Leaves from a Teacher's Note Book (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1857 edition. Excerpt: ... schools, and the observation has continually presented itself to my mind, that, in such lessons, the cardinal defect--that which lies very generally at the root of the failure of such lessons, and makes of what would, under other circumstances, be the most successful expedient, and the highest resource of education, in too many cases, an impediment to it--is an inadequate knowledge on the part of the teacher of that which he is teaching." To remedy this, preparation must be made. The teacher must meet his class with a full mind. "A good Prussian teacher no more thinks of meeting his classes without his daily preparation, than a distinguished lawyer, or clergyman' amongst ourselves, would think of managing a cause before court and jury, or preaching a sermon without special reading and forethought."--(Horace Mann.) Such an example is worthy of imitation. To be a successful teacher knowledge is needed. The obtaining, retaining, and increasing of this knowledge require careful and constant preparation of school lessons. The writing of notes will do much to insure this. Some arrangement of the matter must be adopted in order to keep the teacher from useless digressions, and to make a lesson clear and distinct. There must be certain landing stages, arrived at which, he knows what ground has been gone over, ' and how much still remains, and these will prove convenient points at which to ascertain by brisk thoughtful questions, whether he is understood, and how far he has succeeded in exciting thought, or for gathering up the matter elliptically before taking the next step. These divisions will also form centres, around which the instruction conveyed will be gathered in the minds of the children, and form landmarks in the progress of thought, ...