Practical pedagogy in the Sunday school

Front matter

A,. H. MC KINNEY*

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MAY 30 19IR

Introduction

THE function of the Sunday-school is to impart instruction for the purpose of leading to definite results. As the result of that instruction, there are many things done in the Sunday-school auxiliary to its chief function. Whenever any of them has a tendency to destroy or nullify the real work of the school, it is out of place. Since, then, the prime object of the Sunday-school is to impart instruction, pedagogy should have a very important place in the thought of the leaders therein, for, to put it concisely, it is the science and art of teaching.

There can be no difference between the pedagogy necessary for the Sunday-school and that for the day-school. There is but one pedagogy ; its applications are 5 various. It may be applied, for example, to the work of the kindergarten, or to the post-graduate course of a university. It should have a very important place in the Sunday-school ; perhaps at the present time more than ever before, because so much depends on the proper teaching of Christian truth. While this is true, some fears that have been expressed by consecrated Sunday-school teachers must be labelled as groundless.

*' The introduction of pedagogy into our Sunday-school work will interfere with the position that the Bible now holds." This is the thought of many. It is, however, entirely erroneous, for the true teaching of the Bible must be in harmony with the principles of pedagogy, as both have the same author. Further than this, the Bible itself abounds with illustrations of pedagogical principles. It is acknowledged by all thoughtful persons that Jesus of Nazareth was the greatest teacher that ever lived. While He enunciated no pedagogical principles, His treatment of individuals, and especially His conversations with them, show that He was the master of pedagogy, and that He put into operation many of the pedagogical principles which have, in recent years, been advocated by advanced teachers. Surely the disciple needs to follow his Master. The true thought is : The truths of the Bible may be taught along pedagogical lines much more efTectively than along lines opposed to the make-up of the minds of those for whom those truths are intended. Every Sunday-school teacher should memorize the command of the great apostle : " Give diligence to present thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, handling aright the word of truth."

"Shall we not dishonour the Holy

Spirit ? " is a question asked by many excellent teachers, when confronted with the thought of applying pedagogical principles in the teaching of the truths of the Bible. The answer is : No, God will honour His own laws wherever they are followed. One does not dishonour the Holy Spirit in giving heed to the law of gravitation. One does not dishonour the Holy Spirit in becoming acquainted with the laws which govern the working of the human mind, and adapting his teachings thereto. " God does not need your learning," said an illiterate man to a cultured one. *' Nor does He need your ignorance," was the reply. It is true that God can use any kind of instrument. Is it not true, also, that He can use an agent prepared for service ? Will He not be able to use the one working in harmony with the laws of the mind better than the one who disregards them ? The Holy Spirit led many members of the Sunday-school to Christ and into Christian living before pedagogy was talked of as a necessary aid to the Sunday-school teacher. Why should not the Holy Spirit lead many more to Christ and Christian living through the instrumentality of those who are workmen prepared for His service ?

" I have no time to study pedagogy," is the final retort of many, when pressed on this matter. The answer to this is : If the time now spent by the average teacher in wrong methods of study in preparing for class work were expended in the efEort to grasp and apply true pedagogical principles, nothing further would be required. In other words, what we are pleading for is not that one shall add to one's burdens as a teacher, but that he shall be familiar with principles of preparation and presentation of truth. When these principles are grasped and applied, the work becomes much lo Introduction

easier and the time necessary for the preparation of a given lesson gradually shortened. For example, thousands of teachers have no adequate conception of how to prepare a lesson. Trusting to something, some of them call it inspiration, others luck, they go to the class with a certain amount of undigested material and present it in some way or other, many of them breathing a sigh of relief when the time for closing the class study arrives. Supposing such persons were to learn how to prepare their lesson, what would be gained? Again, how many of our teachers know how to ask questions? Supposing they were to learn how, what would be the result ? A most important part of lesson presentation is the illustration. How many teachers regret that they do not know how properly to illustrate a lesson ? These are but a few of the questions that might be asked in the endeavour to show that pedagogy, instead of requiring more time, really takes less than that used by teachers who follow slipshod methods.

