Gorham State College - Hillcrest / Green and White Yearbook (Gorham, ME)

Page 9 text:

WHY WE TEACH SaMUEL anoatro Since my first year in teaehing-twentyvtwo years agovrl held the philosophical ideal that Teaehing Is A Prieileged Service; Not A Salaried Job. And, without in the least denying the need for much improvement in the economic condition of teaching, I still hold that fundamentally, teaching is a privileged service First. Hence, my title is not intended to stress the What we are teaching for in terms of monetary rewards. Rather nay aim is toward the objective For in terms of service and achievement for our own people, and toe humanity in general. THIS IS THE TRUE FUNCTION GF TEACHING as exemplified by the Master Teaeher-the Natarene. My approach to this brief discussion is undertaken on a basis of defense against undue attacks on publie school education, because attaeks have been Inant,r and serious, and because through that defense I may set forth our objective idEals. We do not tnind honest eritieisrn beeause eonstruetive eritieistn enables us to evaluate ourselves and so improve our efforts. But repeated undeserved attacks on the American Public Sehool can do snore hatrn to the fabric of American life than all the propaganda tnoths bombarding the nation's screen doors from with out . . . The Amefteon- Public: School is the only soeiol agency in our democracy exerting a whollyaanifying forte generally.I approaching a more normal practiced- equality. . . . All of the children of all the people, rieh, poor, of whatever eteed, raeial background, or political alliliation are exposed to the same educational experiences and opportunities . . . Most often, the attackers of publie school education charge that students no longer know how to spell; and they complain, we should serap all the tlfrillsH and return to the fundamental three-R's. . . . The best defense being a strong offense, I. would meet these diatribes somewhat as follows: I. There are no goodwatated spellers in the English language. There are onljrr varying degrees of Inernoriters-frorn college professors down. The fault lies not with individuals; the fault lies in the endless irregular forms of the language itself. . . . 2. Returning to the fundarnentalsl' would be a treesr good way for us to commit national suicide. I know we need not point this out to ourselves as edu- eatots, but it seems to be periodically neeessatsr that we bring it to the attention of Mr. and Mrs. America. Disearding out hard-won gains in public school educa- tion would be like disarming out future generations in the ever increasing strug- gle for men's minds. . . . We teach to liberate thinking and the truth shall make us frees than we ate. Future national greatness will not much longer be measured by strength of arms It will be achieved rather by general enlightenment. Critics of our public: schools sometimes find fault with so-ealled progressiveH education. Theyr object to the freedom of the democratic procedure involved which they choose to interpret as ehaosi But the modern teacher, knowing what she is about, is creating learning situations which are related to life. Nearly no- body pretends to know anything about medicine and law. Henee, little or no eritieisnts there. But nearly EVEIYbDIEIY and his second cousin knows all about teaching merely by passing by and looking,r into 0111' schools.

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Fundamentals in education must neceesttribj.F change with the needs of pre- greeeive eeciety. Hence, these fundamentals which suffered fifty years age are he lenger adequate. Such needs then, are in no wise frills. They are essentials. Briefly, 1 went to list what I feel are ceneidered essential fundamentals in the educational endeavor of our modern society. I dc: this with apelegiee ten the specialized teachers whe are experts in their Fields. SCIENCE: The sciences are absolutely indispensable te the very life of a modern nation. Our children eheulcl he steeped in the sciences item first grade en. thud we de expose them through integrating experienceej . . . We deet he the eciehtihe eppreeeh. LANGUAGES: Five at six major tenguee eheuld be included even in our elementary schcele, at leeet cm a cenveteeticnal heeie. Nething helps peeple un- derstand cine amether there than having a feeling'! for the iclietne ei ene anether'e languages. . . . We teech fee wertd understandings. THE SOCIAL STUDIES represent knewledgee of human events and trends -paet and present. Gut future citizens must Imeeeee a wealth of knowledgee and understandings in these areas in erder te deal intelligently,r with werld problems. . . . We teach the wettd eehcejite. HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATIUN, tegether with clean, uncom- mercieiieed eperte represent the safeguarding of healthy, happy future American citizens. Games teach ce-erdinetien, eelf-relience, team-werk, end ce-eperetien. Our men in battle eituatiene have given ample prcucnf Elf SHPEIiDFitY .in all branches ef the armed Eercee. Reeeen? When unusual situations arise, they are able tct meet them, individually through eeltlrelience, end cellectiveiy threugh team- work heceuee theta;r have net been restricted by regimented discipline. We teeeh te eehieee the ideal: settnd minds in hehtthy hediee. ART AND MUSIC ere cultural aesthetics which lend beauty and enjoy- ment to living. These universal languages teeter inteilectual appreciations among all peeplee and helps us th teach that men tteeth net by breed etehe! I am making me attempt to develop this diecueeien as fully.F as I might have dene from the Maine Teachers! Aeeeciatien convention platform fer which event this presentation was curiginttll'g,r intendedt But an extended summary wc-uld have brought out ether-Whet 1W e Ate Teaching Fete: By our own eeciel attitudes We teeeh te perpetuate the epitit ej independence compatible with demecrecy. We teach te preserve end preteet httt' freedeme, ESPECially the freedom of worship, freedcntn of speech and ef the press in which we Clare question even presi- dential interference . . . We teech th strip eehdeeceheti-hg hypeettey team the ideet ef tetemhee. In its place we would instill The Brethetheed of Meet: end the Fethetheed ef Cred!