Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1857-03-25
GAntationaI.
Oral Teaching

4 ssA A0aS4AA6
Not many years ago, it was practice
nearly universal, in schools, to conduct all
recltatlons In ustrictaccnrdancc with the text
OF the book; the teacher asking the ques-
tions, and the pupil giving. the answere, as
printed in the book. To some extent, the
same course is pursued in many schools at
the present time, but fur less so than for
merry. Where it has been adopted, it has
been found that scholars often learned
words, without gaining any clear or we'll
5sfae3 idsas %. 49,
The leading educ 10 lists directed atten-
tlon to the error, and lecturers and writers
did what they could to bring the old meth
Cd OF teaching into disrepute. They de-I
claimed and wrote against it, and contended
strongly and wisely for change. But in
education, as in other concerns, "one ex
treme IS very apt to follow another" In
advocating the importance of oral teaching.
some went too far, and gave undue promi-
nence to the subject. Some teachers were
made to believe and to act as though oral
teaching was the only true method, and
that textbooks were to be almost, if not
altogether, discarded But the wise and
Judlelous educator will readily see that this
would De an error quite as great as the for
mer; that its tendency would be to relieve
the pupil from true mental discipline, and
weaken his self-reliance.
The true plan consists In medium
course, or in blending of the two; and
those teachers will be the most successful.
who unite the two in proportions. The OBJ
lection to the old plan was not so much to
the use of the text book, as to the ;mprop
er use oft. The book should be used by
the pupil, and its contents be learned and
the important truths and principles of each
lesson should, possible, be mprehended;
and If they are clearly understood, they
can be, and should be, clearly expressed. In
order that the scholar knowledge of les
son may be known, the teacher should free
y use the oral method, and ask such ques
tlons as will tend to test thoroughly the
scholars understanding. In conducting
recltatlons, he should not confine his atten-
ton to the merequestions of the book. He
should rather aim to have fresh and clear
understanding of the lesson under consid
Grafton, SO that he may be able to conduct
the recitation without any reference to the
words of the book The skillful teacher.
who feels an interestfn the subject, will
be ready to ask many incidental questions.
which will tend beth to elicit the scholars
'kn"wledge Of the direct subject, and also
to awaken new thoughts, and induce him
to think and investigate.
Even the simplest questions in Geogra-
ply, Grammer, &C., may be expanded. and
made suggestive of other questions and
the oral teaching should mainly be direc-
ted to an expansion of the subject. The
first question in Geography is, usually,
" What is Geography" and the answer IS,
" A description Of the earth" And vet
how few scholars, who were taught accor-
ding to the verbatim PLAZA of the textbook,
gained any well-defned knowledge. But
let the teacher ask additional questions,
which will tend to awaken thought, and
lead the pupil to thorough understanding
of the subject in all its connections, and
by thorough understanding of the snb.
Ject In all its connections, and new in
terest will be thrown around it.
LII the lesson is in arithmetic, and some
particular rule Is under consideration, let
the teacher propose questions of his own
preparation, designed to elucidate the SUBJ
Ject, and co test the scholars comprehen-
sion. For instance, if the subject of In |
terest Is before class, and sufficient time
and attention have been given to the gen
eral principles, let the teacher step to the |
blackboard, and write note in due form. |
aud request the class to tell what amount
will cancel the note at that very time
And so with every lesson-let there be
some of-hand" questions proposed by the
teacher, and it will do much to add inter
est to the lesson, and at the same time a.
waken thought in the right way, and in
the right direction.
In conclusion, we would say to teachers
neither discard nor adopt either meth
od exclusively, but seek rather to combine
the two in the most judicious manner
ever aiming to promote the true intellectu-
al and moral growth of your pupils, and
so to discipline them that they may take
Intelligent and comprehensive views of ev
cry subject that may come before them
In other words, teach them to examine, to
investigate, to think, to understand Conn. |
Com. School journal.