I Found This Written By Myra Bone

Written by Myra Bone for a Summer Schoolclass at the U of U in 1950

My Log Of Memories.
I started my teaching career teaching corncobs on an old hay rack down in Scipio. My corn cobs learned so well I didn’t have to retain any of them. I had no report cards to make out. Some how that teaching experience has carried over. I can still see some thing good in all children. I always feel that if I can interest them I can discipline them. Good teaching prevents dicipline problems. I love to tell this story. I feel all my life I have wanted. to be a teacher.
The one important thing brought out this summer. Modern Education is just “Common Sense” Fear of being wrong in methods being used has caused many good teachers anxiety. I am glad you have made us feel more secure. In my reading I find there is no best way in achiefing results. The individual child is the most important part of any school. When he feels free and secure learning takes place.
Here I sit on a log trying to write a log when I should be saving logs that reminds me of logs. I once heard a speaker say “I would rather have a child of mine attend a log cabin school house and sit on a log to do his work, if he had a million dollar teacher,than to attend a million dollar building and have a log for a teacher.
The greatest ideal a man can aspire to is not to be a show case of virture, but just be genial likeable and reasonable human being. If reading can do this for the rising generation let us all be million dollar logs in the school room.
Reading must be taught. There is no reality in the material world except the reality given it by the mind of the thinker Comprehension is important conditions do not exist never as a cause but as an effect of what we ourselves give to life, not alone by what we do but by what we think. Teachers should be good thinkers. They muxt teach the facts of true democracy They must have faith in youth and the enthusism of a new world. We can build a better would through proper teaching.
Can we afford not to try and teach every child to read. Culture means to cultivate and to Educate. That should be our aim.
Any difficulty that interfers with the interpretation of meaning may be important and much review necessary.
We are no longer concerned primarily with mechanical proficiency and literacy. Rather our aim is to develop socially compertant young people who read critically, speak clearly and write legibly. The childs own needs and interests must be the starting point.