Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1888 Excerpt: ...in one tingle line of thought." If a book is the main source of instruction, the teacher's business is to teach the book. These more definite remarks will prove helpful to the practical teacher: 1. The teacher must keep in the line of ideas followed by the book. Something more or something less may be allowed at times; but in no case anything different. That is a bad state of affairs when the class say, " The book says so, but the teacher so." By opposing himself to the book, the teacher commits two mistakes: he destroys the pupil's confidence in the book, and so his interest in it; and he engenders confusion and weakness. 2. The teacher should follow the methods of presentation employed by the book, otherwise his train of thought will collide with the book's train. 8. The teacher will study to make the first presentation of the subject successful. This is important for a double reason, or at least a reason that may be stated in two forms. The mental power expended by a pupil on the unsuccessful presentation is wasted, and worse than wasted, the debris of this presentation "litters up" the mind, and so stands in the way of a second one. This is the reason why it is often more difficult to teach a subject to a pupil to whom it has been imperfectly taught than to one who knows nothing about it. 4. The wise teacher will not present a subject in more than one way, provided his presentation has been successful. It is folly to explain the division of a fraction by a fraction in a second way, if the first has been understood. It is well enough, perhaps, for the author of an arithmetic to give two or more methods for findin interest; but the teacher should use only one with pupils the first time over the work. Never give, at the stage of te...
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