In the science of pedagogy there are a few things that are fundamental ; when they are grasped, others may be added and, thus, by degrees, one who is really determined to master them, may do so with an expenditure of very little time and thought. Out of the science of pedagogy comes the art of teaching. This, of course, is acquired like any other art, by practicing those things which the science declares to be right and proper. Unconsciously, many of our teachers do manifest great art in teaching, because they have, by experiment, found what are the best ways of presenting a lesson. Their number might be greatly increased.

A. H. McK.

New Tork,

The Lesson Expressed in Lifi

: 113

XV. . 119

AS the result of the study of the human mind, coupled with careful experiments in the best methods of presenting facts and truths, there have been evolved pedagogical principles which may be said to lie at the basis of the science of pedagogy. From these principles rules may be formulated. It is better to grasp principles and endeavour to follow them than simply to learn rules and endeavour to apply them. We, therefore, suggest four of the great pedagogical principles with which every teacher should be familiar. The time spent in the consideration of these principles will yield much greater fruitage

I?

l6 Practical Pedagogy

than if it were devoted to the memorizing of certain rules. The rules may come afterwards.

I. The principle of adaptation. It was once suggested that the proper way to study the Bible is for the whole congregation to gather like a great family and have Biblical truths presented to them in a mass. Concerning this, the query was raised : " What would you think of a family class in arithmetic ; the grandfather, the children, and the grandchildren all being engaged in the same study ? " " Ridiculous," was the answer. Just so it is concerning the Bible. It is true that its truths are necessary, but it is equally true that all truths are not necessary for the same person at the same time. The mature individual of threescore years and ten requires a very different truth from that needed by the beginner who has just entered the Sunday-school. When that beginner has become an adolescent, that which was suitable for him once must now be superseded by something else. Moreover, different classes of persons of about the same age need different forms of truth. For example, a class composed of cultured, spiritual men should have an entirely different presentation of truth from that given to a class composed of uneducated, unconverted persons. Hence, the first great pedagogical principle to be observed is that of adaptation. The truth should be adapted to the individual for whom it is intended. The teacher who follows this principle may expect fruitage. 2. The principle of apperception. So much has been said concerning this vital principle that there are thousands who will have none of it, the reason probably being that they have misconceived its value. Instead of getting into discussions concerning the meaning of the word, and indulging in abstractions as to i8 Practical Pedagogy

the principle, let us say with Dr. Gregory, *' The truth to be taught must be learned through truth already known." This, every thoughtful teacher must grant. When he does so, it is equivalent to his declaring that the principle of apperception must be observed in teaching. He who once grasps and then lives up to the truth that it is impossible for the individual to learn anything except through that which he already knows, has made a great advance both in the preparation and the presentation of these truths which we wish to influence the life of our pupils. How this principle of apperception may be applied in our teaching will be explained in chapter three.

3. The principle of correlation. Various names have been given to this principle, one of the most common of which is " the principle of association." It means that in teaching, ideas, facts or truths must be associated. Correlation has been defined as '* the act or process of putting a number of truths or facts in proper relation to the truth or fact to be learned." The teacher who understands and applies this principle will save himself much nervous energy and will find that he can teach more in less time than the one who is ignorant of it.

4. The principle of concentratio7t. It is admitted on all sides that one of the weaknesses of Sunday-school teaching is that so many truths are taught from a given Scripture selection that the effect of the whole is largely dissipated, so that very litde remains definitely in the minds of those instructed. The application of the principle of concentration would lead the teacher to endeavour to prepare and to present the lesson for a given Sunday, so that one truth would be so lodged in the minds of the pupils that it could be made use of in further teaching and would affect the every-day living of those to whom it had been given. The presentation and impression of this truth would not prevent the consideration of other truths, but this consideration would be auxiliary or subsidiary to the impression of the one great truth which the teacher wishes to make prominent.

