The Cecil Whig., 1874-06-06
4" TEACHING."

"When l come to visit your school,
want to find you teaching." We hope
some time will be spent in teaching, and
not all in hearing recitations."
The first of the above extracts is from
an address to teachers by School Super
intendent; the second from a newspaper
editorial. The same or some similar COM
prehensive, but very indefinite remark, is
hurled at teachers heads from almost every
conceivable source. We wonder they are
not all overwhelmed with curiosity to know
what it means. Perhaps they would feel
more anxiety on the subject if they were
entirely certain that the authors knew
themselves. For our own part we have
heard this expression so often that it trou-
bles us little. Although we do not be-
lieve that the teacher labors under such an
extreme degree of responsibility as is COM
monty attributed to him, although we be-
lieve that his responsibility is entirely reg
ulated by the circumstances under which he
operates, although we know he is not paid a
salary that would seem to demand that he
should spend his days in toll and his nights
in study; yet we do believe that his respon-
sibility is great, that in seeking and ac-
cepting the position of teacher he obligates
himself to use his best efforts to secure the
mental and moral advancement of his
pupils, regardless of his compensation,
and that in laboring earnestly to promote
the welfare of those in his charge he is
truest to his duty and to his own best in
terests, present and future. This being
the case, we should like to be tedching"
if that is the great desideratum; but we
must confess to being at considerable loss
to know what this mysterious application
of the word may mean. Hearing recita-
tions" implies the use of textbooks, and
whatever may be said to the contrary, text
books must be used. They are necessity.
An elaborated course of instruction must
be had, and if teacher cannot have his
own, he must use somebody else's. We
have taught ten or twelve different branch
es, but never attempted to elaborate a
course of instruction different from that
in use in more than one or two branches.
Scarcely one in hundred does more than
this, scarcely one in ten does as much. 1t
wsuld not be wise to attempt it. Text
books are generally prepared by instructors
eminent in their profession and contain a
course of instruction better suited to the
needs of the average teacher than any he
can prepare for himself. OF course we do
not practice or counsel blind or strict ad-
herence to the prescribed course. 1t must
be adapted curtailed and supplemented to
suit the case in hand. Pupils must be led
by judicious questioning to think for them
selves, to gather facts from any available
source, to draw deductions from facts pre-
sented, and to apply what they have learn
ed in theory to practice. The course of
instruction, the governmental regulation of
the school, the relation of teacher and
pupil, the relation of pupils to each other,
must all be regulated in such a manner as
will teach self-relance and self control.
Lessons of practical wisdom and morality,
drawn from current events and surround
ing circumstances, must be given from
time to time.
And by the way Proverbs is an excellent
textbook in this latter branch. The
pupils self-respect, ambition, conscienti-
business, his love of "the true, the beauti-
full and the good,' must be fostered by
every available one of the nun 'erless little
opportunities which present themselves to
the observant teacher. If "hearing reci-
tations' with these adiuncts be "teaching"
then we have been "teaching" or trying to,
for long time; but if they be not, then
we are in doubt. If some of the sapans
who are so fond of using the expression,
would be little more explicit, perhaps we
would understand the matter better. We
should be happy to hear from any of our
teachers who can throw any light upon this
subject. Let's have it investigated.