The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1888-04-21

graded schools, as read before the meet
ing OF the Menominee Range Teachers
Association, on Saturday morning, April
7. The paper is one OF the best read be-
fore the association, advancing many
sound ideas not before thought Of by
many of the teachers i'm attendance.
Miss Blasdell is one Of the very best in
structors on the range and her work here
has been very successful and given entire
satisfaction in every particular. She
labors hard and earnestly to perfect her
self in her calling and imparts the fruits
OF her studies to her scholars in an i'm
pressing and winning manner, that il
sure to bring good results. Crystal Falls
is particularly fortunate in securing SO
able n person to manage the schools.
The caption OF the following paper is
Questions and Answers in Rotations"
There seems to be too little attention
given to the right method of questions
and answers i'm our schools. There il a
rightand wrong way OF doing this work
but how many OF MS have considered it
worth our while TO study the subject?
Do we not come before our classes with
very little idea of what we are about TO
do? We throw questions at them as we
would throw pebbles alta flock OF birds or
ms il we were playing at game Of hide
and seek. The lessons are heard, but
how much OF the subject matter has be-
come part OF their minds? Has the
drill been thorough? Has the work we
started out TO do, been Accomplished
We fear not, and the fault is in the way
we have questioned the pupils and re-
ceived their answers. How can this
work be properly done? First the
teacher must havea thorough knowledge
Of the subject and in order TO do this he
is Obliged TO study his lessons as regu-
larry as the pupils. A teacher loses his
identity, in his vocation, as soon AZ he
ceases to be student. We would not
except any one, for there is some prepa-
ration required, even ON the part OF those
who are teaching in the primary grades
Truths OF great Importance may befound
i'm these lessons, which will have a lasting
influence on the lives OF those we are
teaching. Again ARE we not placed in the
school room to teach the pupils to work /;
and how can we more thoroughly accom-
plish that than by example? We are
tooapt TO forget the difference in age and
experience and think that becausca lesson
appears easy TO us that the pupils know
all about it. Let us remember, il is our
duty To search for truths no matter
ia what subject, and impress them upon
their minds.
With the older classes the objection is
often made that il requires too much
time TO work up each lesson. IL may re-
duire time but are we not well paid, when
we consider the progress made, together
with the consciousness that we have en-
,eavored TO do our duty? Having pre-
pared the lesson and arranged the several
parts in their order OF dependence we are
ready TO appear before our class. The
teachers voice should be pleasant, man
ner kind, respectful and honest. Possibly
IL might be well To have little patience
in reserve, it is sometimes required in the
school room. The pupils should be fac
ING the teacher and when sitting Oh
standing their positions should be erect
Health, az well AZ attention, demands
this. A teacher cannot question pupili
nor receive answers when they arr
inattentive. Books are now laid aside
ON the part of the teacher AZ he has pre-
pared the work before coming to Tn,
class. The questions should be clear, Il
the point, adapted 60 the capacity oil The
pupils, never above or below them, con
else, exhaustive, rs far as the subject viii
admit, and logical. They should no.
contain any idea of the answer required
nor should the teacher give any idea o
the answer by his manner, tone oil voice
expression of face, emphasis, or in
Election. The questions should not con
tain contrastcd ideas, with tie answers
required. II these rules ARE violated, TIN
teacher will be doing the work OF thu
pupils, telling them what they can fine
outfor thems Ives. Questions should no
bee repeated in the same language. III
pupil cannot answer the question, it Il
either wrong or there has been some iaul
in the previous teaching. Are we not t'
proceed from the known TO the unknown
from the particular To the general-steI
by step?
Questions should not be direct. for the,
call forth monosyllabcal answers ans