Alice N. Trask

“ She realizes that the ideal teacher of lip-reading must more nearly approach a metaphysician than any other class of instructor, dealing, as she does, with so much that is intangible; that it requires so much intuition, such fine sensibilities and nice adjustment to get en rapport with natures so oversentitive and unapproachable; and also that it is very necessary that the teacher be blessed with enough of their infirmity (deafness) to inspire them with courage and hope. There is nothing so cheering to the deafened as to find some one who is deafer. Mrs. Trask is very cheering in this regard. ”

“ A very keen sense of humor keeps her viewpoint to the sunny side of life. She believes in the conscious practise of happiness as a habit to be acquired rather than that of entertaining a host of blue devils. Radiating, as she does, an invigorating optimism, she stimulates her pupils into attaining what they could never accomplish by themselves. ”

“ She aims to give her students much more than training in lip-reading, which she considers a very necessary and useful acquirement—a veritable "sixth sense." What the deafened first need, she thinks, is to be put in good heart; to have their indifferences replaced by enthusiasm. They need, too, to have their backbones stiffened, to be encouraged to be themselves. They try to stoop, to pass on their way unobserved. The ordinary affairs of life with their fellow-mortals are painful encounters ”

“ By Sarah Frances Fleming
"THESE best teachers climb beyond teaching to the plane of art; it is themselves and what is best in themselves that they communicate," says Stevenson. In no walk of life is there more untiring effort, more self-sacrifice, more sincere endeavor to uplift, to bring light, than in that chosen by our best teachers. We give unstinted praise and hand-clap to our writers, artists, musicians, and movie stars ”

“ There are very few teachers who more nearly fulfill the requirements of an ideal teacher than Alice N. Trask, principal of the San Francisco School of Lip-Reading. She was born in Philadelphia, inheriting many of the sterling qualities of her Quaker ancestors, who were noteworthy for their moral uprightness, their high sense of duty and directness of purpose. Many were zealous in pursuit of high achievement. ”

“ The discipline of straight-laced Quaker precepts and too great refinement might have rendered her unfit for the ugly and practical side of life had she not developed unuaually broad sympathies and rare judgment, which, combined with the "cheerful lights of culture" and unusual originality as a teacher, make her a conspicuous figure in the ranks of workers who mean progress to their cause. ”

“ As a teacher, Mrs. Trask has natural ability. Her watchword is efficiency. 582Her lessons are in themselves a liberal education, outside of their value as training in lip-reading. Drawing from a large and varied fund of information, she stimulates interest not only in literature, art, and kindred subjects, but keeps her pupils posted on the topics of the day. She has assurance and poise and communicates her ideas with enthusiasm, vigor, and originality. In her desire to obtain the best possible results from her pupils, she is strict and most exacting ”