San Jose State College - La Torre Yearbook (San Jose, CA)

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Education in a democratic government such as ours is the greatest of all undertakings for the promotion of the national welfare, and public education is today recognized as the greatest constructive tool of the state. In a country such as ours, With its diverse population groups, its freedom, and its chances to make mistakes as well as to achieve success, the teachers in our schools render an inconspicuous but a highly important national service. That this service is often not appreciated, and probably never over-estimated, should not deter those entering this great profession from rendering the largest service of Which they are capable. In this new profession of yours I Wish you the largest opporre tunities for usefulness both to our children. and t0 the national life. ELLWOOD P. CUBBERLEY. lPage 211

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m A GREETIN G To the students of the State Teachers College at San Jose the writer extends a most cordial greeting. You are there preparing your- selves to undertake one of the most important services that it is ever the privilege of one person to render to another. You are also prepara ing for a service which stands second to no other in its importance for the future of our republic. Public schools exist; to be sure, to impart information and to train young people for success in life, but our people have in mind purposes far greater than these in maintaining the extensive system of education which they do. If these were all we could put education on a tuition basis and let those who found it of any value pay for it to obtain it. Rather, we maintain our systems of public education to train our young people for personal usefulness in life in a large way, for intelligent participation in the form of government we have set up and evolved, and to awaken in each a sense of individual responsibility for the character of the environment in which he lives. This calls for knowledge, but still more for clear thinking, personal integrity, and for the development of large personal initiative. ,Probably, one of our greatest future educational problems is that of how to increase our governmental effectiveness on the one hand and individual responsi- bility for good government on the other, while at the same time retain- ing the best of our democratic life and that type of training which develops individual initiative, foresight, and personal force. That our schools have deeply influenced the progress of our land and shaped the thinking and actions of our people cannot be seriously questioned. They have, in the past, been clearly expressive of our national life and spirit. The results of the work of the teachers in them show today in our national attitudes, our personal force and initiative, our personal independence, and in the general intelligence, good judgement, poise, and productive capacity of our people. We do, however, lack somewhat in state and national effectiveness because we have been trained to exercise our force and initiative in such an individ- ual manner. Only in the face of a great national danger do we cowoperate well. Two at least of the Virtues we now need to develop to supplement our characteristic national traits are a stronger sense of individual responsibility for the common welfare, and a broader out- look on the life and problems of the world as a whole. lPage 201

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W DW-z-Wt , , WV am What the Training School Should Mean to the Student; . of San jose State Teachers College With approximately five hundred normal, active children on the campus, the students of the Teachers College live in an atmos- phere that keeps before them the work for Which they are preparing. The Training School provides: 1. A constant opportunity for the observation of children While being taught by modern methods. Both class and individual obser- vation are provided for. Students should form the habit of Visiting the different grades of the training school even When they are not working for credit. 2. A school in Which the best ideas in all the different depart ments of the College may be applied under varied conditions. 3. A practice school where prospective teachers may try their skill after'being prepared by trained supervisors Who also guide and assist them during the process of teaching. 4. A laboratory which provides opportunity for research for the advancement of elementary education or for the exercise to students in developing the technique of securing first hand data in the classes in Educational Psychology and Measurements. 5. Finally the training school by illustration of the practia eal application of modern ideas in education such as silent reading. the project method. or scientific drill lessons should have a beneficial influence upon teaching in the entire state. For illustration, as this is being written fifteen teachers from a nearby city are Visiting the training school. They asked especially to see work in projects and silent reading. In additiOn the director of the training school keeps on file bibliographies upon practically all the subjects in the elementary school curriculum and any teacher Who desires information or advice on such subjects as the teaching of spelling, arithmetic, primary reading, etc., may secure helpful information by Visiting the training school or by writing. From another standpoint the training school is rendering service that is just as valuable as are any of the five points already disa cussed. By providing a modern type of education to children from over four hundred progressive families the influence upon parents in demonstrating to them the values of the modern school is sure 'to have its influence in helping to bring about educational progress. The training school has an active Parent Teachers Association that meets every second Friday of each month. Students may profit by attending some of these meetings. GEORGE E. FREELAND, Principal Training School. lPage 221