The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-11-22
TEACHER HAS
OPPORTUNITY
IN COMMUNITY
Nay be Leader in Rural Com
munities of the State,
Dean Kennedy Says
CITES POSSIBILITIES

The teacher has great oppor-
unity as a leader in the rural
communities, Dean Joseph Ken
ncdy of the University of North
Dakota, told the TEACHERS before
the rural section, elementary edu-
cation, at the high school this
morning. Dean Kennedy said:
"There is no doubt that the
teacher, through his manner, ac-
tions, looks, and speech, is great
influence in the life Of a child much
teacher is before the child much
longer, usually, than the parent.
"The power of suggestion IS
very very great in childhood
and youth, especially. This is
the most impressionable period,
when children are moulded in ac-
cordance with what they see and
like. 1t is a principle of human
nature that we grow like unto our
ideas and ideals.
"This is the leason taught by
Hawthorne's Great Stone Face
Little Ernest locked long:ngly at
the Face and imagined that there
would be a great man, who should
embody all the good characteris--
ties which Ernest had imagined
were exemplified in the stone
image. AS a result Ernest grew
more like his ideals as time went
on and finally he became the un-
conscious fulfllment of the prop
hecy.
another example is of fam
ily in the East who had a beauti-
full picture of naval scene hang
ing on the wall, during the years
when their sons were growing to
manhood. The children all wished
they were in a similar situation.
According, as each boy grew to
manhood he ran away to sea. A
visitor to the home said that the
picture was the cause of all this
sorrow.
So it is! person cannot live
even with great picture for
years without being influenced by
it; and if this is true of mere
artificial production, how much
more true it must be with a living
person.
A teacher will get the echo OF
his own nature and character in
the thought and lives of his pupils
An untruthful teacher cannot
teach truthfulness; dishones
one, honesty or an impure ONT
purity. While some of the chill
dren may be deceived all the time
all the children cannot be deceived
all the time. Sooner or later the.
will devine our true nature ant
consequently we are standin,
suggestion for good or i'll in tn
schoolroom and community.
1t is often the case that tn
teacher is a much greater influ
ence in the lives OF children thai
are their parents. In homes wher
there is much qusrreling, scold
ing and whipping, the atmospher
is always frigid and all the mem
bers are ION edge" In sue
places it is human nature to &C
contrary to suggestions. Often
is the. parents who are to blam
when the children become unmar
ageable and must go to juvenil
court. Parents often do not kno,
how to plant the seeds of sugges
ton in the child's mind and hear
There is way to every child
mind and heart if it can be foun
and approached correctly. If W
do not come as friends we will M
be admitted.
1t is for this reason that man
inmates of the State Trainin
school at Mandan are as huma
and humane and law abiding {
the superintendent could desir
He wins their confidence and n
spect and as a result his sugge
tions are readily adopted ar
practiced.
1t has been said that we grow lii
unto that which we know and low
In fact, an ideal is nothing mo
than an idea covered with a sent
ment which we love and strive
realize. An idea is merely intelle
tual, somewhat cold, and rather
weak motive; but an ideal is war;
center of enthusiasm, and high
motivating. We love our ideals b
only think about ideas; and there
nothing stronger in the lives of h
man beings, as a motive, than 10,
A pupil will do anything for teac