The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1910-10-14
SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER AND
HIS METHODS"
Paper Read by Miss Clark Before
the Convention at Damascus.


with him is as much the
right of every child as to know its
own parents and this alone is the
true christian life" Since this
knowledge and friendship means so
much to the child it is of course
the duty of each follower of Christ
to bring every child nearer his Saw
ior and Master. This must be done
by giving this child a knowledge of
the Bible and by showing Christ
revealed in us. Some knowledge
will be acquired in the home but it
is usually left for the Sunday school
to give the systematic study of
Gods word.
How important then is the work
of the teacher to whom this charge
is given Yet there are many
teachers who do not realize this,
many who are on record as teachers
who are not teachers in fact, or
who do not really know what teach
ing is. 1t is not, however, the pur-
pose of this paper to criticize those
who are trying to do work along
this line but, if possible to give a
few hints that we hope may be of
use to some one.
In the first place the teacher
should have a knowledge of his pu-
pill, his lesson, and how to present
that lesson.
He must know whom he is to
| teach; not merely know his schol
/ ars by sight, know them by name,
| know them so that he can greet
| them as acquaintances, but he must
| know them in their individual ca
| pacities, attainments and needs.
The teacher must study each
| scholar as to the measure of his
| knowledge There is more of an ig-
norance of ordinary things among
| children than is commonly sup
| posed.
Then, too. the teacher must know
his pupils personal tastes and per-
cularities.
The hopeless lack of ability to
see differences in individual scholars
is the cause of failure of some good
men and women to be teachers
however much they want to teach
and however often they are given
a trial TO them a class is class
and a scholar a scholar and every
lesson to be taught in one and the
same way. But such a person is
no teacher.
The true teacher looks for little
peculiarities which make his schol-
ars different from others. He asks
himself, Is he exceptionally bright
or dull or of average intelligence?
Does he know the main points in
the Bible story or is he ignorant of
that record? Is he ready to tell
what he knows or is he quiet? Has
he a kindly disposition with a gen
erous manly nature? And is he
easily Influenced? From such
questions as these he will be able
to see his individual scholars.
Then, too, he must know some
thing of the scholars home-life, his
weaknesses, his strength and his
personal beliefs.
If a scholar is a total abstainer
but is inclined to use profanity he
should be treated quite differently
from the scholar who is the re-
verse.
1t will require time and effort to
gain this necessary knowledge but
the teacher who does not have time
to study his scholars individually
will not have time to teach them in
tellectually.
Next to the knowledge of the
child comes a knowledge of the
special truth to be taught to him,
1t is obvious that we can not
cause another that which we do not
know ourselves. For this reason il
is the duty of every teacher always
to study. He can never come to
any wall that means the end OF
progress. There is always land
beyond and no teacher should ever
feel that knowledge enough had been
- nhf fain hn To CT 4
he should also cease to teach.
One of the wisest of Germany's
great men, Goethe, said of this:
There is nothing more frightfu
than a teacher who knows only
what his scholars are intended tC
know"
In order to study well each teach
er should have a plan for study. The
answers to the three questions
, What? Why? and What of it? ma!
be taken up or the five WIS, When
Where? Whom? What? and Why
None of these should be followed
blindly. Perhaps the best plan il
to study first, the simple text of thu
lesson, then the plain teachings o
the text, then the applications o
those teachings.
When he goes before his class th
teacher should have some facts o
Geography, of Chronology and man
: ners and customs of the people.
In beginning the third step, tina
of presenting the lesson, the teach
er must secure attention of tn
class. Everyone recognizes the fac
that in a game of baseball the field
er who gave no attention to tn
! batsman would be of little use.
! Attention is no less a necessit
in the more serious business of get
ting knowledge than in the game
and sports of life.
1t is possible to teach a perso
who lacks brightness, who lack
knowledge, who lacks a good dis
1 position, but utterly impossible I
teach a scholar who lacks attention
An important question then is Ho'
to get and hold the attention of tn
pupil.
There are some teachers who b
their very attitude command after
\ tion but these are indeed few an
with teachers generally the secul
: ing of attention must be by som
= other means than an imposing prei
= ence.
Most teachers must secure the a