T H E RE C IT A T IO N

B"

J N EA T RIC K
. .
, A . M .

A UT H OR O F E LE M E NT S O F P E D A G O G IC S , P E D A G O G IC A L
P E BBLE S , A ND H IG H E R E NG LIS H .

Lea rn i ng w i t/ m a t ‘
C onf u ci u s
'

z lz o zzg/z i 1 s la bar 105 t . .

BE OLD
’

C K T O O .

ST . LO U IS , MO ,
C O P" R IG H T , 1 89 7 ,

B"
J N . . PA T RIC K .

/2 -
3
 T o Te a c he rs Th e R ecitation
.

pamphlet form at the request of m a n y teachers who

h
a s been gi v e n

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h ave heard it i n teachers institutes N o e ffort has .

“
been made to describe j ust H o w to Conduct a
R ecitation by arra n ging i n a formal order the
steps of a recitation I n th e h an ds of an in
.

competent or machine teacher specific directions

h
,

would soon degenerate into a dry mechanical ,

routine . N o one can tell another j ust o w h e

should do anyth ing Howe v er an e ffort has been
.
,

made to call the attention of young teachers to

some of the characteristics of a good recitation .

JN P . . .

St Louis M o J
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,
anuary 1 8 9 7
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T h
I t is an ol d saying that as th e teach er so th e s c h ool
best m ean ing for this is th at the ’
p u pil s m in d i n t h e
.

h
e , ,
’
act o f l earnin g b ecomes l ik e th e teacher s m in d ; it takes
,

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o n th e to n e an d coloring o f th e teac h er s t h oug h t T e

h
.

teacher bu il d s h is own th o u ght str u ct u re i nto t h e m i n d o f

t h e p u p il ; b egets im w it h h is own purity strength an d

h
, ,

sweep o f emotional l i fe ; b reath es i nto h im t h e b reat h o f h is

own eth ical nature T e teach er m ay resolve to trai n to
.

accurate thoro u g h an d meth o d i cal h a b its o f thought ; bu t

h
,

h
u nl es s th es e are h a b its o f h is own m in d h is e fforts w ill b e
u navail ing T e stream cannot ris e h igher t h a n its so u rce
. .

If t h e teac er th ink s loosely a n d slovenl y h e cannot h ope

goes . h
to real i z e anyt h i ng b etter i n the pupil s o fa r as t h e teach i ng

h
T e narro w pe d ant an d d ogmatist c a n n ever s ec u re
sch ol arly h a b its an d l i b eral culture T e teach er w h o h as

h
.

not a rich a n d full range o f emotional l i f e ca n expect

not h ing bu t a wit h ere d s o u l b o rn o f h is teac h ing T e ma n
‘

h
.

wh o h as n ot strengt h an d p u rity o f c h aracter c a n n o t J

strengt h en a n d purify c h aracter T e teach er bu il d s h is

h
.

li fe i nto that o f h is p u p il ; a n d it i s a b sol utely essential th at

h is l i fe b e all th at h e expects t h e p u pil to b ecom e T e .

’
q u al ity o f a teach er s l ife i s a part o f h is p ro fess ional e qu ip
m ent . A R NOLD T OM P K I NS .
 N
h
TH E R E C IT A T IO .

W ther we regard the prime purpose of th e

e
‘

h
school a s mental or moral i nstruction an d dis
c ip lin e t e fo rm at io n of ch aracter or the m anual
f

hh
,

skill th at shall ai d i n securi n g a comfortabl e live

li oo d t erecitation is th at about which center all
,

the acti v ities of school life gi v ing it success or

-

h
,

stamping it with fai lure .

"
H O WLA ND .

S o u ld A ro u se S e lf A c t iv it y
= .
’
A t e acher 5
v alue depends upon h is ability to stimul ate mental
acti v ity inhis pupils Teach ing a pupil is helping
.

him to help h imself C orrect teaching carefully

.

’
notes a pupil s ability and supplies h im with all he
can do I t converts learn ing into knowledge I t
. .

recognizes th e fact th at only wh at is understood is

useful th at th e pupil shoul d b e trained in all th at
truly tends t o e d u ca t e h im .

U ntil a t eacher sees clearl y th e di fference b e

tween training a pupil to thin k for h imsel f and
cramming h is memory with text book facts h e is -
,

a failure ; until a teacher sees clearly th at the

h
power to thin k is more in s
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is a failure M ind is more than a storehouse more

.
h
piring an d l asting than
t e mere ability to q u o t e t e thoughts of others he

,
,

v .
6 TH E RE C I TA TI O N .

th an memory T eaching is more th an a memory

.

exh ibition of text book facts rules an d definitions

-
.

h
,

Pupils go to sch ool for experience M emory reci .

t at io n of t e thoughts of others is n ot real e x p e

rie n c e ; it i s too form al M ere form alism is soul

.

less The work o i a teacher i s re al work

. I t de .

m a n ds the earnestness of an i d ealist .

I n every recitation train ing for power shoul d be

,

th e principal ai m of a teach er Text book facts .

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an d method s are only mea n s to th at on e paramount

end Training i n correct methods of study an d
.

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correct h abits is a p upil s greatest n eed Train ing .

insp ires de v elops h abituates cramm ing deadens

, , ,

arrests destroys The min d must grow or b e

,
.

come atrophied The min d needs mental food as

.

much as th e body n eeds physical food M eth od .

shoul d sti mul ate mental activity an d thu s create an

appetite for men tal nourish ment A S ph y sical ex .

e rc ise creates physical hu n ger so mental exercise ,

creates mental hunger Strength . physical i ntel ,

lectual and moral depen ds upon exercise .

I n th e recitation the real teach er fi nds o pp o r

,

t u n it y to train his pupils i n h ab i t s of self relian ce -

.

A tactful teacher uses th e recitation to train all

the m ental faculties o f a pupil ; th e indi fferent
sch ool keeper uses th e recitation to cram is
memo ry
-

. Teaching does not mean lecturing

h
 TH E R E C I TA TI ON . 7

or pouring facts into th e minds of pupils It .

means self act i v ity on the p art of pupils or it

-

means little or nothing C hildren should be trained .

to th ink to in v estigate to question to re ason

, , ,
.

The methods of a teacher should compel pupils to

th ink for th emsel v es .

