Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1882-04-13
The Theory and Practice of
Teaching.


An Essay read by Mr.. III. C. Davis before
the Arcadia Valley Teachers Association,
April !, 1882, and published by request.l
Sir Willim Hamilton, the Scottish
Philosopher and metaphysician says
that there is distinction, but no
opposion, between theory and prsc-
tice; each one, to a certain extent,
supposes the other; theory Is de-
pendent on practice, and practice must
have preceded theory.
With some. slight variations, will
give De Quincey's definition of theory:
IA theory of any scieriee or speculation
supposes all the elements-that is, the
forces, the modes of action, the phe-
nomena to be given-but as yet they
exist in the mind as AL unOrganiZed
chaos. Then steps in contemplation,
or reflective survey, to assign to them
all their several places or relations,
which shall be first, which middle,
| which last; which subordinate, which
coordinate; which force is for impulse,
which for regulations; which absolute,
which conditional; which purpose di-
rect, which indirect or collateral, and
so on. This introduction Of organiza-
ton among the facts or data of a science
is theory. A theory, therefore, may be
defined an organic development to the
| understanding of the relations between
the parts of systematic WHOLE" This
| is the general definition of theory, but
theory and practice Of music, the the
ory and practice Of medicine, the the.
ory and practice of teaching, ETC., etc.
There is no such thing as single or
absolute cUgnition. We can neither
| feel nor know without transition OF
state--every feeling and every cog
milton must be viewed as in relation to
| some other feeling or cognition. 1t
| Is known with regard to our feelings
generally, that they subsist upon COM
parisOn; the pleasure of good health,
for instance, IL relative to ill health;
| wealth supposes comparative indi-
gence. Also, as regards knowledge,
everything known is kn0wn In c0n-
trast to something else-up implies
down. black implies white, and SO on.
Knowledge, then, is no more nor less
than All aggregate of differences and
agreements. Theory differs from prac-
tice, yet one implies the other; and
both the theory and practice Of teach
ing differ from the theory and practice
of medicine or any other science. And
upon this principle.
We find it impossible to treat the
subject of theory AMI practice without
insolving, In q measure, the subject Of
school management. In. fact, the one
partakes of the other, and they must
be trea tel together. The first work to
he done at the beginning of term of
school, is to see the pupils, find out
who they are, and talk to them about
their studies; work up rousing inter-
est and enthusiasm i'm the coming ses-
sion, and then use your warmest ell
deavors to maintain it. If the teacher
is new to the district he will certainly
have need of several days. careful
work, prior to the opening. If he I've
an old teacher i'm the dist rict he will
have abundant work to do in advising
with his pupils as to their studies, and
laying plans for the ensuing term; get
ting the schCO yard cleaned up, the
school room cleaned and decorated.
and suitable apparatus provided. Hnv-
ing all these preliminaries attended to,
then comes the regular wOrk-teach-
ing and study. AS plans and meth
ods. these are varied. My plan, how
ever, is to follow nature as closely as
possible. She furnishes all the subject
matter, and has provided the little
girls and boys with the means of OBJ
tanning knowledge. The means em-
ployed-the five senses. They see, and
hear, and taste, and handle the things
with which they have to do. They
begin with nature and oral teaching,
and from ideas are led to words, from
words to definitions, from nature to
books. They tread surely, because ev-
cry step rests OH the rock of personal
experience. They move on cheerily,
because each lesson opens up new
beauties. They grow strong, because
each step is a victory.
The order in which we should teach |
is seeing before talking, talking before |
reading, and reading before writing.
There is no better way to make class |
exercise interesting, than to provide |
some tangible object relative to the les |
sou to be taught, and bring it before
the class for inspection. Let the object |
be examined-first, by sight. The
name is spoken and placed on the
board-then by talking. The words
then by reading. Words are spelled |
ana Sentences written; and thus we
go on, step by step. from the simple to |
the difficult, from the complex to the
obtuse. Hand work leads up to mind |
work. The pupils read well because
they understand what they read.
Drawing and penn1a nship p come next.
The fact that every child loves to make
pictures, indicates n great educational
law. Drawing educates the hand, de-
velopes taste, aids in the acquisition of
and is of great practical
value. 1t keeps pupils interested and
busy. Horace Greeley was accustom-
ed to say, "Anyone can dig. but he is
a wise man vino knows what to dig.
how to dig, when to dig" Anyone
alr f.,aah II. q fot tx>x hs,f h1Hs /
Mi educator who knows what to teach,
when to teach, and how to teach. The
chief Office of the teacher is to direct
effort. Wise parents guide tue efforts
Of their little ones. The goo teacher
knows how to study and master sub
iects; he leads the pupil OH systematic
ally from ene victory to another, and