Gunnison news-champion., 1917-01-19
OUR MUTUAL INTERESTS
c. 5. y. s. News Letter

The right to congratulations and ap-
plause in the school business. like one 8
daily bread. is earned by honest daily
work; never by merely asserting that
the world owes one . living or that the
world owes one recognition and ap-
plsuse. The patrons Of the schools.
being professional in education.
often lack any reasonable basis for es-
timating school results Thus il some
times happens that they are victimized
by lethargie self-sdmiring schools and
school men. This is 80 often true that
not until the layman, educatiooaily
speaking. becomes so well Informed
that he can distinguish school efficiency
from dishonorable peace in school af.
fairs. will he be able to know what kind
Of school and teacher he is taxing him
self to support.
In the light Of the foregoing remarks
the most encouraging and sensible wish
tn express for either the school or its
graduates is that both may feel dissat-
isfied with what has been accomplished;
that both may hear the call to Q great
er work toward which only the initial
steps have thus far been taken; that
the sense Of self may cease to be IN
obsession and an obstacle; that both
may joyously enter the fray TO win
against hslf-truth, prejudice, conceit,
consentionaiity, and inactivity. 10y
atty to = greater working program will
do more to build up . school and its
graduates in their several places of
usefulness than the highest degree Of
clannishness can ever do There 10 no
virtue. in the great business Of educa-
ton. in pinning ones faith unshskably
to an institution or q group Of individu-
ais. But there is virtue in pinning ones
faith TO a great ideal. And IL q school
and its graduates can agree to battle
together in the quest Of what will best
serve their day and generation. they
must necessarily be mutually Ioysi.
II matters not SO much what the
length of attendance at a school has
been: but what the attitude. Attend
ance upon a teachers training school
for a summer. or for two years, means
nothing II the motive was merely phys
ical comfort, the mercenary pursuit of
a state diploma, to obtain temporary
recognition as a candidate for a new
position, or simply idle curiosity. Such
motives lead nowhere and produce moth
ing worthy. On the other hand, are TO
be found the students anxious to define
and re-define their educational philos-
ophy and aims; to discover the. prob
lens that are to be faced so that they
can meet them squarely; to put them
3 hn NJ <~s
for society's greatest service; TO strive
to place all that is best under tribute 30
that they may be ready to add their
personal contribution to craftsmanship
in teaching.
This latter class constitutS the In
spirstion and the hope Of the tanning
school They. by their works, prove Its
excuse for being. Since engaging In
actual teaching they have thrown their
personal talent, their energy. and their
unselfishness into the balance on the
professionalism in school education.
evitably so; but they work rather than
talk or scheme for it. They are the
salt of the earth.
1t is sheer presumption for any school
to claim credit for having produced
such teachers as these; yet it is not un-
usual for these teachers to give the
school credit To them the school has
been a means to an end. Theirs, and
the better part. has been the honor Of
having used to good purpose. such IA
cjlities as the school affords. Fortu-
nately for the school the public is &C.
customed to judge the institution by its
graduates. This explains and consti-
tutes the Indebtedness Of the Normal
School to those brave teachers who are
on the educational firing line oblivious
to discomfort and lack Of appreciation.
overwhelmed by frequent disappoint-
ments and burdens almost too heavy to
support. and yet, withal. determined to
win in the fight for greater humanity.