The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-03-26

ness was the masterful exposition of
Prof. F. d. Losey of the University on
THE Aims Of the High School Course in
Literature
This, together with discussions by Miss
Isabel Whitaker of Columbia, Miss Lillian
Calling of Enterprise and Miss Aline
Bright of Mobile, formed the programme
in the English department of the As
sociation of Alabama High Schools yes
terday afternoon. .
Professor Losey Speaks
1.-THE Aims of Teaching Literature
in High Schools" was discussed in
part as follows by Prof. Frederick ID.
Losey of the University of Alabama
ITO begin in the same spirit in
which I accepted your invitation cheer
fully (since optimism is the very key
note of an educational convention),
want to say at the outset what you
all doubtless know already-that there
Is something wrong with the high
school teaching of literature. Whether
the trouble is traceable to the colleges,
which are charged with dominating the
work of the high school, whether it
rests with the teacher, who in carry
Ing out the work fails to come up to
the standards which the colleges have
set or whether it Is a combination Of
these and other causes. the fact re-
mains that large numbers of students
who find their way into college are
without knowledge of the elementary
principles of English and confessed
ly almost boastfully devoid of any lit
erary appreciation. 1t hardly need be
said, that "a. student who Is ignorant
OF the simple rules of grammar who
has not learned to use even the die
tionary as a tool, and who has been
ccddled into an utter contempt for ac-
curacy and analysis, is not promisin e
material for a class in literature With
such student there is but one honest
course for the teacher to pursue, name
ly, to get him out of the class as speed
lily as possible and back to the grade
in which he belongs; and if this is i'm
possible to refuse to put the seal of
approval on him in the shape of pass
mark. With such students eliminated
we are ready to take up the ques-
| ton. What should be the aims OF
teaching literature in high SCHOOL,
IN answering this question we should
first OF all take into account the fact
that the high school is an integral part
of the school system of the state; and
that the chief interest of the state in its
schools, from kindergarten TO university,
springs from its concern for the quality
of its citizenship. The state has little
or no interest in the Individual, such !;
but it is tremendously concerned with
the way the individual relates himself to
the social order. 1t has little or no in
terest in knowledge, per Sc: but its very
existence depends upon the way In which
| knowledge manifests itself through con-
duct. All public school teaching, then,
| should aim to develop in the state s
prospective citizens a social sense, which
will manifest itself in fair play, square
| dealing and a sympathy with the joys and
| uisfortunes of others. Any public school
| teacher who loses sight of this end fails
in his duty as a public servant.
High school Teachers Duty
| "Now, while this obligation rests upon
| every teacher. maintain that it rests in
an especial sense upon the high school
teacher or literature; first, because lit
erature tends, as does no other subject In
the school curriculum, to humanize pu-
pills. and secondly, because, of those youth
who study literature at all, the great
mass go beyond the high school. Indeed.
the humanizing effect of good literature is
itself so great upon those who know how
TO read it that without materially af-
fecting the statement already made as
to the teachers aim, ! might, in terms
more easily applicable to the class room,
say that the chief aim in teaching litera-
ture in high school should be to develop
In young people a taste for good reading.
I seriously doubt whether our schools can
possibly perform greater service than
this for the state. For the most search
| ing question that can be asked of boy
on leaving school is not What do you
know? but, What do you like? The
amount of knowledge which he takes
with him is, at the best pitifully small,
and for the most part so unrelated ana
undigested as to be OF little value unless
=. faa n IN or lxn0Wl-
edge If he carries with him taste
| for good reading 1t is a guarantee OF
future growth in knowledge and In power
1.-The question then arises land II 10 to
my mind one of the most Important
questions in the whole realm OF educa-
tion) How may We present good iitera-
ture in such a way as TO develop taste
for it in the pupil? You will understand.
of course. that 1 am using the word
literature in a restricted sense: in the
sense in which you understand II when
YOU teach Millions minor poems, or
Scott's Tvanhoe,' or Coleridge's Ancient
Mariner or one Of Shakespeare's plays
the literature not of knowledge, but OF
power. Such literature makes primarily
not an intellectual, but an emotional ap-
peal. and IL it is to serve the purpose in
tended when II was made part OF the
school curriculum it must awaken an
emotional response. The fact is that 1t
Is lust here that large part OF our
teaching fails, chiefly I fear. because
our teachers themselves, failing to eaten
the spirit of what they read, weary and
disrnst students with lifeless and I'M
nertinent comment. Or. granting that
thew do themselves feel the moving power
of a great piece of literature they have
not had adequate training in presenting
It to others. They are the slaves OF
the convention, of conventional methods
OF teaching of conventional use Of the
voice. of conventional questions on the
text. and are SO entirely self-conscious In
all their work that whatever they touch
ia bliphted as flowers by frost Teachers
who lack the power to make master
piece live by merely reading 1t, and en-
phasizing its salient features, are too
often deceived by textbooks ir<o think
ina a yillainous method the correct ono.
Won NAV be sure that no method Is good
which. pursued year after year, chills
the very marrow Of healthy and vigor-
Gus students.
written Test or Examin alton
zone influence which l think has been
largely responsible for the deplorable
condition into which we have fallen with
respect to literary study Is the written
test or examination. Now, written test
based upon the method which / have
quoted at some length above. can be made
the most difficult OF all school tests. The
teacher knows 1t. and the pupil knows It,
There IL a sort OF tacit understa nding be-
tween teacher and pupil that of all this
endless rigmarole In the class room but
tha ai,pplest and easiest portion will be