THE TEACHER'S PREPARATION FOR HIS CLASS.
By John S. Hart
NOTHING is plainer than that a man cannot teach what he does not know. He must know a thing himself before he can teach it to others. This is so nearly a truism that it seems trifling to insist upon it. Yet one cannot have much to do with the management of Sabbath-schools without being forced to the conclusion that this is not an accepted truth in the practical beliefs of a great many teachers. I feel, therefore, that it will not be entirely beating the air, if I occupy a few paragraphs in urging upon teachers the duty of study. Those who neglect weekly preparation for the duties of the Sabbath-school may be divided into several kinds. The first kind consists of those who teach very young children, or very ignorant persons. Such a class, beyond all others, requires stated, special preparation on the part of the teacher. The more feeble and ignorant the mind of the learner, the more the teacher must study to find out just what knowledge and ideas are capable of being received by the pupil, and of interesting him. The teacher may have a good deal of knowledge, of one kind and another, without having just what is wanted for his class. He should make it his business on the Sabbath to gauge the minds of his scholars, and during the week to select and prepare for use just those items of knowledge which their case requires and admits. Another teacher is favored with a more advanced class. His scholars have a regular Bible lesson, with a Question Book from which to learn it. But he has been a great reader all his life, he is familiar with the Bible, has studied and read it a great deal, he is fluent in discourse, often addresses the people in the prayer-meeting, and other occasions, and never seems at a loss for thoughts or for words with which to express them. He is tempted, therefore, to rely upon his general knowledge and fluency, instead of preparing himself specifically upon the lesson of the week. He thinks, if his scholars will study the lesson, he can safely draw enough from his fund of general knowledge to make the subject interesting. So he contents himself with asking the questions that are in the book, and branching off here and there in unpremeditated talk upon something incidentally brought up in the course of the lesson. Such instruction is not entirely lost. But it is far from coming up to that measure of usefulness which every teacher should seek. To a studious child there is no stimulus to study so strong, and at the same time so healthful, as the discovery that his teacher is perfectly at home in every minute point of the lesson. The child feels that his own acquisitions or failures will come under the review of one who can measure them with minute and unerring certainty; and the recollection of this fact operates most powerfully and most beneficially upon the mind of the learner. If the scholar's mind is at all given to inquiry, and there are few minds which have not some tendency in this direction, the thirst for knowledge is stimulated by the certainty that it will be gratified. The more complete and exhaustive is the teacher's knowledge of that particular lesson, the more will the child's natural love for knowledge take root and grow under its influence. A sort of preparation which might be good enough for a scholar, will be far from sufficient for the teacher. Nor let the teacher limit his study to books and commentaries. Let him imitate the great Teacher, who drew his instructions from the occurrences of every day. The Sabbath-school teacher would do well to make his book-preparation on Sabbath evening. Let him on that evening go through the ordinary routine of exploring the commentaries and books of reference, and hunting up the parallel passages, so as to have the subject fairly in his mind. Having done this, let him then keep the subject in mind during the week, and be ready to add to his book-knowledge illustrations drawn from life.—J. S. Hart, LL. D.