers depends upon
intimacy of contact between the teach
er and the pupil. This principle is of
tremendous significance in the field of
morals. The most stable moralities eX-
list in those groups that are bound to-
gether by n consciousness of kind"
The more dependent this consciousness
is upon intimacy the greater the varie-
ty of things that may be taught and
the more likely are the moralities to be
emotionalized as ideals of conduct. IT
must also be clear that intimacy is of
supreme importance in the intellectual
field. cold, reserved unsympathetic
teacher may train children to be cold
and logical machines but it must be
remembered that intellectually does
not necessarily make morality. The
cold blooded man of intellect must be
tested out in terms of human emotion.
Children must not only be taught to
think logically, they must be taught to
think imaginatively. Teachers who re-
fuse to participate in the activities of
children, who are no longer touched
and rhrilled with youthful enioyments,
who seem to be mentally incapable of
working with the children. should be
requested to vacate in favor of those
who are sympathetic with the interests
of children.
The sixth cause of failure is inability
to cooperate. 1t is responsible for
seven failures out of a hundred, This
m it,r jc fln a taH tn la aaly Of
sympathy. Everyone recognizes how
Fundamental cooperation and sympa-
thy are in organizing and administer
! ing system of schools. Every sue
cessful superintendent expects intelli-
gent CO. operation of his teachers. If
the superintendent is man of visions
and ideals as well as a man of scholar
ship and insight he gets the spon-
taneous CO. operation of his teachers.
If he is a narrow minded pedant or an
| ignorant demagOgue, he eoerces his
teachers to follow blindly after him.
True leadership covets frank criticism.
authoritative leadership discourages
criticism OF every kind. The true
leader eliminates those who though
willing are unable to cooperate.
Teaching, like every other calling, has
a few of those unfortunate creatures
who would like to follow suggestions
but who are never able to do the right
thing in the right way. They follow
| instructions to the letter, forgetting
that it is the spirit not the letter that
| is desired. 1t is a fortunate fact that
there are but few teachers who are
temperamentally unable or lack that
| intelligent insight SO essential for CO.
operation. But these few wherever
they are found, should, without fear or
| favor, be dropped from the corps. No
system can exist, nor can an effective
J organization be maintained so long as
these disintegrating agents are per-
mitted to remain.
The next five causes of failure are
relatively less important than the six
that have been described, for the rea-
son that they occur less frequently.
Six out of every 100 failures are due to
an unprofessional attitude six to ig
norance of subject matter, three to dis
loyalty, two to immortality and one to
| poor health.
An unprofessional attitude expresses
| itself in variety of forms. From my
own personal experience know that it