Pedagogicall y wise is a teacher who sees e v e n a

glimpse of the great truth that telling is n ot teach
ing T elling implies mental activity only on the
.

part of th e teacher The pupils may be merely.

passi v e listeners Te aching implies mental ac t iv

.

it y on th e part of pupils as well as teach er Tell .

ing merely fills a pupil with facts ; teaching leads

h im to disco v er his own facts Teaching is more .

than imparting information it is more th an reci

h
t at io n hearing A teach er wh o is n ot sure th at
"

is method of teach ing is psychologically sound

will soon fall into a mechanical routi ne A rec .

it at io n sh oul d al ways a w aken i nterest for only ,

thro ugh interest is it possible to awaken the mind .

“
To teac h mank i n d some trut h
So d early p u rchase d only th en I fou n d
Su c h teac h i ng w as a n art re q u iring cares
A n d q ual iti es pecul ia r to its el f
T hat to p o s s es s w as o n e t i n g
x

to d isplay h
h
A noth er
"
.

lllu s t ra t io n t e Tes t .
"

Th e recitation o f the
word s of a text book without ample illustration by
-
8 TH E RE C I TA TI ON .

th e pupil is a schoolroom farce The mere abilit y .

to recite text book m atter i s not a test of a pupil s

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knowledge of a subj ect Without th e ability to

.

illustrate a pupil learns m uch he will n ever know ;

,

that is h e merely recites th e words of anoth er

,
.

Teachers sho uld i nsist upon illustrations of d e fi n i

tions an d rules .

Exact teaching cultivate s clear thi nk ing an d

e xact expression on th e p art of pupils I n di fferent .

teaching encourages careless th inking an d slovenly

expression Exact teaching trai n s a pupil to be
.

clean and definite in his statements ; i ndi fferent

teach ing trai ns h im to be dirty and i ndefinite i n
h is statements V ague wordy i n s t ruction le aves
.
,

vague and in defin ite impressions M u ddy and .

wordy i llustrations by a teach er can not convey to

a pupil clear ideas C lean clear expression on the

h
.
,

part of a pup il is the result of persistent methodical ,

training by t e teacher I ncorrect h abits of

.

expression cannot be dislodged by spasmodic

e fforts on the part of teachers A teach er should . .

be un iformly purposeful an d exacti n g .

S oun d methods put th e burden of th e work upon

pupils A successful teacher does not recite le s
.

sons for pup ils nor feed them with suggesti v e

questions H e talks but little
. Pupils g o to .

school not to learn to lean upon teach ers and

 TH E RE C I TA TI O N . 9

books , but to be trained in habits of self reliance -

.

They go to school not to hear teach ers tell things ,

but to tel l things themselves M ind is developed .

only by its o w n activity M ere filling is not .

culture ; culture is the ability to reason Think of .

this fact talki n g teachers D ivide your talking

,
.

by t wo or four and thus multiply th e value of y our

services by four or eight M uch talking wearies
. .

A good t e xt book is always better than a talking

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teacher .

A Flo ra l a nd In t e lle ct u a l T e s t . The recitation

’
is the best school test of a pup il s moral character .

I t gives a pupil an opportunit y to define and

describe hi m self I f h e is m anly an d self reliant
.
-
,

he will refuse promptings fro m his classmates ; if h e

is indolent and dependent h e will seek eve ry o p ,

“
rt u n it y to sh irk recitation I t is th e re citation
p o .
,

with its direct and indirect in " uence which m akes ,

a pupil an independent courageous student or a

, ,

hopeless beggar . A recit ation should be made s o

H

exacting so direct so personal that a l arge maj or

, ,

it y of pupils will prepare their lessons The .

character of the recitation determines th e ch aracter

’
of the pupil s study h ours .

The recitation is the best school test of a pupil s ’ -

intellectual character F rom the m anner i n which

.

a pupil expresses hi mself a teacher can j udge o i

'

,
10 TH E R E C I TA TI ON .

his power to observe to re " ect to imagine

, ,
.

Th inking is h ard work hence pupils are prone to

,

cloth e their ideas in ragged or incomplete senten ces .

Th e most persistent e ffort on th e part of a teacher

sh ould be made t o h ave a pupil express h imself i n

h
clear concise sentences Training in expression
, .

S ould constitute a part of every recitation during

’
th e e ntire period of a pupil s school life C learness -
.

of statement is evidence of culture Th e mere .

ability to state a fact i n careless or slovenly Eng

lish does not suggest culture Pupils shoul d .

recite i n th ei r own language ; they S hould n ot be

permitted to quote the language of text boo k s -

definitions excepted The parrot like recitation of -

h
.

f acts i n th e langu age of others is not S lgn i fi c a n t .

The m ind is not s atisfied with t e recitation of th e

words of others Te acher if you are a routine
.
,

recitation hearer get rid of the h abit at on ce

,
.

I ndependent th inking on the part of teach ers w ill

lead to independent th inking on the part of pupils .

M ere text book facts are ch eap an d m ay b e foun d

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i n d ictionaries gazetteers and encycl opedias

, ,
.

In d irect H e lp O n ly M any teachers are e v er too

.

ready to h elp t heir pupils over every di fficulty

over every obstacle which they should m aster u n
aided th at they m ay learn to rely upon th ems e l v es .

Teach ing wh ich makes school life easy for a pupi l -

 TH E R E C I TA TI ON . 11

is destructive teaching I t robs h im of h is o pp o r

.

t u n it y a n d g ives h im a wrong impression not only ,

of school life but of life in general When a

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,
.

teacher feels that h e should help a pupil h e should ,

not do so directly Suggestion is m ore h elpful

.

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than telling because it excites the pupil s curiosity
and sets h im to thinking The pupil should be .

led slowly an d cautiously by means of questions to

help h imsel f out of h is diffi culty .

h
M uch help o n the p art of a tea cher weakens the
will of a pupil an d leads h i m to look for help when
h e s ould n o t recei v e it Th e tactful teach er — the
.

real teach er seldom finds it n ecessary to do any

th ing for a th inking pupil An average pupil re .

j oices at the opportunity to test an d exhibit h is

powers Therefore th e lessons should be neither
.

too easy nor too d ifficult I f th e lesson is too easy

.

the pupils w ill lose interest ; i f th e lesson is too

diffi cult th e pupils will become discouraged A
, .

