PART I. Teacher's CHAPTER 1. Teaching 66 teacher's wisest comment, if he pays no attention to that comment, or if he is unable to understand it. Teaching," as causing another to know, includes Nature of the the mutual effort of two persons to the same end. The teacher must endeavor to cause the pupil to learn a particular fact or truth which he wants him to know; the learner must endeavor to learn that particular fact or truth. Until the two are at this common work, the process of teaching has not begun until the learner has learned, the teacher has not taught. other work than teaching. Teaching is by no means all of a teacher's work; nor is it always the most important work of a teacher. Impressing one's pupils, and influencing them, are important factors in a teacher's work, when we speak of "a teacher," as one having children in charge, in a school-on a week-day, or a Sunday. A teacher's spirit, a teacher's character, a teacher's The teacher's atmosphere, and a teacher's life, impress and influence a pupil quite as much as a teacher's words. It is a teacher's duty to love his scholars, and to show his love for them; to have sympathy with them, and to evidence it; to gain a hold on their affections, outside of the class-hour, as well as during it; and to pray for them specifically and in abiding faith. There is no technical "teaching" in all this; but what would technical teaching be worth without this? There are teachers in the Sunday-school who do a great deal of good without teaching; No Teaching Without Teaching. 33 PART I. The Teacher's Teaching Work. they perhaps do a better work in the Sunday-school than many of their fellows, who do teach. Their work ought not to be undervalued because it is not teaching; neither ought it to be confounded with Nature of the teaching. CHAPTER 1. Teaching for you. Impressing and influencing members of a class is one thing; teaching a Bible lesson is another thing; the two may go on together, or again there may be the one without the other. Whether the one or the other is wanted, or both together are desired, it is important to bear in mind what teaching is, as distinct from any other desirable work of a teacher. If a Bible lesson is worth teaching, it ought to be taught: if it is taught, it must be by the process of teaching; and there is no such thing as teaching by a teacher, unless at the same time The question there is learning by a learner. The question, therefore, at the close of each Sunday-school hour, is—not, Were you with your class? not, Did you prepare yourself on the lesson of the day before coming to your class? not, Did you state and illustrate important truths which it would have been well for the members of your class to know? not, Were your hearers attentive, and seemingly impressed? but-Did you cause anybody to know anything about the lesson of the day? That question you cannot properly answer, unless you have proof that some one of your hearers learned what you tried to make him know. Until you can speak with positiveness on this point, PART I. The Teacher's Teaching Work. CHAPTER 1. Nature of the Teaching Process. Where the proof rests. you cannot say whether or not you have taught the lesson, or any part of it, to all of your class, or to any one scholar. Although teaching is by no means the exclusive, nor yet always the foremost, duty of a teacher, yet teaching is teaching; and no prevalence of popular opinion can make anything else than teaching, teaching. And let it be remembered that the proof of the teaching-process always rests with the learner; not with the teacher, whether the scholars be young or old. The teacher can prove that he tried to teach; the scholar alone can show that the teacher succeeded. THE TEACHING PROCESS. 2. ITS ESSENTIALS. PRELIMINARY STATEMENT. PART I. The Teacher's Teaching Work. CHAPTER 2. of the Teaching Process. HAVING ascertained the nature of the teaching process, the next step is to consider its essentials. It being seen that the teaching process is twofold, including both learning and teaching; that teaching Essentials involves the idea of a person who is to learn, a person who is to aid the learner in his learning, and a truth to be learned,—it would seem to be obvious, that he who would teach intelligently must know whom he would teach, what he is to teach, and how he is to teach, before he can fairly begin his teaching. Knowledge at these three points is not merely desirable; it is essential. Without such knowledge, intelligent teaching is an impossibility. never teach. It is not to be denied that there are Sunday- Teachers who school teachers who retain their places for years, and who attend to what they understand to be their duties, week after week, during all that period, without having any fair knowledge of their scholars PART I. CHAPTER 2. of the Teaching Process. 66 individually, of their lessons in detail, or of wise methods of teaching; but all this does not make these "teachers," teachers; nor does it make their . teaching," teaching. No teaching can be true teaching which lacks any one of the three essentials of teaching which are above indicated, and which are now to be considered in their order. |