Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1905-08-02
A Question for the Teachers Of
RockbridRe

EDITOR GAZETTE Why are our
summer days longer than our win
ter days9 This 10 not a question
of my propouuding. 1t is taken
from list of questions in the
tsUniform Examination for Teach
ers' Certificates published in the
last biennial report of the Slper-
lintendent of Public Instruction
can answer the question my self F.,
but want to know whether the
teacher of a common school, in
Virginia or elsewhere, is expected
to make class in geography I'M
derstand the difficult explanation
of this familiar fact. 1t is under
the caption Geography" that the
question is placed.
The length of the period between
sunrise and sunset depends upon
% the latitude Of the place ~
the SUMS declination--that is, his
distance north or south of the
equator; (S) the SUMS right as
cension--that is, his distance
from the equinOctial point, where
he rises at six o'clock on March
21st. The sine of the arc Of right
aGcension, expressed in hours and
minutes, gives the time of the
SUMS rising before six o'clock in
the summer and after six o'clock
in the winter.
To determine how long the sun
is above the horizon of any place
whose latitude Is known, is an
easy problem for any one who has
studied spherical trigonometry.
The SUMS declinstion for every day
of the year is given in the Nauti-
cal Almanac published for the use
of navigators by the Astronomical
Observatory of every great COM
mercial nation. There remains to
be found the sine of the arc of
right ascension. This is among
the first problems that collegiate
classes in astronomy are called
upon to solve. The student works
with this equation: Tangent OF
latitude multiplied by tangent of
declination equals sire of right
ascension multiplied by radius.
The table of logarithmic sines
and tangents enables him to use
tie easy process of addition and
subtraction instead of multi
plicativn and division; 80 he cal
culates the hour of sunrise more
readily than he solves problem in
percentage.
Now, can explain to class in
arithmetic the principles under
lying percentage; but l am pretty
sure could not make any boy or
girl of fourteen understand why
daylight lasts longer in summer
than in winter.
Am 1, therefore, incompetent to
teach in a public SCHOOL, Such is
the inevitable inference, unless we
take the alternative of impugning
the wisdom shat selects the ques-
tions which Virginia teachers
must answer satisfactorily before
receiving permission to teach.
Being myself Virginian, and not
wishing to seem discOurtecus to
our distinguished and respected
Superintendent of Public Instruc-
ton, / will submit to the imputa-
ton of pedagogic Incompetence.
But / have never been charged
with a lack of thoroughness in
scholarship.
What conclusion followsH Simply |
this: scholarship is not, as many
persons imagine, the prime thing |
to be considered in testing a
teachers qualifications. Far more
important is the ability to make
his pupils clearly comprehend the
instruction he gives them.
The quality of the instruction
is more important than it's quanti'
ty. OF course, the teachers
knowledge of the subjects in
which he gives instruction must
be amply sufficient to enable him
to give all needful explanations.
But he may have that amount of
knowledge, and even much more,
without any resultant benefit to
his pupils. Perhaps he has not
the "knack" of explaining. On
the other hand, his explanations
may be too full. Instead of giving
just the suggestion that the
pupil needs to put him in the
right path, the injudicious teacher
does all the thinking himself,
while the pupil listens and learns
without deriving from his lesson
any mental inauguration. There
is too much instruction and not
enough education.
The teachers mentality is com.
posed of three factors, the combin-
ed operation of which enables him
to know, TO understand, and to
explain. His knowledge depends
upon his memory; his understand
ing is due to logical thought; and
his explaining is done by express
ing thought in a way that makes
a distinct and lasting impression