’
pupil s e ffort shoul d bear fruit i n obj ective truth .

As he governs best who mak es rules u n n eces

sary so h e teaches best wh o en ables h is pupils to
,

dispense with h is aid The soul rej oices only in

.

self won v ictories I t feels n o special pleasure in

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result s obtained through th e help of others P u .

pils should be encourag ed to realiz e thei r aims

through their own e fforts Tea ch ing which doe s ,
12 TH E RE C I TA TI O N .

not inclin e a pup i l to think for h imself is i n di i

fe re n t teach ing I n m any schools pupils are n o t
.
,

required to think for th emselves Th e teachers .

tell a nd th e pupils b elieve Traditional routine .

i s m aster R eal te ach ers train pupils to rely upon

.
"

themselves ; school —keepers trai n them for beggars

h
.

Knowledge cannot be imparted by teach er to pupil .

Education i s progressive development — th e is

tory of a process .

’
Kno w ledge cannot be poured i n to a pupil s head
as peas are poured i n to a pot Knowledge can n o .

more b e given a pupil by a teacher than ch aracter

can b e g iven a ch ild by th e father E ducatio n is .

’
a possibility m erely ; each on e s self activity must -

determin e whether or not h e will acquire it To .

educate a ch ild is to do more for him th an to cram

h im with text book facts ; i t is to trai n h im i n cor
-

rect h abits moral i ntellectual an d physical

, , ,
.

Knowledge is n ot a gif t but an acquisition , All .

th at a teach er can do is t o arouse mental acti v ity

and lead a pupil to desire knowledge The pupil .

must supply the des i re Th e best wor k a pup il

h
.

does is that wh ich teaches h im to love work .

There is a radical defect in a teach er w o would

lead children to believe th at life is full of leisure
and pleasure I dleness blinds pupils to the Work
.

of opportunity .
 TH E R E C I TA TI ON . 13

C la s s ln s t ru ct io n .
— In
a school of th irty or more
pupils but little time should b e given to indi v idual
,

instruction .I ndividual instruction lessens the

v alue of a recitation hence it has a tendency to
,

encourage inattention during recitation Ti me an d .

energy are both wasted if a te acher attempts to

,

i v e much i ndi v idu al instruction With the ex .

c e pt io n of an occasional h int i ns t ruction should be

,

class i nstruction I n classes pupils teach each

.
,

oth er I f several pupils are required to illustrate a

.

principle or state a text book f a ct i n their own-

l anguage e ach will get a wider view o f the m atter

,

than when taugh t alone .

C lass recitation gives each pupil i n th e cl ass an

opportunity to measure h imself with every other
pupil i n th e class I t gives a teacher an o pp o r
.

t u n ity to grade h is pupils an d to d ra w upon each

for all I n class instruction a teacher is less liable

.

to help than i n individual i nstruction I f help can .

be h ad for th e asking a pupil will often get it when

,

h e should not receive it I f all attend class in

.
,

struction becomes truly i ndividu al instruction with

the added interest that can come onl yfrom contact
of mind with mind .

I f m uch time is S pent with one pup il th e other ,

members of th e class will becom e restless C all o n .

every member of th e class as often as p ossible D o .

14 TH E RE C I TA T I ON.

n ot permit ready and anxious pupils to use all th e

time G ive laggards and dullards a ch ance After
. .

a pupil h as made two or three blunders or com

p le t e failures call on,
another pupil to do th e work
of the blunderer but do not forget th e blunderer
,
.

M any teachers lose themselves an d their pupils

in the m ach inery of school life F orms an d pro -
.

grammes h ave their uses i n school as well as else

where b ut they are not th e essentials Teach ing
,
.
,

learning doing are mental processes

, ,
steps i n th e
gro wth of th e soul The curse of th e teaching of
.

uneducated u ntrained teachers is mech an ism N o

,
.

mere m emory trainer can educate ch ildren Edu .

cation is not so much reading so m any encyclop edic ,

facts ; it is a desire a preparation a h unger for

, ,

k nowledge .C orrect h abits of th inking an d doing

are more real tha n facts an d th eories .

A Bu s in e s s A f fa i r Pupils should not be per

.
-

m itt e d to hesitate wh en called upon to recite They .

S houl d n ot b e perm itted to get their lessons i n th e

class They should go to a recitation fully prepared
.

and should respon d to questions readil y an d cheer

fully Pupils should b e trained to recogniz e recita
.

tion h our as the most important hour of th e da y .

Each pup il of a class should b e called upon to d o

his part of th e class task ; each shoul d be require d to
exhibit h i m self I f a pupil hesitates an d bl u nders
.
.
 TH E RE C I TA TI O N . 15

stop him an d call another pupil G ive delinquents .

another chance to recite but do not scold them ,

.

Put the laggard into a lower class until he feels th e

disgrace his indolence h as brought upon him B e .

patient with a dullard for h e may know more th an

he can express M an y dull pupils h a v e grown
.

into great th inkers .

A recitation is strictly a business affair I t should .

h a v e a business as well as an i ntellectual an d moral

v alue I t should teach pupils th at Life is real ;
“

h
.

life is earnest There is n o room i n school ex

.
"

e rc ise s for any form of sentimental ism E nt usi .

asm tact an d impartiality should ch aracterize

, ,

every recitation Wakefulness on th e part of both

.

teacher and pupil is a necessity A teacher whose .

h eart beats only occasionally cannot hol d th e a t

tention of a class Th e li v ing dead can not st i m u
.

late the living to greater e ffort S chools should .

train childre n to think and act quickly A teacher .

sh ould not excuse a pupil for failure i n a rec itation

unless h e knows that the pupil has studied fa ith
fully a ll the time .

" u e s t io n P u p ils —
methods of in st ru c
. C orrect
tion begin or close a recitation with review ques
tions R eviews deepen impressions and awaken
.

associations which aid re t ention I f pupil s are .

confronted with review questions they will be ,

16 TH E RE C I TA TI ON
.

more th orough in their work " uestion only i n .

regard to essential facts an d principles D o not .

tire a n d discourage pupils with questions about

detail D et a il u sually takes care of itself
. .

