The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-08-23
Teachers Should Teach Scholars
Without Books.
1T is SCIENTIFIC INSTRUCTION
Germany Has Long Since Adopted
the New Method in Her
Schools.

DR.. ]. NJ. Rice, in the Forum, condensed
for Public Opinion.
In my opinion the greatest fault in the
schools of our country lies in the profes
sionaI weakness of our teachers. II
order to be an ideal teacher, more IL
required than the ability to conduct &
recitation scientifically, yet the ability tC
teach is fundamental. Before our idea
Individual Is worthy the name OF
teacher" she must add to her mora
traits knowledge OF pedagogical prin.
ciples, and skill in their practical ap-
plication. The fundamental purposes in
elementary teaching are two: first, to de-
velop power-the power to observe, to
reason, to do; second, to aid the child in
storing in his mind a fund of usefui
knowledge. OF the old school of teaching
1t may be said that the end and aim
is the acquisition of knowledge; 1t appeals
almost exclusively to the memory, and
does but little toward the development
of power. On the other hand, our most
radical performers are inclined to LOOK
lightly on the acquisition of knowledge,
and to recognize as important only the
development of power. OF course, on
sober thought, we cannot fail to realize
that both sides must receive due atten-
tion.
II 1t be the teachers aim to lead the
child to think it is necessary for her to
epply the principle that the child must
be told nothing that he is able to find
out for himself To compel the child
TO study the lesson from the text booA
in advance of the recitation, Is to vio-
late this principe in toto, because by
this means he is directly told by tine
text book every point that he might
abe to reason out Ior hrmseIf. In order
prperiy to Apply the principe, 1t is neces-
sary 10 bring the new matter before the
pupil for the first time during the reclta-
tion period. The aim of progressive
teachers is to aid the pupil in building,
so to say, a solid and permanent menta4
structure, consisting of fundamental
Ideas, based upon concrete facts, wnicn
themselves shan ever remain fresh ana
active, forming a iund Of ready knOWl-
edge. To construct mental fabrlc OF
this nature, it is necessary to brns
the idea TO the notice ol the pupil in
psychological. order. 1t IS only when We
progress slowly and systematically, from
the known to the unknown, and from the
concrete to the abstract, that the facts
may be properly welded to gether ara
.Cad to the formation o. clear fundd-
montu ideas. To emp oy the ordinary
text book method means failure TO
apply these principles, for two reasons:
ID In the text book the facts are not
arranged in a psychological ORDER but
merely in logical one; (2) in the text
book the facts are presented In too rapid
succession.
True instruction will not be obtained
until the teacher Is substituted for Inc
text book, as 1t is then only that the
principles OF teaching can be properly APP
piled, The early attempts TO teach with
out text book are necessarily exceeding
ly feeble. To reach any degree of pro-
hclency in scientific teaching Is difficult,
and involves years of study and prac-
tice. II we, as Americans, should feel
unequal to the task it would be better
to retain the text book. But IL we believe
that we are able to do what our German
colleagues have long since accomplished,
then there is nothing to be gained by
waiting. 1t is in the subjects involved
in building up the thought-content OF the
mind that the teacher finds the golden
opportunity to carry her ideals into prac-
tice. It Is from the ideas presented in
them that the child secures that fund
of knowledge which will exert strong
influence in determining his ideals and
interests In life The most prominent
among these studies are geography, his
tory, and tho natural sciences. While, IN
the old school, the time devoted to these
branches Is small as compared with that
given to the formal ones, In the grow
Ing school the tendency is to bring the |
Inconsistencies more and more to the
foreground.
In spite OF their bar to scientific teach
ing there has been strong opposition 10 |
the removal Of the text books, and par |
ticularly for two reasons; 1t is claimed |
that IL the text book should be abol- |
ished, the child would not acquire the |
ability to use books; and that the re-
moval of the text book would cause the |
teacher to do the work for the pupil,
so that the child's mind would be no
longer properly disciplined Both ob1ec-
ticns are, in my opinion, entirely un-
founded. First, the fundamental purpose |
of education does not lie in teaching the /
child how to use books this is simply |
an important Incident, which 1t is well
for the teacher to bear In mind. Again,
TO study lesson from the text book does
not teach the child how to use books;
It simply leads him to perform task,
either to please the teacher or to avoid
punishment. To know how to use books
is to understand how to look up sources
OF information and this ability cannot
be acquired by committing to memory the
words of the text book. BY directing the
pupils to write compositions, and by fire.
quently calling FOR debates, in each In
stances suggesting lists OF works to be
used for reference, more can be done
In few exercises than can be accom-
pllshed by years OF lesson study. Sec
ond, when the teacher takes the place OF
the text book. the child Is by no means
relieved of task; on the contrary, In
n recitation conducted on scientific prln-
eiples. the child Is obliged to perform
intellectual labor more severe in charac-
ter, though less dull and mechanical
than when he commits the contents of the
text book to memory. When he studies
the text book. he acquires his informa-
tlon simply by exercising his memory;
In scientific recitation. on the other
hand, he is Obliged TO bring many OF his
faculties into play in order TO accom-
pllsh his task.