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Simplicity in Teaching

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jan 7, 1909

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 86, No. 1.

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Simplicity in Teaching

By Raub

Jesus’ manner of teaching was beautiful and attractive, and it was ever characterized by simplicity. He unfolded the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven through the use of figures and symbols with which his hearers were familiar, and the common people heard him gladly; for they could comprehend his words. There were no high-sounding words used, to understand which it was necessary to consult a dictionary. He illustrated the glories of the kingdom of God by the use of the experiences and occurrences of earth. In compassionate love and tenderness he cheered and comforted and instructed all who heard him; for grace was poured upon his lips that he might convey to men in the most attractive way the treasures of truth.—“Christian Education.”

The Mental Discipline of the Pupil

So far as the pupil is concerned, this is the chief object of the recitation. Private students, however diligent they may be in the pursuit of knowledge, never receive that culture and discipline of mind which come only from the competition of classmates in the daily recitation. None of us are quite sure we know a truth until we try to tell it. We may think our comprehension clear, but there is no certainty until we apply the test. Every recitation develops mental power on the part of attentive pupils.
The teacher who can ask only the printed questions of the text-book is not a teacher, and the one who can impart no additional instruction to that given in the text-book is little better qualified to teach. It is the business of the teacher to impart instruction aside from that found in the book; it is his duty to make that of the book comprehended by the pupils. The best teachers are those who bring themselves to the level of the child mind, and then put the knowledge to be imparted in such shape as will enable the learners to grasp it most readily. Here is the teacher’s opportunity—not only to add new and important facts, but also to give moral instruction in an incidental way, and guide and direct the child’s powers in such a way as to give the most symmetrical development.
It is important that the pupil should be able to tell what he knows, and tell it in good language. Nothing is of so much help to him in this respect as the class recitation. It is no easy thing to think clearly while on one’s feet. Daily practise, however, will enable all pupils in time to express themselves clearly and accurately. This is true of the written recitation also. It is wonderful how rapidly pupils improve in composition and the use of language by frequent written recitations.
The men who can rise before an audience, and give their opinions calmly and intelligently, are comparatively few. Indeed, it is true of many of our ablest scholars that they find great difficulty in speaking before an audience, and this because of their lack of confidence in their ability to do so. Class recitation will not only in a great measure overcome this, but with proper criticism it will also help to repress the tendency manifested by some to speak too much.
We know a fact more thoroughly after we have told it to another. Indeed, the very effort to retain it in the memory, in order that we may tell it, helps to strengthen that mental faculty, and to impress the fact on the mind. Every repetition of it also serves to make the impression all the deeper. Even the private student will find it to his advantage to tell his knowledge to his friends, or, in their absence, to the furniture in his room as imaginary school-fellows.
Class competition creates interest. In general, the smallest classes are most difficult to interest. But in medium-sized classes, where there is an opportunity for every one to test his ability and compete with the other class-members, and where criticism of both teacher and pupils is of such a character as to keep all vigilant and active, interest in study rises to its maximum. The additional knowledge imparted by the teacher during recitation will also add greatly to the interest of the child; and thus study will be pursued with greater eagerness and under the most favorable conditions.
It being true that class recitation will make pupils inquisitive, they will be better prepared to receive such instruction as the teacher may be able to impart. Having become inquisitive and desirous of knowing, the child places himself in the best teachable positions, and he will be led to search for knowledge and think for himself—an end greatly to be desired in all teaching.
No matter how heedlessly a pupil may have conned his lesson while preparing it, the moment he enters the recitation, he feels that his attention must be given not only to his own assigned work, but also to that of his classmates and to the questions and instruction of the teacher. However negligent he may be elsewhere, here he must be attentive, and the influence exerted on him here will also be felt elsewhere.
The correction of pupils’ mistakes by the teacher is a recognized duty. If the pupils are competent, and the criticism is kind, they should be permitted to correct one another’s errors; but in the event of their failure to do so, it becomes the duty of the teacher to be watchful and make all proper corrections. Many errors never can be detected except in class recitation; this is true particularly of errors in pronunciation.
Judicious questioning, and judicious methods of conducting the recitation, will enable the teacher in a very short time to detect the idle as well as the studious in the class. Thus day by day also he will be able to determine which students are diligent and which otherwise. He will be able also to determine by the daily recitation not only the relative improvement of the class-members, but also the improvement of the class as a whole. He thus becomes prepared from day to day to assign, in advance, work of such a nature and in such a quantity as will give his pupils healthy mental and moral growth. The difficulties can be so simplified as to bring them within the mental grasp of the pupil, and such incentives can be placed before the child as will arouse in him increased vigor, and create a desire to gain the utmost culture.—Raub.