--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - McKay, David O. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 22 number: 10 published: 1919-08 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'McKay, David O., "Teacher-Training Classes," *Improvement Era* 22, no. 10 (August 1919): 899–907.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera22010unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera22010unse start_page: 899 end_page: 907 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1919-08) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera22010unse publication_year: 1919 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1919, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Teacher-Training Classes TEACHER-TRAINING CLASSES 901 which no Teacher-Training class has been organized. We un- general boards of derstand that the recommendation of all of the auxiliary organizations, and ako of the General Authorities as they relate to the priesthood quorums, is that once a week all officers and teachers of the associations of the ward meet for the purpose of getting facts, of learning methods, that will better enable them to reach the souls and lives of the boys and girls in the classes. The Bishop's Duty to Organize the Class It is the bishop's duty to call the heads of all the auxiliary associations at least the president of the Relief Society, the superintendent of the Sunday School, and Mutual Improvement, Primary, and Religion Class presidents, in council meet- approing the express purpose being to choose by unanimous val, by prayer, and under the inspiration of the Lord to which they are entitled, some man or woman in that ward who will stand as a leader, as a teacher-trainer of the young men and young women who are going to take the course. It is the bish- others op's right, of course, to name him, but he will ask the for suggestions. The Teacher-Trainer —His Qualifications and Duties In that connection, may I merely suggest that the teachertrainer be chosen from the ranks of those who remain more or less permanently in the ward. You may have some man who the stands pre-eminently, perhaps, as an educator; but as soon as school year closes, he may go to some other place. Then you are left; the result is that there may be a feeling that there is nobody else to succeed him, and your teacher-training move- ment receives a setback which it may be difficult to overcome. Better have one even less experienced in the science of peda- gogy and psychology, and who is permanently residing with you, and above all, whose heart is in the work of the Lord and in the Teacher-Training organization established for the in- struction and development of those who have to teach the youth of Israel. After all, the technical learning is secondary, if we keep i 902 IMPROVEMENT ERA stands pre-eminently as a preacher, as a teacher of righteousness. However, the teacher-trainer should not be a preacher. The teacher-training organization is in every sense of the word a class. If you members depend upon the teacher-trainer for giving the lesson, expounding it as he would expound a principle of the gospel from the pulpit, you will find that there will be little development on the part of the teachers. Expect preparation from all the officers and teachers from all auxiliary organizations, and all that the teacher-trainer Is to do is to guide in this and that elucidation of the lesson, and topics of the lesson assigned. You may have preachers in tliese teachertrainers, but you will not have the development of the class. It is a class in every sense of the word, and every officer and teacher of the Mutual Improvement Association is expected to prepare on each particular lesson, and recite promptly when called upon. So, under the direction of the bishop, in consultation with all these local officers and teachers, the teacher-trainer is chosen. When to Hold and How to Conduct Classes Next', it is suggested that four lessons be held during the month. The time of meeting will be determined upon by the bishopric of the ward, in consultation with those who are interested. If no priesthood meeting is held Sunday morning, it is suggested that 9 o'clock Sunday morning would be an excellent time. — But we have no right and neither is it desir- — able to suspend the priesthood quorum when it is established to study at that hour. Where the priesthood meeting is held Sunday morning, the class may be held at another hour during the week most convenient to all interested. On the first week, the time will be devoted to The Art of Teaching; the second week, separation into auxiliary groups; the third, consideration of The Art of Teaching; fourth, separation into auxiliary groups. That means simply this: that at the first night assembly or first Sunday morning, we meet for opening exercises, under the direction of the bishopric, the Sunday School superintendent, by the request of the auxiliary associations, conducting the exercises. After prayer and singing and any instruction which the bishop may have, the teacher-trainer then presents to the class The Art of Teaching, and develops the lesson assigned. There is no separation into groups, the hour is devoted only to the consideration of principles underlying the art of teaching. One week from that time we meet in the same place under TEACHER-TRAINING CLASSES 903 the same conditions and the same body of workers; but after opening exercises, the Relief Society members, officers, and teachers retire to the place assigned; the