South High School - Tiger Yearbook (Minneapolis, MN)

Page 16 text:

Sitr Ualur nf lf-firltanr? in tui nt £ifc Why is it that the work of different pupils in school varies so in quality? Many would answer, “Luck! such and such a person is so smart that he can get his lessons easily, while I have to work and work, and then never get them.” This may be true to a degree, for all people are not gifted alike, and quickness to grasp ideas and to learn principles is given to some, while others have more physical power. Yet every one must put good, conscientious effort into his work to accomplish anything. No one can get along without study. But, one characteristic, above all others, counts in the rating of a pupil’s work, and that is self-reliance. What do we mean by the term “self-reliance.” and how do we apply it to school work? It is that in a man which makes him independent of his neighbors and fellow-men. This is a quality too often lacking in a student when preparing his lessons. It is so easy to ask some one else to translate a difficult passage in Latin or to solve some problem for us. The lesson may be learned in much less time and with far less effort, so why is it not all right? The results of this dependence on others speak for themselves. A poorer grade of work is done thruout. What is learned so easily is also easily forgotten, and bv recitation time it often has so far slipped the memory that one can recite only poorly. Besides, a why? is often asked that cannot be answered, because it has not been really studied out. A pupil generally realizes this, and has no confidence in himself, so he halts and stumbles, making a bad impression on teacher, classmates, and himself; when a test comes lie has no thorough mastery of the subject to rely on, and so resorts to carrying small papers, covered with notes, or having figures and words written on the back of his tablet or even on his cuffs to which he may refer, and thus he gets a mark which he does not deserve, and it stands for nothing to himself. Of course, everyone who is not entirely independent in his studies, docs not go thus far, but it is always easy, once one has started in a wrong way, to go on from bad to worse. And every time he lets some one else do his work, he deprives himself of just so much mental training. In the end it is not what we learn, or the marks we get in school, that count, but this training of the mind. Then, too, if a person does not begin in youth in the schoolroom to be self-reliant, when does he expect to begin? He will depend on others for help in everything, and will never rise to the top, whether it be in business, in professional, or in social life. On the other hand, the value of self-reliance is immeasurable. While the work at first may be very poor, especially if one has been allowing others to do his work for him. in the end the results gained will far out-balance a few low marks. What we learn in school will very probably be entirely forgotten in a few years of business life, but we shall have had such training that the mind will be strong, able to think and to act readily, and we shall go ahead 14

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at our own instigation, not dependent on some one else for our thots, actions, and even words. In any crisis it will always be the one who has learned to rely on himself, who naturally assumes the leadership and is the most helpful to other men. Even in school he will soon learn to he self-reliant, because he knows he has done his best and has honestly tried, and in many cases, tho with a poorer beginning, he will finally rise above the one who depends on others. Even if this is not so, the self-reliance in other directions, and the mental training gained, will repay him for all the effort, tho seemingly wasted, that he has made. In looking back we wonder why there is so great a lack of such independence. Many students seem incapable of thinking of the future, but value the marks they receive more highly than anything else. There are many to whom all lessons are hard, and by honestly working at them, at first they see no good results for they win no satisfactory marks for all their efforts, while, by getting outside help, they can at least gain a passing mark. It is hardly to be wondered at that these students prefer to receive the good marks and let go the added benefit to themselves. If only the pupil would go to his teacher with his difficulties, and ask for her help and advice, she would be glad to give it. Teachers try to understand their pupils, and to show an interest in their struggles and discouragements. They endeavor to reward honest effort, even if the results are not what might be desired; but teachers can not give help when they do not know that help is needed or wanted. There are many outside circumstances which hinder a pupil's work, and he often has difficulties that the teacher can not know about, unless he tells her. If he would only inform her of these things, she would understand better in what way to help him, and they could co-operate to send out into the world men and women who are thoroly self-reliant. MARY E. IIOSKK.V 15