A teacher m ay know a subj ect but n ot k now h ow

to teach it S kill i n teach ing depen ds more on a
.

knowledge of the laws of mental growth th an upon

a knowledge of the subj ect t aught A t e ach er of .

lim ite d knowledge but sou n d method is to b e p re

,

ferre d to one with ample knowledge an d u nsoun d

meth od Th e average pupil is so i nquisitive so
.
,

self h elpful th at h e n eeds little more th an opp o r

-
,

t u n it y an d th e stimulation of a strong p e rson ality .

M ethod m ay b e a h indrance or a help ; th e v alue

of opportu n ity depends who lly upon th e k in d of
opportun ity .

C orrect
meth ods of instruction require p u p ils to
return to th e teacher wh atever h e imparted to th em .

Th is a teacher can compel pupils to do on ly by

questioning th em Pupils often recite fi ip p a n t ly th e
.

words of a text book without th e slightest ide a of

-

their mean ing or application Teach ers sh ou l d n ot

.

assume th at pup ils u n derstan d wh at they recite or

th at they can illustrate definitions an d rules .

I n s t ruc t ion should en d i n application

Kn owl .

edge without th e po wer to apply it h as l ittle value

either for the on e wh o possesses i t or for society .
18 TH E RE C I TA T I ON .

S eldom ,
if ever repeat a question
,
. B y repetition
you encourage th e h abit of i n attention i ncrease ,

your own work an d consume time Pupils should .

b e trained to ask all questions con cern ing their les

son s during recitation A teacher sh oul d n ot per
.

m i t pupils i n their seats — non reciti n g pupils -

to annoy h im with questions wh ile h e is hearing a

class recite While h earing a recitati o n a teacher
.

shoul d stan d where h e can see each member of th e

.

h
class H e shoul d stan d still A walking restless
teach er di stracts t e attention o f th e class also of
th e oth er pupils R estlessness di v ides th e presence
.
.
,

a n d th e power of a teacher

h .

A vo id Ro u t i n e M e t o d s — N e v er h a v e pupils
.

recite consecutively th at is i n th e order i n wh ich

, ,

th ey sit or stan d during recitation N e v er do .

anyth ing i n a routi ne way R outine recitation .

h earing is m ach in e teachi n g I t is comparatively .

e asy work because it is comparati v ely worthless

,

work I deals e nth usiasm conviction an d purpose

.
, ,

are not boun ded by se t formul as ; the soul of a

leader cannot be i mprisone d with i n a circle Keep .

each pupil i n the class constantly on th e alert by

tact The method of a teach er determines th e
.

h abits of his pupils .

B e always n ew alwa y s th e same I f a

, yet .

’
pupil s attention is to be held h e must feel th at h e ,
 TH E RE CI TA TI ON . 19

is likely at any time to be called upon for an ex

, ,

pl anation a correction or an illustration ; and

, ,

every day he should ha v e an opportunity to recite .

“
S itting silent and unnotice d day after day he ,

soon loses all interest or becomes listless or restless

, ,

an d ere long ceases to prepare the lessons for

h
which h e h as no use .

O n e T in g a t a T i m e — Teach on e thin g at a .

time The clearest images an d deepest impressions

.

are m ade when the m ind is concentrated upon a

single thing The greater th e number of obj ects
.

simultaneousl y in consciousness the less distinct ,

th e impression of each The d urability of a per

.

c e p t io n depen ds upon th e quality of the attention

which de v eloped it O n e may perceive so feebly

.

th at the impression will become confused with

other feeble impressions an d soon pass out of con
sc io u s n e ss .

Teach er b e definite in your aims ; select the

,

important fact or principle an d emphasiz e it ; see

th at the class follo w you an d u nderstand you It .

is clear seeing an d de ep conviction th at g ive life

meaning I t is thu s clear that dissipation i n teach
.

ing means a confusion of impressions an d l ittle

advance i n mental power or knowledge Pup ils .

may recite the same lesso n several times and not

perceive a single principle in it .
20 TH E RE C I TA TI O N .

C o m p et e n c y E s s e n t ia l
What thou d ost not .

know th ou canst not tell

,
What a teache r knows .

superfici ally h e teach es superficially As n o one .

h
,

can teach a ll he knows one must know a subj ect ,

thoroug ly before he c an teach it thoroughly O nly .

masters insp ire and lead others Every teach er is .

conscious th at h e knows his subj ect or that h e does ,

not kn ow it I ncompetency is alwa y s timi d and

.

passive ; competency usually fearless an d aggressi v e .

A teacher should be accurately an d abun dantly

qual ified to teach every subj e ct assigned h im .

There should be a positive ring i n e v ery state ment

he makes C onscious recognition by a teacher th at
.

he possesses a teach ing k nowle d ge of the subj ects

h e teaches does much to lighten h is labor an d to
,

strengthen his faith in h imsel f .

Th e i nspiration wh ich begets in spiration i n

others is born of intelligent aims Pupils must b e .

lie v e th at their teacher is qu alified to instruct

them They must bel ie v e not only th at h e is com
.

petent but that h e is h onest C h aracter is th e

,
.

primary virtue Teachers nee d th e courage born

.

of purpose There i s no sadder spectacle on earth

.

th an a school teacher who h as n o con v ictions or

-

wh o is afrai d t o thi nk aloud D ummies a n d cow .

ards h ave their uses but they S houl d n ever b e ,

placed in charge of ch ildren .

 TH E R E C I TA TI ON . 21

A ccurate scholarship an d manly independence

le a v e lasting i mpressions upon pupils but ign o ,

rance and dependence are obstacles i n the way of

i ntellectual and moral growth A teacher should .

kno w the subj ect rather than its t reatment by a

special author S lavery to text boo k s suggests
.
-

incompetenc y an d creates distrust i n th e minds of

pup ils Teach e rs are more courageous and in spir
.

ing without a text boo k i n hand th an w ith one

-
.

“
B y h ow much we know so much we are ,
.
"

O rigin a lit y E s s e n t ia l N o one wh o blindly

.

copies the methods of another can e v er m ake an

inspiring teacher B ac k of e v ery success is origi
.

n a lit y purpos e and courage

, A mach ine teacher
.

does not carr y i nto his work the primary elements

of success A teacher wh o does not study methods
.

as well as text books must always remain a copy

-

ist
. As n e w and b etter methods are disco v ered ,

tested and approved the o ffi ce of teacher becomes

,

more and more diffi cult to fill The deman d for .

trained teach ers is steadily on th e increase M any .

small cities ha v e established train ing schools an d ,

States are building more N ormal schools .

