The Oriole, 1924-05

[FADED SCHOOL STAMP] Knowing does not come to us by details but in flashes of light from Heaven. THE ORIOLE Any sincere thought is Irresistible. Vol. 3-No. 9 MAY, 1924 Published Monthly by Students of the Maryland State Normal School. Towson, Md. PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND ETHICS OF THE TEACHING CRAFT. By Nicholas Orem Supt. Prince George’s County. Only a few years ago educational writers were defending the thesis "teaching is a profession”; but now happily within the last decade the professional status is that the teacher is accepted not only by the educational writer but by a large part of the intelligent laymen, who no longer tell the teacher how to teach, but who express in no uncertain terms their contempt for the untrained person who would attempt to teach. Only comparatively few years ago Dr. Payne said: ‘‘Teaching is the noblest of professions but the sorriest of trades.” But another writer said: “Teachers must never fail to rise to the greatness of their vocation — even as yet though poorly remunerative.” And still another: “Human life is the finest thing in the world, the trraining and development of it, the finest calling in the world." Thus we see teaching referred to variously as a calling, a vocation, and while its professional status is rapidly becoming fixed, this status will not and cannot become firmly and finally established until we who are engaged in its practice fix for ourselves and our calling certain and definite standards of conduct and a code of professional ethics that are recognized not only by ourselves but by the public in general. What is a profession? Webster says "That of which one possesses knowledge, a vocation if not purely commercial, agricultural, mechanical, or the like.” To classify a vocation a profession, MORE TRUTH THAN POETRY. What Normal is to teachers, What popularity is to the boys. What fame is to the Pests, What grammar is to English, What themes are to History, What projects are to Geography, Yea, yea, and more yeas What sleep is to Juniors, What commencement is to Seniors Gives but a slight idea of what Our faculty is to all of us. P. BAILEY, Sr. IV. those engaged in it must be able to answer in the affirmative these questions: 1. Is there a body of knowledge peculiar to that profession, a content of method, of practice, procedure and technique that can be taught, and which no one not possessing can follow the profession? Lawyers and doctors, “yes,” but teachers not yet. 2. Does its practice satisfy a public need, perform an essential public service of such nature that those practicing it have the complete respect and confidence of the public, who acknowledge its leadership and essential nature? For teachers, "yes ” 3. Are the standards of admission to its practice controlled within the craft itself as is done by physicians and lawyers? Not entirely so with teaching, although there is a rapidly increasing tendency in this direction on the part of the public. Stated another way: 1. Teaching will become or has become a fully recognized profession only in so far as members of the craft itself will or have fixed and jealously guard the requirements of admission to its practice, when those requirements are so standardized that to be a teacher will mean for everyone so engaged a certain minimum of qualification in its methods. 2. When methods of practice, procedure and technique of those who practice it have become so standardized, as they are rapidly becoming, and are so exact that to be a teacher will imply not only a thorough knowledge of that method, but a real willingness; nay, even keen desire to maintain and apply an acquaintance with changes and improvements in that method. What can you and I do to help make teaching a firmly established profession? 1. Know method and technique. If not, then teaching is but unskilled labor. 2. Keep abreast of the times, for the science and art of teaching is so rapidly improving that we cannot be content with what we know today. Matthew Arnold said: I would rather my pupils drink from a fresh running fountain than from a stagnant pool.” 3. Stand for a high standard of admission. Only last week a committee of the Baltimore Bar Association reported: “The best place for elevating the (Continued on Page 5) THE EXHIBIT OF THE VIENNA SCHOOL FOR ARTS AND CRAFTS. Talmadge A. R. Strong. I don’t believe I ever before saw such a combination of color in all my life as I did when I entered the room in the Maryland Institute where the work of the Viennese children was on exhibit. Red, green, blue and yellow, in many tints and shades, were the predominating colors which caught my eye. The exhibit was especially interesting to me because it was the unsupervised expression of the children's own ideas. As you would naturally expect, most of the pictures were of action: such as children at play, farm scenes and animals. What struck me the most forcibly was that many of the best pictures were painted by children from twelve to fourteen years of age. The picture which I liked best was painted by an Austrian girl fourteen years old. It was evidently a picture of springtime, for a little girl is standing with her arms full of flowers, which she had picked from the many which grew around her feet. Little trees, just coming into leaf, are on each side of her. A little bird is sitting singing in one of the trees. In the distance white clouds float lazily in the blue sky. The wood carvings were equally as good as the paintings and showed great skill. The one of these which I preferred was made by a boy thirteen years old. It depicted cavalry marching and showed great skill and thought, as even the smallest details were fully carried out. The school where this work is produced is in Vienna. It is open only on Saturday and Sunday. Any child who desires to may attend. The materials are furnished free of cost by the city. There is no instructor to suggest what to do or how to do it, so the children's own ideas and thoughts are expressed in their work. If the work is continued it seems evident that Italy will have many great artists. WHAT A DUMB-BELL! One of our girls was heard to exclaim upon seeing a pumpkin, "Oh, there is one of those jack-o-lanterns, but it hasn't got it's eyes open yet.”