Young Men's Mutual Improvement officers and teachers go to their place assigned; the Young Ladies', to theirs, etc. Function of the Auxiliary Group Now, what most concerns us this morning, what most concerns all the classes throughout the Church is, what shall be considered when we meet as a group of Mutual Improvement officers and teachers, and as other groups, in that hour? It has been suggested that this be the application hour; and the thought has become quite general that the lesson which was developed one week before in The Art of Teaching will now be applied to each particular auxiliary group work. That, however, is not practical. The lessons from 7 he Art of Teaching —"How to get attention," "How to keep order," "How to question," The difference between a leading question, a direct question, and so on —all those principles will be applied in every lesson that you prepare and present. Better spend the time of that auxiliary group in consideration and preparation of the lessons which are to be given to your Mutual Improvement workers. That is what you need. Every teacher must be prepared on his or her lesson when he or she meets those boys or girls; for, mind you, your presentation of that lesson, your altitude toward the truth in that lesson, will largely determine the boys' and girls' attitude toward it, and their attitude toward Mutual Improvement work in general. You turn them away next Tuesday night from your class feeling in their youthful hearts that they have received nothing by coming, and you will find difficulty in getting them to come back the following Tuesday. But on the other hand, if you have thrilled them, or if unable to do that, if you have given them one thought which has appealed to them, you will find that their intention and desire to return will be manifest by their presence one week later. So, this hour may be devoted to the consideration of the specific lesson which will be given either one week or two weeks hence. President Brimhall has explained to us a course of study for the Mutual Improvement Advanced Senior class. He has named eighteen specific lessons, every one of which contains from one to many truths vital to the advancement of those boys and girls along the road to eternal life. But who has the responsibility of presenting those vital truths to our parents and somewhat indifferent boys? You, my fellow teachers. You . — 904 IMPROVEMENT ERA have the responsibility of abstracting from the lesson those truths which will be not only vital but appealing and applicable to the students! Preparation Now we come to the second heading, "The Lesson and Application." I want to assume that I am now a member of the ward, teaching in the Mutual Improvement Association, and I have come to the Teacher-Training class for the second week. After the opening exercises, I pass into my room with my fellow workers in the advanced class of Mutual Improvement workers. The lessons which have been assigned for consideration the next month are four. The first of these, which I shall present two weeks hence, I will assume is the lesson (which I have picked out at random because you have all had it) in the Improvement Era, (Vol. 21, Jan., 1918, p. 273) entitled, "The Ethics of Industry." Now, what is expected of me before I go into my Mutual Improvement work? First, that I have read that lesson (read everything in the Manual and all references pertaining to it) But, after all, I have been reading the lesson prepared by some other person. I have not yet made that lesson mine, and until it is mine, until I feel that I have a message to give to those boys and girls, I am not prepared as the Lord has asked me to prepare when he calls upon me to give his word. It must be mine, what I want to give to the boys and girls, is what will count when I meet them. Outlining the Lesson And so it is my duty, before going into this group on that second lesson day, not only to have read what is said here, but to have arranged that lesson in outline form so that I can give to my class a definite message. The following is only suggestive: Subject: The Virtue of Industry. Text: Doc. and Cov. Sec. 58:26, 29; 75:29; 60:13. Aim: Industry merits divine reward; sloth, divine rejection. Definition: Sloth — disinclination to exertion or labor; laziness; habitual — indolence: sluggishness; "sloth is the mother of poverty." Industry quality or habit of attention to any useful or productive pursuit, work, task — manual or mental; earnest, steady, or constant application to business Industry begets wealth. I. — One's heart must be in work 58:26-29. II. Element of diligence should characterize all we do. 1. Mission- — ary work particularly 60:13. III. The reward of industry— 130:18, 19, 20. IV. Relation of rest to industry 59- Q -19. Illustrations: The Savior, Abraham Lincoln, Joseph Smith, President Grant. TEACHER-TRAINING CLASSES 905 Application: Not specific vocation but in study and probably world problems. You will note that I have chosen, because I know niy boys, this message called the Aim: "Industry merits divine reward; sloth, divine rejection." Boys, I know it. I believe it. Now, the question is, can we lead them to think it. I find that I have had to rearrange the topics given in the Manual ; and so, as I come before the brethren there, I say, "Brethren, you have asked me to give this lesson two weeks from now. I would like to present to you the way in which I am going to give it. I have thought in the first place, I would like to give to those boys the following message: "Industry merits divine approval, divine approbation, divine blessing; and sloth, divine rejection." First, I want to show them that their hearts must be in their work ; second, that the element of diligence must characterize all that they do; and third, that every diligent effort put forth receives 100 per cent reward. Now, I believe it; God has spoken it. "First, then, I will just say this, and all my heart is in it: " 'For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things, for he that is compelled in. all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward. Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness.' "I will present that to the boys. The first condition is to have your hearts in your work. Love your work, whatever it is. — Blacksmithing? boys, love it. School teaching? Love it. Preaching the gospel? Put your heart into it. The Lord requires diligence." "Well, but the boys will say, 'I do not love it.' " There is the secret. They do not love it, because they do not understand it. There was never a child who could do something and do it well, who did not like to do it. Haven't you noticed the little children in the class when you have presented some thought which awakens a thought in the child's mind, and you ask the question — how eagerly that little child pleads for recognition? Why? Because the child has something to give. The man, fixing the automobile, delights in repairing it, because he understands that; but you who do not understand it, dislike it. You cannot put your heart in it, simply because you do not understand it. There is the secret. Whatever your work is, learn it. Industry? You will never learn it by slothfulness. That leads right to the next point, logically, putting in enthusiasm, putting in the elements of diligence. And what a beautiful application to missionary work Turn then to the 60th ! —; 906 IMPROVEMENT ERA Section, 13th verse, of the Doctrine and Covenants, and there is the admonition of the Lord to the missionaries: you are going forth to teach. Diligence and industry are required of you no wasting of time, no slothful attitude toward your work, and so on. Third, "Industry inevitably brings its reward." A beautiful section not mentioned in the text, but which came to me as I — prepared it Section 130: whatever principles of intelligence man attains to in this life will rise with him in the resurrection and that comes through his own effort, and it will be an eternal reward and determine his place in the next world. Whatever degree of intelligence we have attained to will be the result of our own individual effort. I present this to the other workers, my associates in that class, other senior teachers. One says, "That will be all right, but I have placed in my outline an element you have left out of yours." "What is it?" "The element of rest, as it relates to industry." "How would you present that?" I ask. "Well, what does the Lord say in Section 59 about keeping the Sabbath day holy, and why? 'That thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world.' That you may conserve the energy which you put with industry and diligence into your work. (I am paraphrasing.) That you may store up the energy to make more successful the performance of your duty. To keep holy the Sabbath is one of our slogans." I accept this suggestion, and improve my outline. The Illustration Then, as part of my preparation, I present to my associates suggestive illustrations of the truth that God approves of the industrious, and that he disapproves of the slothful. For example, Abraham Lincoln. Do you see him studying there by the lamplight, by the firelight from the wood in the grate, in the old fireplace, away late in the night, struggling industriously? Did God bless him? Or, the Prophet Joseph, what was the gospel to him? Everything. "If my life is of no value to my friends, it is of no value to me." "Thy will first." All in the work of God. Perhaps for the boy who likes baseball, I would use the story of President Grant. Do you know his companions laughed at him when he started to play? How did he win their confidence? How did he win the championship? He put his heart into it. Industry. In music, in all the worthy accomplishments ot life, what has brought our leader where he is? Industry and 907 TEACHER-TRAINING CLASSES These are illustrations to the guidance of the Spirit of God. be used as necessary to make the lesson clear. Application not yet prepared But my preparation is not complete. I am to go before my class. That is the lesson as it is presented by the Mutual Improvement workers and as it appealed to me. Be- am to explain to them how that fore I leave my co-workers, I truth may be applied to my boys and girls. have already applied it. Here is a "O," you say, "they will you think he has alboy who drives a delivery wagon. Don't more earnest, ready concluded to try to be more industrious performance of his work more enthusiastic in the has made that appli- "Yes," I answer, and if I am sure he cation, I will not repeat it. In everything I say, In making an want to give my class a new thought Here is application, I kind of industry, something ihich he has not applied: "What the preparation of our enthusiasm, boys, have we put into Are they worth looking at? Are Mutual Improvement lessons? should characterize our they worth giving time to? If so, what spiritual reward promised in these effort if we expect to get the an application. Or perhaps there are some lessons?" There is the world young men in the