A te acher who is satisfie d with his present a t

t a in m e n t s an d ideals will soo n b e placed on the

retired list A teacher of to day must meet the re

.
-

q u i re m e n t s of to
- day The presence
. of a breath i n g
22 TH E RE CI TA TI ON .

teach er inspired with th e zeal born of culture an d

a l ove of ch ildren is th e re al need of a l arge m a
j orit y of ou r sch ools The ability to inspire com
.
,

’
mand direct an d sa v e is a teacher s greatest n ee d
,
.

“
The familiar saying As is th e teacher so is th e
, ,

school i s pure truth Th e teach er is th e school

,
"
. .

A wea k teacher m akes weak pupils a talking

teach er i ndolent pupils
,
.

A c t i v y o
it C n t a gio u s — S it t i n g dre am ing teach ,

ers can not se e i dle pupils Sitting d ivi des sight .

’
seeing by ten and a teacher s in " uence to govern
an d inspire by twenty S itting teach ers h ave put .

millions of school ch ildren t o sleep Th e weaker .

th e teacher th e less h e feels th e responsibility of

,

h is work D uring recitatio n s teach ers of a ll grades

.

should m ake sitting the exception and stan ding th e

rule .I f a teach er is n ot physically able to work
h e sh ould resign i f h e is not willing to work h e
S hould be dismissed S ome t e achers are s o feeble
.

i n presence so weak i n purpose so in defin ite and

, ,

timid in speech th at they h ave little to o ffer pupils

wh en they stan d an d o ffer them all th ey h ave .

S uch teach ers c an not run th e ri sk of di v iding their

l ittle personality with a ch air A tru e teacher .

gives to h is school work his entire being

-
.

“
We l iv e i n d ee d s n ot years ; i n thoug h ts not b reat h s ;
, ,

I n feel ing not i n figures o n a d ial

, .

We s houl d count tim e b y h eart thro b s H e most l ives .

Wh o th i nks m ost fee ls th e n obl est acts th e best .

"
 TH E R E C I TA TI O N . 23

The ideal teaching relation between t eacher and

-

pup il is born of faith i n hum an ity a n d a spirit of

symp athetic h elpfulness on the part of the te acher .

Th e atmosphere and environments of a schoolroo m

sh ould be more cordial a n d inspiring than the
atmosphere an d environments of a cold storage
warehouse Passive in active believers can not
.
,

lead oth ers to feel or to do Passi v e un certain .

,

teachers always h ave passive uncertain pup ils ,

.

Te acher if you lack the po w er of presence develop

, ,

it ; if you lack vigor of speech an d action acquire ,

it ; i f you lack enthusiasm generate it ; if you do ,

not love children quit teaching school

,
.

“
Work an d enthusiasm says G oethe are the "
,

h
,

pin ions on which great deeds are borne En .

"

t u s i a sm is a " ame wh ich leaps fro m h eart to

h eart M an 1 5 more th an cold i n tellect A man
. .

whose head is full of book facts is usually a poor -

teacher A real teacher is always larger an d wiser

h
.

th an a mere bookworm Wh en th e principal.

th ing about a teacher is purpose e is greater than ,

all methods When h is v ery soul is impacted into

.

h is teach ing h e is indeed a moral an d an intel

,

lectual leader Th e real i n " uence in education is

.

not the fact taught b ut th e inspiration which a o

,

companies its teaching A teacher n eeds th e .

p ower to will an d the courage to do I f he would .

24 TH E RE C I TA T I ON .

insp ire an d direct h e must act I f h e woul d free

,
.

others he must first free h i m self I f h e woul d h ave

.
.

self reliant pupils h e must b e self reliant H e

-
,
-
.

n eeds m ore than b elief ; h e needs con v iction ; h e

needs m ore th an convi ction ; h e n eeds th e courage
of conviction .

G et A t t e n t io n . G iving attention is acquiring

kn owledge A pupil must give u nd i v ided atten
.

tion if h e woul d acquire clear an d l asting impres

,

sions G ive your pupils to un derstan d that th ey

.

must give attention D o n o t allow them to tri " e .

w ith themsel v es I f y o u we re born for a teach er

.
,

y ou can secure an d retain th e attention of your

pu p ils duri n g a recitation I f you can not get the .

attention of your cl ass an d h old it y ou cannot ,

teach school I nterest depends upon attention

. .

Lack of attention on th e part of pupils is usually

du e to a lack of interest an d enthusiasm on th e
part of teach ers A s iro n is forg e d i nto sh ape only
.

wh en it is hot so m in d is drawn out only when

,

it g ives attention Wh at is called genius is l ittle

.

more th an attention .

When more p arents learn what teach i n g m eans ,

license to teach w ill b e refused th ose wh o cannot

secure an d retain the attention of their pup ils .

Wh at i nforma t ion a teacher imparts m ay be learn ed

i n a diction ary or e ncyclopedia but th e impulse to ,
26 TH E RE C I TA TI ON .

writte n recitation I do not mean a formal test

.

’
examin ation wh ich m easures a pupil s knowledge
by per cents but carefully writte n recitation
,
It .

is i n a w rit t e n recitation th at conciseness and clear

ness of statement are best secured A written .

recitation trains pupils to closer attention to th e

detail of composition th an oral recitation .

I n geography h istory language an d gramm ar

, , ,

one carefully prepare d written recitation review ,

ing a subj ect or a ch apter is worth several oral

,

recitations provided the written work of th e pup ils

,

is carefully examin ed in th e class an d th e m ost ,

obj ection able m istakes poi n ted out by th e teach er

an d corrected by the pupils O ver criticism b y a
.
-

teacher d iscourages pupils Tech nical distin ctions

.

i n reg ard to detail weaken th e impressions m ade

b y th e i mportan t principles an d facts I t takes .

h alf a lifetime of schoolroom service to learn to

d istinguish between th e essential and th e n on

h
essential m atter in our text books — to learn th at -

t e greater contains th e less .