In connection with these basal principles, the fact that many of our pupils imitate what the teacher does rather than obey what he says, should have great weight. From the pedagogical standpoint, there is little value in the Sunday-school teacher's words unless they are backed up with his life. Hence, in preparing his lesson as well as in presenting it, the wise teacher remembers that he is creating a deeper impression by himself than by his words. He will, therefore, ever be on the alert to bring to his aid all such qualities of mind and heart as well as all such outward manifestations of his real self as will help impress the truth. Therefore, pedagogically, the teacher must be impressed with the truth which he is to teach before he can hope to be the agent for impressing that truth on others.

It needs no psychological or pedagogical knowledge to be able to take the foregoing suggestions and think over them so often that they become a part of one's self. When this is done, everything that is heard or read concerning the various principles referred to will be put into its proper place in the mind of the one who wishes to become a more successful teacher. If to this is added a mental review of the teaching of every lesson in order to ascertain wherein the principles were followed and wherein they were neglected, by degrees the instructor will come to follow the very best that pedagogy has to offer.

II

IT is a common experience on the part of those who examine persons for church-membership, that young people have very vague and indefinite ideas concerning important Biblical facts and truths. Perhaps one reason for this is that those who have instructed them have talked on general principles rather than endeavoured to adapt truth to individuals. If teachers would apply the principle of adaptation, which simply means giving each pupil, so far as possible, that truth which he most needs in the way in which he can most easily receive it, the sum of the knowledge of those instructed will be wonderfully increased.

That individuals differ, and that different individuals need different truths, there can be no question. Here, for example, are two little girls in a primary department. One of them is well instructed in spiritual things, and needs but a little gentle drawing in the direction in which she is faced in order to bring her into vital contact with Jesus. Her seatmate, however, may be drawn in the direction in which she is facing and led away from Christ. In other words, their needs are different ; the teacher who fails to appreciate this is not doing them justice.

Here are two boys sitting side by side in a junior department. One of them is a glib liar. He would as soon tell an untruth as to eat candy. His seatmate, on the contrary, would bite his tongue before he would utter a lie. There is no need of argument to prove that these two boys need difTerent teaching. One should be led to see the necessity of truthfulness ; the other should be encouraged in his love of truth-telling.

These illustrations emphasize a difficulty which the ordinary Sunday-school teacher is obliged to face, namely, his pupils vary so that it is not easy to select truths applicable to all. While this difficulty cannot be overcome, there are a few hints that may be helpful to the wide-awake instructor.

1. Above all, the teacher must know those whom he is endeavouring to instruct ; know them not merely as they sit before him on the Lord's day, but as they are at home, on the street and in school on week days. He must know the real boys and girls, not the substitutes therefor who may be before him on Sunday.

2. The teacher must know his lesson ; not in a general way, but in its particulars, so that he may select therefrom the truth most needed by the majority of his class.

3. By patient study and persevering practice, the teacher must learn how to apply the truths of a particular lesson to the largest number in his class. Even when he does this, the difficulties referred to in the foregoing will confront him, and this general application must be supplemented at times by special instruction.

The results of modern investigations in paidology and adolescence should be of great help to the teacher in determining how to apply the principle of adaptation. Take, for example, the little beginners. We have learned that they cannot listen long to a set discourse, but that they are very sensitive to suggestion. Therefore, the wise teacher instructs them, not by lecturing them, but by suggesting the truth he wishes them to receive.

The members of a primary department have very vivid imaginations. The effective teacher can get his little pupils to imagine almost anything. Hence he adapts the truth to their needs by making use of this characteristic. Wonderful are the facts narrated by skillful teachers as to what they have been enabled to accomplish by appealing to the imaginative faculty of their young learners.

Advancing one step farther, we come to the junior department. We have learned that the members of this section of the Sunday-school are literalists. It is no use appealing to their imagination. They must have literal facts. Hence the truth they need may be applied by teaching them facts.

