The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-05-30

part in a symposium upon the topic,
How Shall a Clty's People BE Edu-
Gated in Tastc?' | offered as my
contribution the M suggestion that
the city's people be taught young. 1t
Is a suggestion which scarcely needs
argument. Few Of you who have had
experience in teaching need be told
that IL ones standards # appivcia-
ton are to be raised, II one is to come
to care for fine line II form and
color. IL one is to learn to think CON
s~tructively.' then his knowledge.
ability and point Of view must he
given while the learner is a child at
school,. All these things the groHnup
learns, as the Scotch are sad to joke,
wi deefculty.' The purpose. then. Of
these museum talks is to bring the
children owe and over again to the
museum halls, to get them used to
coming. to give them the museum
habit. Through the art storie. and the
hero tales they are to earn the hu-
man background behind the silent
museum specimens: they are to
touch hands across the ages with the
little Greek children who played with
their dolls two thousand years ago.
they are to know the stalwart figures
who once wore the suits OF mail: they
are to catch, If never so little. some
thing of the JOY that wen into the
labor OF the weavers. the goldsmiths,
the Jolners and potters. whose works
nov fill the spacious museum gal
leriee.
This method 4 teaching has taken
a suggestion from the query OF the
children in Peter PAN Are we in tn,
story?' Yes says Peter Pan. you're
In It. Esss ntial to the success of
telling audiences of children is that
they shall be in II. They must ask
questions and answer them: they must
help act the dramatic parts; they must
themselves seem TO keep the story
going. Once they understand that
without their help nothing can he
done they are loyal supporters and
will j~oyously wave their hands and
shout assistance to the speaker who
stands apparently at a loss for a word
or a name or n date. To gain this
sympathetic rapport with a group Of
a dozen or a score is simple. Not
quite so simple Is the creation of the
genial atmosphere Of the story telling
circle when the audience is numbered
by the hundreds and not "A single child
Is known by name. So far as there
is any secret In II. II is a secret locked
In the word sympathy OF curse the
speaker must speak clearly and sim
ply. must use easy words and familiar
figures. and of coarse too he must
he sure: hat is. easily, plainly cer-
tain Of what is coming next Chill
dren delight in the seeming puzzle of
the teacher, In his little histrionic
pauses to give them a chance to aid.
but they instantly detect any real
hesitation and give sorry attention
to one who has learned his part i'll.
But more than the well learned and
well spoken part there must be the
unseen bon between teacher and
taught. The speaker must think with
the children. not Of them. He must be
able to sense their point of view. 10
care as they care. for the hero
whether he he knight or craftsman.
He must laugh with them. sigh with
them and stan amazed at what
amazes them: and his laughter and
his sishs must both he genuine, for
the sympathy OF the child Ia not TO
he bought by any poor imitation OF
JOY or sorrow.
Each talk has a distinct purpose.
This can perhaps he explained in the
phrase that one tries to create a
background for the lesson in art which
Is woven into the tale. For this reason
the story moves briskly forward with
drawing after drawing made by the
speaker on a great board covered with
paper, like this beside me. Now a
hurried line or two makes a scrap of a
map, so that we may all orient our
selves-learn whore the hero was
when this or that took place. Now a
bit of landscape helps out the narra-
tive or a dozen hasty lines place some
detail on the board which needs
graphic Illustration. Every picture, IL
must be understood. has question and
answer to go with IL. And tell me,
Where did the carvers get their ideas
for the forms they cut in these quaint
capitals?' Yes. And why did 'hc
architect build these flying arches
from buttress here to cornice?' Thus
the aesthetic background of time and
place and deed Is formed, and only
after it has been created does one