“
Teaching s ays Tompkins
,
"
is the process by ,

wh ich one m ind from a set purpose produces th e

, ,

’
life unfol din g process i n anoth er
-
A teacher s .
"

secret l ies i n his power to develop in th e m in d s of ,

his pupils a con dition S imilar to th e one present

,

i n h i s own m ind Teaching is a mental process

. .
 TH E RE C I TA TI ON . 27

B lackboard an d tablet shoul d never be used to

‘

relieve th e mi n d of the strai n required to develop

and strengthen it . M echan ical recitation is th e
radical fault in our methods of instruction M achi n e .

recitation cannot arouse m ental act ivity The .

m in d possesses only wh at it does The particular .

end sought i n a recitation should be secured through

the un i v e rsal aim of education E v er y recitation
.

should be made a means of cul t ure Knowledge .

problems are but a small part of education To .

limit education to a bread an d butter utility is to

miss th e real aim of education I t would degrade
.

m an into a finely adj usted m achine Life is more .

th an m oney getting Th e utilitarian or l ower aim

-
.

of e ducation seeks only th e business value of edu

cation ; th e spiritual o r h igh er aim seeks the
spiritual worth iness of the individual .

Kno w n ot for ’
k n owing s sak e ,

Bu t t o b e c o m e a star to m e n forever .

The greater contributions to th e w ealth of the

worl d h a v e been m ade without regard to mere util
ity I t is clear th at the meth od wh ich is best for
.

th e mind of a pupil is best also for p ractical life .

The aim of every teacher shou ld be to substi tute ,

in the minds of h is pupils intellectual life for se n

,

su o u s life.S ensation h as a physical basis ; thought

is the product of the mind ; sensation depends upon
28 TH E RE C I TA TI O N .

time and Space ; thought is independent of time

and space Education eman cip ates ; it frees the
.

soul of sensuous environment an d carries i t into

h
th e realm of spiri t ual truth A teacher who sees
only t e business value of e ducation h as a v ery lo w
idea of th e aims and e nds of life H e lives with
.

the material .

“
We teac h a nd te a ch

h
U n ti l l ik e dr u mm i ng p edagog u es w e l os e
T e th ough t th at w h at w e te ac h a s h igh e r en d s h
T h
T h a n b e i n g ta u gh t a n d l e arne d

e Wo rd A ga in .
—
.

Th e little word again

m ay be made a very h elpful word i n a recitation I f .

properly used it will save much time for p upils

,
.

When a pup il blunders or m ak es a statement in

h
“
slo ve n ly Engl ish the teacher Should s ay again
,
"

an d t e pupil should try agai n Wh y should a .

teacher sa y John y o u m ay recite again or ,

"

“
M ary you know better th an th at
, The persist .
"

“
ent use of again will do more for a p upil than
a scolding I n this way every recitation may b e
.
,

m ade a v alu able language lesson The liberal u se .

of this little word will do more toward training a

pupil i n the use of good English th an h igh school
rhetoric i n later years .

The mech anical ph ase is not the essential part of

a recitation Knowi n g i s n ot a mechanical proc
.

ess . A teacher wh o is conscious only of th e me

 h
TH E R E C I TA TI O N . 29

c process by which a p u pil finds results is

a n ic a l

an unskilled laborer " B elow th e formal and visi

.

ble lies the spiritual an d invisible " There is n o .

subj ect taught i n school which h as not its relation

to the soul There is culture in th e common
.

branches I n education th e essenti al is not the

.
,

fact taught but the spirit i n which it is taugh t

,

“
th e manner and method of th e teach er The .

whole sky of truth ben ds over e ach recitation ; and

a teacher needs but climb S in ai to rece ive the di
vin e law .

Teacher be yourself ,
.

“
T rut h i s w i t h i n ou rsel ve s ; i t take s n o ri s e
’
F rom outward th i ngs w h ate e r y ou m a y b el i eve
, .

T h ere i s a n i nm ost c e ntre i n u s al l ,

Wh er e tr u t h a b i d e s i n fu l lne s s ; a n d arou n d ,

Wal l u pon w all t h e gros s " es h h ems i t in

, .

T h is p erfect d e ar percepti o n
,

A n d to k n o w , ,

R ath er cons i sts i n op en i n g o u t a w ay

W h e n c e th e i mpri son e d spl en d or m ay e sc ape ,

T h an i n e ffecti n g e ntry f o r a l igh t

Su ppos ed to b e w ith o u t .
"

U nityof belief is poverty of intellect An ounce .

of inspiration is worth a poun d of direction Think .

out an i deal recitation by studying th e laws of

mental development an d the ai m and en d of e du
c ation A n ideal is a personal possession an d by
.

an immut able law it seeks to o u t p ic t u re an d actu

alize itself N othing is so false an d dogmatic a s
.
30 TH E RE C I TA TI O N .

This is the only method M ethod cannot be

fitte d to th e m in d as clothe s are fitted to th e b ody .

M ethod i s person al an d incommu nicable I t is .

self A n e w truth finds its ab iding place only

.

t hrough misapprehension friction an d personal

, ,

sacrifice I gnorance an d prej udice occupy most

.

of the space an d a m an with a new i de a is an in

t ru d e r
.

teach er shoul d look with in for the inspiration

A
which inspires h is pupils H e should rely m ore .

on h is person al power th an on text books he Should -

rely more on soun d methods of instruction than on

devices I f he would trai n an d discip lin e th e
.

min ds of h is pupils his i nstruction must b e in

,

accord with th e laws of mental development .

Education is go v ern ed by etern al l aws Th e .

manner i n which a pupil acqui res knowledge

“
depen ds on the method of th e teach er Th e act .

of acq u iring knowledge says Wh ite ,

is of m ore
"
,

benefit to th e ch ild th an the k nowledge acqui red .

"

A chil d i s made a m an by education S chool .

educa t ion l ays the foundation ; sel f education erects -

the building A teacher wh o does not feel th at h e

. -

is being self educated is intellectually unfit to teach

-

others .

B e a student C onsciousness of i ncompleteness

.

and imperfection is th e e v olutionary principle

‘
 TH E R E CI TA TI O N . 31

which urges us to further e ffort N o one succeeds

.

who is content to rem ain i n a state of rest C o n .

t e n t m e n t means decay an d death Aspiration is a

.

measure of moral purpose A teacher wh o h as

.

rea lized his ideals is morally and i ntellectually

unfit to teach school When a teacher ceases to
.

learn h e ceases to be i nspiring O nly those wh o

,
.

are mentally a wake c a n awaken and i nt erest others .

