Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1872-02-15
EDUCATIONAL COLUMN.
= nArt of Questioning.

- RArt of Questioning.
The benefit derived from a recita-
ton depends largely upon the ingenu-
ity of the teacher in asking questions.
1t has been said, ''never tell a pupil
what you can make him tell you"
which is only one expression of the
idea that the pupil learns only as he
thinks and reasons for himself
In the first place, a great deal de-
pends upon a pupils knoctng Aoa0 to
learn a lesson. Advanced scholars
can prepare for n recitation without
special help from their teacher; be-
ginners cannot. With a class of
young scholars it is as much a part
of the teachers work to bring out the
points of lesson before it is studied
as to hear the recitation afterward.-
The art of questioning in this depart
ment of teachers work is most de-
sirable, as it will enable him to sup
ply what books cannot furnish.
Too much Importance is often at.
tached to the questions inSthe books
We are inclined to think, indeed, that
text books intended for the use OF
scholars should have no set questions
in them. A series of questions on
each lesson may be profitable to the
teacher assuggesting the most natu5
raj way. Of presenting elementary prin-
ciples, but in the hands of scholars
they are apt to make the preparation
of the lesson mechanical and made
| quate, Correct answers to the book
qestions are often given without in
volving any adequate conception OF
the subject, and wrong answers are
frequently returned because the pupil
''thought it belonged to that question. .
Sometimes, indeed, the "questions'
will be as well learned as the San
-FsWers,' and the teacher will be in
I formed of his "mistake'' if he omits
one or varies from the arrangement in
the book. Another objection is thai
they contribute largelyto the aversion
TO study, so common among younger
pupils. The lesson is simply task
!, requiring them to memorize a certain
number Of questions and answers, and
the recitation is irksome because il
brings with it nothing new and inter.
esting.
And when the lessons have all beer
learned and duly reviewed, and the
book finished, the results are apt tc
be like the predictions of the Cumaear
Sibyl, which were written on the leave.
of trees and placed in order by tht
prophecies; but these being once dis
turbed by the wind, were never re
!, placed, and those who consulted then
went away unadvised of the future
and declared the Sibyl to be an i'm
poster. The frame work that bind
all together, and in relation to which
alone the answers are important, ha
been overlooked, and but little, if any
real knowledge of the subjects studied
has been gained. The recitation tina
is limited to the questions in the tex
book, is simply an examination of til
class to ascertain whether they hav
> faithfully memorized their lesson.
On the other hand the teacher wi
not succeed any better in his work
he asks too many questions. Their
is no pleasure like that of origina
earnest thought, and he who deprive
t his pupil Of this by carrying him, s
: it were, through his studies, stints h
power and does him wrong Many
teacher, on account of Incidence, wi
question q scholar out of difficult
when it was the scholars duty al
privilege to find the way himself. tt
aim of the teacher should be to +
move only those difficulties that a
L. unnecessary and really insurmount
BILE to his pupils, and stimulate the
= to more and more vigorous exertio
:! and their progress will depend mo
upon the interest with which he i
spires them to investigate and find 0
facts for themselves, than any expl
nations he may place before them.