The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1904-07-28

embarrassing to pupils. would not
ask the questions laid down on the
book. Well you ask if they are
not arranged by expert
TEACHERS and therefore the best: !
say not SO IN either case. At least
they are intended merely for the
benefit of the pupil in reviewing
and fixing the main points in mind
and not as makeshift for a lazy
or ignorant teacher. 1t is gener-
ally agreed that modern textbooks
for the day schools represent the
high-water mark of scientific knowl-
edge and skill ahdtfiat there enters
into their general make up the very
highest attainment Of the art aud
science OF teaching. This being
true no modern textbook contains
questions for class use. There are
questions for the use of the pupils
in review but none for the teachers
special use. So far as the bare
presentation of the lesson is con-
eerned there is ne difference
between presenting the facts con-
nected with the crossing of the Red
Sea on Sunday in Sunday school
and presenting those same, facts
Monday in the day school provided
the pupil be the same. We are
not at present speaking of the spirit
gal significance Of Biblical events
which of leourse belongs TO quite a
different phase Of our subject!
Ihs rs aaegsE vas a'greater alder and ID
ia Sunday school! teaching tina n
these same auestiens-tfey are
harmful to both teacher and pupil.
The direct or telling method of pre-
sentation IS the making of
knowledge common to teacher and
pupil by its expression, called the
sSga{s S5sce5A8SGS'ss ew,s The
in another mind 81; means Of words
is a matter of common experience,
and on the certainty of the knowl-
edge thus acquired are based human
acton and conduct of the highest
interest and importance. While
knowledge cannot be transferred
from one mind to another, it may
be communicated by means of laq-
guage If the words used OCCASION
the knowing activity. Is that too
much "shop-talk?" Let me put it
this way. You may transfer your
knowledge about the lesson to the
child provided the language be
adapted to the child and the fact pre-
sented be related to something al
ready known to the child. Had
you even thought how much infor-
nation a Sunday school teacher
maygive!his class and still not trans
fer knowledgel To illustrate: Sup
pose lesson is about Soiomon's TEN.
pie. Suppose class knows Solomon
and the temple only by name. By
questions the teacher must find out
what is known and then connect
what he has to present with the
knowledge already in the possession
of pupils,e else three is only informa-
ton and not knowledge given and
the facts'being entirely isolated and
disconnected soon pass away and
leave no more impression than the
shadow Of passing cloud upon the
rock beneath. But language is at
best an imperfect means of express
ing human thought and this is
specially true in the instruction of
the young. Most words are deriv-
ed from material things or mate.
rial relations and SO best express
the ideas and facts of nature and
common life. So in the presentation
of the Sunday school lesson
especially must there be a supple
menting Of language through illus
trations by means Of diagrams,
maps, sketches, pictures, models
etc, and no successful teacher can
be without these or hope in spite Of