N o one is complete ; no ideal is ever realized .

Work not for popul arity but to 1 n sp 1 re and save

, ,

“
your pupils . Popularity is for dolls To work .
"

for appl ause or place is to live the life of a sla v e .

H e who feels th at h e needs the vote of the maj ority

does not know the h istory of progress or th e
i nfini t e worth of truth and sacrifice The best the .
,

highest has always been opposed by the m asses .

The will is the arch itect of fate Accomplish .

ment sets theory aside A m a n teaching is worth

.

more to a class of pupils than all theories methods , ,

and devices Awake to the fact that teaching is a

.

S piritu al process th at the formal recitation is only

th e visible mach inery through wh ich the spiritual
— “
is awake ned an d strengthened th at The letter
killeth but the spirit m aketh alive
, .
"

Teach ing children is a fearful re sponsibility .

O nly men an d women of culture con v iction an d , ,

courage shoul d be licensed to teach s chool The .

32 TH E RE C I TA TI O N

present cheap estimate of th e valu e of ch ild life

,
-

a nd opportu n ity is a re " ection upon th e free s chool

h
s y stem S o long as teach ing is a stepp i ng stone
.
-

to more lucrative professions j ust so lo n g w ill our

,

c ildre n be the v ictims of i nexp erience ig n orance ,

,

and local favoritism There i s someth ing radically

.

wrong i n our educational system wh en th e best

teach ers qui t th e schoolroom for places i n b usi ness
or other professions an d leave the train ing of o ur
,

ch ildren to une ducated u ntrained boys an d g irls

, .

I believe th at th e present con dition of the sc ience

of e ducation an d th e art of i nstruction is compara
t iv e ly crude .C onsistency is change i n the dirc e
tion of be t ter methods and a clearer k nowledg e of
human n ature Progress i s the watchword Little
. .

th at h as been goo d i n on e generation h as sign ifi

can ce i n th e n ext generation U se what th e past
.

h as given you i n buil ding for th e future .

Bu il d t h e e m o re state ly m ans ions , O my so u l ,

As th e swift s easo ns roll "

Leav e th y low vau lte d p ast "
Le t eac h new templ e n o b ler th an th e l ast
, ,

S hut th ee from h eave n w ith a d ome more vast ,

T ill th o u at l engt h art f ree ,

’
Leaving th ine o u tgrown sh el l by l ife s u nresting sea " "
 FROM S U PT W . . S . P E RR " , A NN A RBO R MI C H , .

h
fin d th e book E le m e n t s o f P e d a go g
I ‘
most excelle nt ic s a
compend of th e fu ndamental facts doctrines and principl es o f teach , ,

i ng as h el d by th e foremost educators o f th e present time T e styl e .

i s e n gagi ng b ecaus e i t i s stimulati ng It goes directly to th e h eart

, .

of a top ic lays bare th e S h ams and bl unders o f teach ing whil e it

, ,

sets i n very cl ear l ig h t th e true d octrin e o f educatio n a nd its a p p li

catio n s I shoul d say from th e C l earness o f its thought a nd d irect
.

ness o f its styl e that it w oul d be spec ially h elp ful to young teach ers .

FROM H O N W W P E ND E R G A S T S TAT E S U P T O F P UBL I C IN

. . .
, .

S T RUC TI ON S T PA UL MI NN , .
, .

h
E le m e n t s o f P e d a go gic s
‘
by J N P atrick will i n my , . .
, ,

op n ion prove a v ery valuabl e work for al l teach ers who are i nter
i
,

e s t e d e noug i n the ir work to m ak e a study o f th e pri nciples u po n

wh ic h th ei r professio n i s fou nded I k now O f n o plac e where s o .

mu ch of foo d for thought can b e o b tai ned i n s o l ittl e space .

h
o ne h avi ng th e ch arge O f a s ch ool ca n rea d the work care
full a " 1 d thoughtfully without getting l ight u p o n th e n ature of th e M

o rk to b e done a nd the normal m e t o d s of do i ng it

"
.

FROM R E BE N F E LD S U P T O F P UBL I C S C H OOLS D ULUT H MI NN

. .
,
.
, , .

h
I h ave bee n for some time as you doubtl ess kn ow co nsider
’
, ,

ing your l ittl e book o n E le m e nt s o f P e d a go gic s and I n ow say

‘
,

that I a m del ighte d with it T e d i fferen t sub j ects are presented i n .

a cl ear forc ibl e man ner a nd it contai ns as muc h meat o n th e s u b

, ,

c t as a ny book th at I h ave ever read I do n ot k now th at th ere i s

j e .

any change th at I w ould mak e were I to prepare a book for my own

teachers S end m e o ne h u ndred and fi fty c opies
. .

FROM S U P T C A LV I N M OON S OU T H BE ND IND .

, , .

’
I regar d E le m e nt s o f P e d a go gics as o n e O f th e best books
‘

on th e sub j ect o f pedagogy y e t publ ish ed I t i s certai nl y wel l .

adapted to th e n eeds O f young teach ers and th e O lder members O f

’
,

th e p rofession ill fi 1 d valuabl e l essons with in its covers for them .

State R eading C ircl e A doptions " C olora d o 1 895; I owa 1 8 96 ; , ,

XV is c o n s i n , 1 8 96

h
.

“
E LE FI E NT S O F P E D A GO G HC S
was wri t t en for th ose
who would be lost i n th e ve rb i a ge of m a n y o t er books
on th e same subj e ct I t ignores details a n d e m p a s 1z e s
th e important poi ts of Classroom psychology t hose on
n —
. h
wh ich succes s ful methods are based .

The book is be autifully print e d i n clear large type , ,

on good paper an d bound i n clo t h 12m o ,

2 2 4 pages . .
,
.

S i n gle copy for examin ation by mail eigh t y fi v e cen t s , ,

-
.

ST .
LO U IS ,
M o . BE C K T O LD CO .
 B" J N P A T R IC K A
h
.M .
, . .
,

E le en t s f P e da g gi P e da g gi a l P e bbles
h
“
A ut o r f o m o o cs , o c ,

Less n s i n G a a Re i ta t i n
“
"
T o r m m r, e c o .