advanced class who are observing They hear of Bolshevism. movements. They hear of I. W. W.'s. They see men and perhaps hear them, ^ our cities who are against the captains of industry. Apply: The idler railing shall not eat the bread of the laborer." Make the application, divine govern- and teach the boy by that application that the shall be re- ment of God is placed here, and men who assail it jected, because they are slothful, many of them— they are idle, and attacking the very men who have won what they possess your application, and through the efforts of industry. There is it— teachers with teachers. you present it and discuss It takes about an hour, perhaps an hour and a half, to make that lesson yours; and when you discuss it with your fellow opportunity of workers, you still have another week, another refreshing your minds; and when you at length come before appointed Tuesday night, you do your boys and girls on the from the Manual, making the word lifeless and not have to read spiritless, but you stand there giving them the message that you prepared. You are free, and unhampered, to read their have lives, needs, and their desires. could be discussed in the auxiliary Two of those lessons group on the second Sunday, and the other two on the fourth in the Sunday. Perhaps this is more than you can get through allotted time. And the best of all, you are teaching diligently, 908 IMPROVEMENT ERA you are prepared in all things whatsoever the Lord has commanded you in that lesson. The Spirit of Teaching About "the spirit of teaching," I wish to say just this: One day, after the Lord had been crucified, Peter said, "I am going fishing." He knew the business of fishing: he was a fisherman. But he did not see clearly what his mission was as a fisher of men. And Thomas and some of the others said, "We go, too." And one morning we find them there with a great net full of fishes, with a fire and loaves, and find them eating — and the Lord in their midst, who said, "Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?" I will not enter into a discussion of what "these" means. I am going to take it for granted this morning that the Lord had in mind temporal blessings, wealth, etc. "Simon, lovest thou me more than these?" "Yea, Lord, thou knowest I love thee." "Feed my lambs." There is the secret of the spirit of teaching. Feed the boy — feed the girl. Let the boy know you are interested in him. When you meet him on the street, let him know that you are interested in him. Let love radiate from your heart and then you have a good element in which to sow the seeds of trufh, which will bear fruit in that boy's life, which will eventually give him immortality and eternal life, which is in very deed — the glory of God which may God grant may be our experience and our ability, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. Comparisons The No-Tobacco Journal says: "It requires no higher degree of intelligence to suck a pipe, a cigar, a cigarette, than to swear proficiently. Neither is a manly attainment; but in this age, it requires genuine manliness, good sense, courage and stamina for a young man to keep himself free from such silly practices. When we can get the people to see that it is just as immoral and just as indecent for men to use tobacco as for women, tobacco will not carry long. At present, in most parts of this country, only women of the baser sort use tobacco." Rights and Obligations Once in a while it may be well to .look for ethical problems coming from industrial sources. In a recent number of Canning Notes, published in Chicago, we find the above title discussed. The editor takes the position that there is too much talk about rights and no seeming appreciation of the obligations of an agreement. The recent war has developed the idea of the rights of mankind, of the benefits that the individual deserves from the state, and the benefits one nation deserves from all other nations. That thought is now uppermost in all the world, and Europe is going through a transformation in which the so-called rights of kings are being brought down, and the rights of the common people exalted to the uppermost. This country, through its president, Woodrow Wilson, is truly and justly a great advocate of the rights of mankind, and our president has had a marvelous influence in the world in the trend which the ideas of the human race are now taking for the rights and liberties of the common people. It is pointed out, however, that there are also obligations following and in connection with these rights. Hence, the world stands in great need, at the present time, of a leader for a much more difficult, unpopular, and useful task, than the giving of rights to people. The peace conference knows it. We all know it. What the world needs now, when the rights and liberties of the people are about to be realized, is an apostle of the obligations of mankind, of the service that the individual must render the state, and the requirement that each state must so conduct itself by example, rather than by preaching, that it shall serve the cause of all the states. — Many troubles arise, and truly it may be considered the — cause of all our turmoils, from the fact that we demand oui rights and forget our obligations. We talk in our educational circles, particularly, of the rights of modern children, to live their own lives, mold their growth, have their freedom, and receive in full measure, all those blessings and advantages that free human beings should enjoy. But while doing so, we hear