The Oriole, January 1923

Live To Your Utmost And Your Best The Oriole A Genius Creates, Talent Merely Copies. Vol. 2-No. 5 JANUARY, 1923 Published Monthly by Students of the Maryland State Normal School, Towson, Md. MISS TALL’S INTRODUCTION OF MR. COOK. State Superintendent Albert S. Cook spoke to us at Assembly in December. In introducing him our Principal said that he believed in his profession. He is a skillful diagnostician. He knows strength in a teacher and encourages it; he detects weaknesses and knows what remedies to apply to overcome them; he understands the education of the very little child and knows whether a first grade teacher uses progressive methods in reading. He knows that a teacher can make a mistake, but his friendship endures and he helps that one to more fully overcome such. He is generous, impulsive, keen, witty, and merry. But above ail else, first and foremost, he is a teacher himself. A CALL TO TEACHERS. Mr. Albert S. Cook visited Normal School last Monday and each and every one of us is the better as a result of what he said to us. Although Miss Tall partially prepared us for something very unusual and exceptionally fine, we, ourselves discovered our State Superintendent. We feel the concensus of opinion of the student body is, if our Superintendent has so much faith in us, so much confidence in the far reaching benefits to be derived from Normal Schools (especially our Normal School), that we will of necessity just have to make good, measure up to his standard of the conception of what a teacher should be and be loyal to the ideals and standards set up as a result of Normal training. Superintendent Cook took occasion to express his unqualified approval and delight with the activities of Maryland State Normal School. He said “I do not want you to feel that I am trying to say anything flattering about this school. The State Board of Education and the State leaders are absolutely sincere in believing that the State Normal Schools are the most important things in the State of Maryland." The teacher and the teacher's preparation are of greatest importance, and because we believe the prepartion of the teacher of such importance, we feel that Normal School are very essential. The State of Maryland now has, in addition to this school, the Normal School at Frostburg and will have another at Salisbury.” Our Superintendent expressed the ALBERT S. COOK Our State Superintendent [portrait photograph of Albert S. Cook] hope that tuition in a Normal School would be free just as our high schools are free. The fact that we have on roll five hundred and five students is pleasing and gratifying. The matter of enrollment is a thought which called forth statements that very effectively answer the cynically critical attitude evidenced by some people or factions. Mr. Cook stated emphatically "No school system ever provides empty rooms. If there is any school system that does, please tell me. Neither does it provide seats for pupils who are not ready to go to school.” Crowded conditions are hound to obtain Cor a period of time. It is impossible to get appropriations until we can demonstrate to the people of the State that there is a pressing need to remedy existing conditions. Looking over the large body of people now preparing to become teachers, Mr. Cook remarked: "I realize that a large percentage of you are not going into this profession as a life job, this is one reason why we have to have so many teachers. The State is not losing anything by training you because I believe that the training you get here at Normal School is the best possible training any woman can get for becoming a *home maker.” Referring to a recent address he made to the Sisters of Mt. St. Agnes, located at Mt. Washington. Md., Mr. Cook said that when he realized he was addressing a body of women who were pledged to a life job in teaching, the experience was such as to cause him to become nervous, because never had he addressed so many women whose avowed intention was to teach school during all the years of their life. Referring to a statement made that most of the boys were at Normal School for the ulterior purpose of eventually becoming doctors or lawyers, our Superintendent expressed himself as not believing that they were in school with that idea in mind. He said "I believe that the majority of those having entered the profession will stay in it. And why not? Is there a profession more honorable, more worthy of giving the best that is iu us, one tjhat is freer from commercialism and fuller of opportunities to be of service to God, to country and to mankind? And for those who complain there is no chance to grow, for promotion, answering in Mr. Cook’s own words “There is plenty of room at the top.” Why? Because there are so few people prepared to take positions at the top. You may be surprised when I say to you I know of at least five or six important school positions in the State of Maryland that will be vacant in the next six months. We will fill one vacancy and thus create another. The people who are ready to occupy these positions that I have in mind can he counted on the fingers of my hand." The tragedy of the situation is that so many go on teaching year after year, looking forward to occupying some desirable as well as lucrative position, but never taking the trouble to prepare themselves for the position. One of the most important teaching positions is that of County Superintendent, and our speaker added, there is no reason why a woman should not occupy that position if qualified to do so. The State Department, through the agencies of the County Superintendents, the supervisors and principals, are always seeking to discov- (Continued on Page 4)