Individuality

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 4, 1909

WE can rightly educate the masses only by educating the individual, and this can be accomplished only by a constant study of each individual. The highest ideal of educational effort would make it possible to meet each individual's absolute needs. It is impossible for us, under all the circumstances of large classes, to meet this ideal, but we may always aim at it, and may often approximate it. We can do this only when we are willing to advance or to hold back each pupil in his class work, just as may be best suited to his own needs.

This sort of teaching takes time outside of classes. It requires visits to the home, personal talks, a thorough acquaintance with each pupil, and much careful thought; but it yields abundant returns. Under such teaching a great stimulus is given to the growth of intellect and character. The pupil feels the thrill of life from this personal touch and influence of the teacher. The conscientious teacher affects character more by his conscientiousness, by his thoroughness and painstaking effort, than he does by anything he teaches by maxim and precept. Given such a teacher,—one who is seeking to know the individual elements of each pupil's life,—individual development becomes a rapid matter.

The gardener seeks to place each plant in just that location with respect to sun and shade, and to give to each just the amount of water and the kind of nourishment, required for its development. His plants, it is true, are graded, but individual care is given to each. It is this care that makes them thrifty. Similar care bestowed upon individual pupils will produce far greater results. Some of Christ's greatest teachings were given, not to the multitude, but to the individual. Let us seek to emulate this wonderful example.