FROM S M IN G L I S S TAT E S U P T P UB INS T ILLS

H ON
’
.
. .
, . . .
, .

h
‘
H igh er E ngl ish is a gem " o u sh ould have prepared it b e .

f ore th at h igh school pupi ls and thos e i n th e h igh est gramm ar

,

g rade might ave been saved from th e slavery re q u ired i n the u s e

l e ss study of te chn ical grammar .
"

h
FROM P R E ST H W E V E R E S T SO U ILL NORM A L U N IV E RS IT" ,
’
. . . . . .

“
H avi ng exami ned your work entitled H igh er E ngl ish I am
‘

p l eased to a p prove th e same as thorough and practi cal T e stu

’
.

h
d ent wil l not occu py most of h is time i n naming h is tools
‘
H e .

can not perform al l th e work prescribed without gai ning fa cil ity
i n t e right u se o f th e E ngl ish language I deem it well fitted to .

f ollo w grammar i n our h igh s ch ool s

"
.

FROM H O N JO H N R K I R K S TAT E S U P T P UB INS T M O

. .
, . . .
, .

I h ave j ust completed an i nspection O f your n e w b ook H igh er ‘

’
,

E ngl ish . T h is i s my estimate o f it "

“
A ll that n eed b e k nown of grammar fully and clearly state d i n
1 08 pages ; th e essentials o f rh etoric i n l ess th an 8 0 .

“
NO un natural p u z z les to parse No distorted sp e ci mens i n th e .

l ists for analysis A ll ill ustrations and examples are chosen from
.

p ure straightforward E ngl ish .

“
D efinitions a nd prin ciples b rief s impl e an d compl ete A com , , .

pact volum e bearing on every page th e m ark s of o ne wh o never u ses

a n gu a e to‘
conc eal thought ’ even i n writing a book "
g , .

F R OM P R E S T W D D O BSON NORM A L S C H OOL K I R K SV I LL E M o

.

’
.
. .
, , ,

H igher E ngl ish h as m ad e its appearance n on e too soon for

‘
,

it fil l s a place i n our h igh school s and upper grammar schools

t h at h as never y e t b een filled by any other text of wh ich I have
any kn owledge P upils i n th ese schools h ave been wading a n d
.

struggl ing through texts too volumi nous to b e of mu ch practi cal

benefit i n th e use of cl ear conc ise and pure E ngl is h ; this b ook , , ,

prepared so th oughtfully and carefully b y this master teach er ,

recommen d s itsel f to every teach er as a b enefactor and S ho u l d b e ,

i n every grammar s chool and s m aller h igh school i n our country "

h
.

F R OM H O N W W P E ND E R G A S T S TAT E S U P T P UB INS T MI NN
. .
'

.
, . . .
,
.

“ ’
T e l ittl e w ork entitl e d H igh er E ngl ish is a valua b l e a d d ition ‘

to th e numerou s books u pon language grammar and rh etori c ,

already before th e publ ic I t gives plenty of food for th ought but .

,

l eaves most of th e t hi nk ing for th e stude nt to do for h imsel f I t .

i s w ell pl anne d systemati c an d compact I nterest is a w aken e d

, .
,

k nowl edge gai ne d and strength developed at every step .

"
 FROM P R O F W . MA S T E R S P R I NC I P A L H I G H SC H O O LJ
. H .
,

M UNC I E IND , f .

’
I h ave exami ned H igh er E ngl i sh criti cally an d say " T here is
‘

n othi ng super " uous give n i n th e work and noth ing essential omitted .

We are pl e ased with th e concise cl ean cut m etho d o f expressin g ,

-

th e facts of grammar an d composition ; and w e b el ieve th e plan sug

gested for th e class work i n th e su bj ects to b e t h e correct on e S en d .

t w o h u n d red copies .
"

F R OM S U P E R I N T E ND E N T
W A L T E R S PE RR" A NN A R BO R .
, ,

M I C H IGA N .

“
‘
H igh er E ngl ish
’ i s a genu i ne m u li u m i n pa w/ 0 I canno t .

s ee bu t th at i t contains al l th at is neede d i n the h igh s chool ex ,

h
cept p erhaps th e theoretical study o f rh etori c M any o f o u r
, , .

b ook s i n lower E ngl ish are s o volumi nou s a s to b e u seless W e .

have b e n o ff o n a tangent i n our s ch ool s for som e tim e I t i s h ig .

h
tim e for u s th en to get b ack to th e goo d ol d d octri ne that a pupil
, , ,

i f h e wo u ld gro w strong must d o h i s o w n th ink ing, .

h
“
T e seco nd h al f of th e b ook from Le sson X X II i s a n excel
, .
,

l ent compendi u m an d presentatio n o f practi cal rh etoric i n a for m ,

suita b l e for th e l ower grades o f our h igh school s I f o ur h ig .

s chool students w oul d m aster th is book an d perform al l th e wor k ,

i nd icated and do noth i ng more i n E ngl ish I am i n cl in e d to th in k ,

th ey w ou l d b e better e q u ippe d i n th e po w er to u se E ngl ish tha n

th e average h ig h s ch ool gradu ate is no w I predict th at th e b ook .

h h
w ill hav e a w id e u se .
"

“H ig er E n glis was prepared for th ose pupil s wh o

can give b ut littl e time to the study of literature an d c rit i
c is m — for th ose pup ils wh o need a constructive revie w of

th e i m portant principles of English gramm ar an d a brief ,

illustrated trea t ment of th e esse ntial p rin ciples of rhetoric

h
.

There is a d e fi n it e n e ss i n th e metho d of th e book foun d

i n n o other work o n school E n g1is Th e exacting con .

structive exercises the ch aracter of th e selecte d sentences

h
,

for criticism an d correction th e n umerous expl an atory ,

notes distinguish this book from all other works on t e

sam e subj ect .

The b ook is beautifully printed i n clear t y pe on goo d ,

paper an d tastefully boun d i n cloth 12 mo 1 92 page s . . .

S ingle cop y for examin ation by m ail sixty -fi v e cents , ,

.

BE C K T O LD 8c C O .
,

S T . LO U IS , M O .