The Bozeman courier., 1921-06-22
BOOKS BY TEACHERS


When the publication of many
books by teachers and scholars was
held up during the war, it was ex-
pected by some sanguine critics of
modern education that even the liter
ature of this sort to appear later
would in some way be ennobled be-
cause of the war experience. Now
that these books are being published
in great numbers again, the expecta-
tion has not yet been fulfilled. Teach
ers and scholars who are writing of
their experiences and researches are
content, for the most part, with the
same dry methods of presentation
which they originally learned per
haps from Germany. A hard, dull
style usually suffices them still for
their meticulous analysis of literary
or historical sources, of economic and
sociological conditions, of educational
methods. Such enthusiasm as they
show Is all too often strictly profess
sional, with few CLEANS of the vital
amateur spirit.
Thus the great mass of new text
books on history may have a great
deal to say on democracy, but they
are poor makeshifts besides such a
work as "Moder n Democracies" by
Lord Bryce does not pretend to be a
teacher, in the ordinary sense of the
word. Mr.. Jusserand's English Way
iaring Life in the Middle Ages" of
which new edition has recently been
issued in London, is another example
of how a man who is not a profess
sional scholar and teacher can turn
out better book on a scholarly sub
ject than many a man who is. Arthur
Valley, with his new translation of
''The New Plays of Papan" is doing
the same sort Of thing. Certainly
the average teacher who writes a
book, whether a text book or a trea-
tise, should learn a great deal about
genuine vitality in writing from such
examples as these.
In his book called "Shackled
Youth" Mr.. Edward Yeomans, a
manufacturer in Chicago. offers in
connection with contemporary teach
ing in the United States some Wig
orous criticisms which would apply
equally well to the average books
written by teachers. Thus he says:
"The teacher has been trained to
teach English, and has taught it year
after year. Even at the beginning of
her career she was rather metallic,
because the norma schoel she went
to intensified her preconception that
teaching English meant analyzing
sentence, tossing their words into the
air and catching them dexterously-
just puggling English words. Moth
ing alive is ever exposed. She never
takes kicking pink-eyed rabbit out
Of anybody's pocket; she never dis
overs a vigorous emotion; because
6 regards English, she has none her
If - as the magician has his rabbit
: a magician l saw last winter had ;
real lion, tawny, and glaring, who fol
few minutes turned his 'ruddy eyes
ol an audience surfeited with tricks
and put the whole show to shame. /
you have not lion concealed abou
your person, dear teacher, haven
, you at least a rabbit" The reader
! of most. of the scholarly these an
! other. books by teachers, which ar
, coming so profusely from the pub
: li.hers now that the war is over, wi
feel like asking the same sort of G
: question.
C Of course some of these book
f such as Poetic. Origins and Ballad
n by Miss Louise Pound, are reasonal
c ly readable, whereas some of the sir
y liar books by others than teacher
s are not. Of this latter type is Il
l. small volume called "MiltOn's Pro
Il ody with a Chapter on Accentu
Verse and Notes." by Robe
70 Bridges. This careful study is,
II fact, an excellent example Of a kiE
a of scholarship which, when records
r in book form, can be considered on
"A hsf aeh0faYa Tnarn Ia no reason swl