The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-05-12
MEANS OF PROFESSIONAL i'm.
PROvEMENT.

Of them have had almost no profession
al training at all? 1 fear it is. What
are the needs of the teachers? l pre-
sumo that the intention is to have this
subject discussed in the pedagogical
line. Yet we might include the subject
matter as an essential part of the pro-
fessional education of teaching, but of
course by common consent when we
speak of the professional training of
teachers, we mean the strictly pedagog-
ical branches. 1t may not be out of
place to ask, "What do the teachers
themselves want?" If it is the case of
the doctor and the patient, the doctor
may say that the patient needs one
thing, and the patient say another.
Possibly the fever-patient wants beef
steak, and the doctor says Cruel. / |
find that the teachers feel that they are
lacking more in the subiect-matter to |
be taught, than in the method of phil
osophy of teaching that subject-matter.
1t is with the greatest difficulty that !
some of them are led to take up strictly
pedagogical subjects: principles of
pedagogy, the history of the principles
of teaching. and pedagogical psychol-
ogy. They take quite we'll to methods
and to model classes. If any are pres
ent they must pardon me for saying
that, from my observation many rural
school teacher is about right in con-
sidering that the greatest need is in the
subject-matter. There seems to be
more need for breadth of knowledge,
than in any other thing, pedagogical
principles not excepted. They will
teach very much in the manner they
have been taught, and if they have
breadth of training they will find some
way of training others. Is it not a
fact, notwithstanding pedagogical prin-
ciples OF any very fine spun theories, we
all teach very much after the plan in
which we we're taught, and the results
that we obtain are what count whether
in accordance with the Inductive or
Deductive method; whether it is Ma
ture Study, Child Study, apperceptlon,
or what not. That which succeeds is
what we are bound to use.
There are several ways at present
for the teacher in active work, to make
Improvement. There is the Reading
Course, with wiser and older heads to
direct, and the earnest and ambitious
teacher will find or make Reading
Course for himself, that will be profit
able, but many will not do it; or if they
do, they will not follow it. There is
the Correspondence School, which is
just at the present time being pushed
in every department of knowledge.
Observation-Disclosures beginning, "Learn
this or that while you are at work at
home" is in almost every newspaper.
Honestly it may be productive OF good
to few. There are those who will use
the opportunity faithfully and honest
ly, will receive help, and best of all get
a desire to have something better, and
will go on and find that something bet
ter, but to the majority it will bring
only superficial work. There are those
who will be walked up by it, who will
desire that of which it will give them
only part, who will strike out for
something better, and actually get the
home work supplemented by that bet
ter work, which comes from personal
contact with living teacher and the
inspiration which comes from meeting
others engaged in the same work, and
moved with the same desires.
There are two ways in which the per-
son who undertakes home study is
likely to fail utterly. First, he will not
be likely to have the stamina necessary
to keep up the work. 1t is so easy to
put off the work; being little tired to-
night, or some social event leads to
postponement, and finally the work is
dropped. There is not one person in
ten that has the necessary nerve to
carry ON private study with success, but
if recitation were to be demanded at
nine o'clock in the morning the work
would be done. The second point in
which the private study is likely to fail,
is in the danger of its being superficial.
Without the most strenuous effort and
conscientious studying it will become
a skimming process; a dreaming over
some subjects while the inefficient
dreamer is imagining that he is getting
an immense amount of good, finally to
wake up to the truth that he has been
getting nothing at all. A man some
times is mighty chopper, in his own
estimation, when he chops all alone.
My! how the chips do fly. But when
he chops with someone else he discovers
that he cannot chop at all.
A case of the Correspondence School
work came under my observation just
recently, which discounts anything L
have met. The propositions which
were made were such as would make a
lightning-rod agent blush. The light
ming rod agent is usually contentin get
| ting the money and nnifinu at thot