Page 33 - 1916 February - To Dragma

1 1 2 TO DRAG MA OF ALPHA OMICRON PI

A sad case that the writer examined was that of a g i r l belongin
to one of the "best f a m i l i e s " who so continually cheated in e
aminations and in her daily work that her teachers could not tru
her and marked her accordingly. T h e mother on finding out th
cause of the girl's failures condoned her behavior! H e r father, to
supported her irregular methods, saying to her, " W h y did you le
them catch you?"

Instances without number could be cited to show the successfu
working of this scheme; and it is noteworthy that the parents, i
general, stood squarely behind the school authorities in their effor
to secure good discipline, attendance and scholarship.

REALIZING OUR IDEALS

M E L I T A S K I L L E N , E '11 Canada

Dean of Women, Brandon College, Brandon,

" Y o u must be converted and become as l i t t l e c h i l d r e n " say
Christ.

" Y o u have the child's character in these four things—humility
faith, charity and cheerfulness. This is what you have got to b
converted t o , " says Ruskin.

Thus one great teacher commands and another interprets; on
tells where the essential qualities of character are to be f o u n d , th
other studies their native abiding-place and discloses them. Is ther
better expression of the outstanding requirements of the teachin
profession to be f o u n d anywhere?

We who have chosen or been forced into the task of trainin
young minds, have learned our lessons of psychology and pedagog
in the various schools through which we have passed. T h e name
and theories of the foremost thinkers and writers about child-lif
are, of necessity, f a m i l i a r to us a l l , east and west, north and south
and, as we enter upon our work f o r the first time, most of us se
our wills to establishing some system worthy of our education. W i t
l o f t y ideals of discipline and noble ambitions to make of ourselve
teachers different f r o m the commonplace type we know so well, and
a firm conviction that we are properly equipped to meet the need
of this generation, we proudly enter upon our first term of teaching
We a l l know how, as the days and months pass, our pet theorie
are one after another destroyed, reality becomes the iconoclast of
cherished ideals, bewilderment, rebellion, discouragement and utte
weariness come upon us and roseate hues fade into d u l l blues and
greys. These are experiences common to all teachers; the difference
lies only i n the response to these stimuli.