The Texas Standard, Volume 22, Number 2, March-April 1948 Page: 11
19 p. : ill. ; 29 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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TEXAS STANDARD
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Education Today
And Tomorrow
• Continued from Page 3
and is affected by, management relation-
ships.
WHAT WILL SCHOOLS OFFER
The United States of America is com-
mitted to a democratic way of life. We
are therefore, committed to a person which
prepares people for living in a democracy.
A national culture that will produce a
citizenship qualified to lead a democratic
life demands complete cooperation among
both individuals and groups.
The character of an educational sys-
tem is determined by its philosophy ob-
jectives and/or purposes. The most ac-
ceptable idea underlying educational ob-
jectives is the growth of the individual
so that he will act wisely in the social
group of which he is a member. Acting
wisely in this connection is to be inter-
preted as acting in such a way that he
will make the greatest possible contribu-
tion to society and at the same time re-
ceive the greatest personal satisfaction. As
a point of departure in the discussion of
what will schools offer, it is deemed neces-
sary to state what is considered three basic
ideals essential to a clear conception of
the democratic way of life in the Amer-
ican culture. These are:
1. Respect for the worth and uniqueness
of each individual. The development
of uniqueness of individuality implies
the development of personality. Per-
sonality is derived from a social situ-
ation. It is nurtured through the at-
tempts of the individual to make ad-
justments to life situations. In mak-
ing these adjustments an individual
deserves the respect of his fellow-
citizens.
2. The exercise oj intelligence in the
solution of life problems. Funda-
mental to the operation of a democra-
cy is the universal exercise of intelli-
gence, by all citizens in an attempt
to deal with, and solve the practical
problems of life.
3. The right and responsibility of each
individual to share in the common in-
terests and purposes of the society.
Individuals must possess the ability
to cooperate with others in social ac-
tion. They should have the desire, op-
portunity and disposition to work co-
operatively with others on social
problems of common concern. For
this ideal to be realized adequately
individuals must make contributions
to the welfare and progress of the
social group; they must be tolerant
of and have an appreciation for others
who hold values that differ from
their own; and they must have a
sense of responsibility which moves
them to put into practice social proc-
esses that tend to correct social in-
justices which will progressively en-
large the area of harmony and extend
liberty to all members of the culture.
This can and will bring about the
maximum of each individual.
Full human development is a major
objective of a school, therefore, the es-
sential offerings in a school program must
be wide and varied. The list of minimum
essentials for an adequate educational pro-
gram is much longer than is found in the
majority of our schools. At least the fol-
lowing pupil services and experiences
should be available in a good school: for-
mally organized classroom teaching, edu-
cational and vocational guidance, library
services, extra-curricular activities, work
experiences, junior placement services,
transportation services, health services, in-
cluding nutritional, medical, dental, nurs-
ing, psychiatric and camp experiences.
The only item in this list of minimum
essentials for a good school that is now
universally provided is formally organized
classroom teaching. Furthermore, the na-
ture of much of the classroom teaching
at present within elementary schools, sec-
ondary schools, and institutions of higher
learning leaves much to be desired. It has
been observed that the lecture-textbook-
memorizing type of learning does not occur
in any life experiences save in the school.
Teachers at all levels would do well to
become familiar with and utilize the meth-
ods by which people learn outside of
school.
Alexander Pope's statement of many
years ago would be a good motto for all
teachers:
"Men must be taught as if you taught
them not, and things unknown proposed
as things forgot."
THE PROFESSIONAL STAFF AND IN-
SERVICE TEACHER EDUCATION
We must be more exacting in selecting
the people who are to take teacher-edu-
cation programs in our colleges and uni-
versities. We should require at least five
years of pre-service college training for
teachers.
The curricula of our teacher-education
programs for both elementary and second-
ary school teachers need sharp and im-
mediate improvement. Elementary school
teachers need to have much more subject
matter education than they are now re-
ceiving. Secondary school teachers need
much more work in such fields as child
psychology, guidance and the psychology
of emotions than most of them now have.
In the future, all teachers must recognize
the importance of understanding and
sympathizing with children. J. G. Um-
stattd, (1) Professor of Secondary Educa-
tion, University of Texas, described the
picture of our teacher institutions of to-
day when he stated:
. It may be said in general that
our teacher-education institutions
throughout America should remodel
their modes of thought and remake
their programs to supply the service
demanded by the extension of public
education.
Instead of exerting educational
leadership, some so-called teacher-
training institutions in the past have
actually impeded educational prac-
tice and now find themselves on dry
islands surrounded by public schools
that are trying to solve the prob-
lems of their youth. Far too many
institutions of higher education,
dedicated to the preparation of
teachers, have heretofore retreated
from battlefields of reality into
the haven of the printed word, there
to reside in security, tranquility,
sometimes indolence. There they
have worshipped the past, condoned
the present, ignored the future. No
person "trained" in such institutions
is qualified for the task of a teacher
in the school of today. These back-
ward colleges are not able to orient
youth toward the future because
they themselves face the past. They
possess no equipment with which to
arm youth for the solution of the
problems they face in the modern
world . . . The time has come for
many of the educational institutions
which prepare teachers to remodel
their modes of thought and to follow
the lead of those that have kept
abreast of the times. Our teacher-
education institutions must extend
their philosophy of education to in-
clude more thought of the present
and more consideration of the fu-
ture. This change in mode of
thought is "basic to the remaking of
teacher-education programs to satis-
fy the demands of a modern pro-
gram of public education. While
remodeling its mode of thought and
remaking its program, there are two
specific extensions that the teacher-
education institution should make.
The first is increased aid to the in-
service teacher-education programs
in the public schools. That aid
should not consist of the giving of
extension classes. It should consist
of the establshment of teacher-edu-
cation centers, in cooperation with
one or more local school systems.
The teacher-education center re-
quires the services of a leader who
has a sound understanding of the
source and nature of many aspects
• Continued on Page 12
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Colored Teachers State Association of Texas. The Texas Standard, Volume 22, Number 2, March-April 1948, periodical, March 1948; Fort Worth, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth193748/m1/11/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Prairie View A&M University.