In the early adolescent period, doubt is rampant ; hence the efficient teacher, instead of giving bald facts, presents the truth to be learned as it has been incarnated in persons who have done things.

Dogmatic teaching, as well as arguing, produces no effect upon the young doubters. They will, however, admire those who have done things, and be led to resolve to emulate them. The knowledge of this one fact gives the alert teacher a tremendous leverage in applying the principle of adaptation.

As the adolescent gets older and comes to about his seventeenth or eighteenth year, he is longing for the practical ; hence the truth may be adapted to his needs by giving it to him in a practical rather than in a theoretical form.

When he is a little older, he will be mightily interested in social events, and can be appealed to along his social life. For example, the social teachings of Jesus may be presented to him so that he will see their value and be led to follow the example of Him who went about doing good.

These are but a few hints of what may be done, but they are valuable in that they indicate the necessity of variety in presenting the same truth to different persons.

Ill

THE PRINCIPLE OF APPERCEP- TION

FOLLOWING naturally the principle of adaptation comes that of apperception. The teacher who is working for results, in connection with each lesson, asks himself, seriously, What truth of this lesson do my pupils most need? In answering the question, he endeavours to apply the principle of adaptation. He then asks. How am I to get my pupils to appreciate and receive this needed truth? In general terms he gives the answer: Through applying the principle of apperception.

Many good persons have stumbled over the application of this most important principle, because they have made

difficult and complex that which is really 28

The Principle of Apperception 29

easy and simple, if rightly understood. Many other persons who pay no attention to formal pedagogy apply this principle, for its application is really essential to all effective teaching.

What, then, is apperception? It has been defined as *' the act or process of adding a new idea, or a series of new ideas to an old one." Dr. Gregory very concisely and forcibly sums up the principle in his declaration : " The truth to be taught must be learned through truth already known." The numerous exhortations to " find the point of contact in teaching," and the means given as to the use to be made of it, are all applicable to the principle of apperception.

Perhaps more helpful than anything else will be an illustration, showing how this principle is applied. " God is love" is an abstract truth, difficult of comprehension by the child mind. Mother's love is no abstraction, for it is in active operation for the child, hourly. The little child knows that mother loves ; he knows what mother does. Hence, in order to teach God's love, it would be better to begin with the mother than with God. Because the child understands his mother's love, he may be led to appreciate God's love. In other words, through what the child already knows concerning the love of his mother, he may be led to understand something of God's love for him.

In the application of this principle, the old pedagogical maxim : " Proceed from the known to the unknown," should ever be borne in mind. In the first place, the teacher must endeavour to stand on the plane of the child's knowledge and experience and, in the effort to get him to understand the truth, must proceed from that standpoint rather than from the place which the instructor occupies in thought and experience.

The Principle of Apperception 31

If there be any doubt as to where the child is standing in reference to a given truth to be taught, the first thing to be done is to question him in order to ascertain what he knows about the matter to be placed before him.

As, however, all teachers are supposed to be familiar with the thought of their pupils, in ordinary cases time need not be consumed in this questioning process. The necessity for knowing the child's view-point, however, emphasizes the oftrepeated exhortation for the teacher to become familiar with his pupils in their every-day language, and to know not only their ordinary talk, but also their lines of thought.

Perhaps the very best way to apply the principle of apperception is for the teacher to begin the lesson to be taught with a story concerning something which is perfectly familiar to the child, the truth of which the child will recognize, and the application of which he will make without any aid from the teacher. With this story as the starting point, the efficient instructor will be able to lead the pupil on to appreciate the truth which he wishes him to apprehend and practice.

One caution, however, must be given : Do not proceed too rapidly, nor by jumps. Let the ascent from the pupil's plane of knowledge to the truth to be apprehended be gradual and by easy stages. The pupil will then follow the teacher, will be interested in what is being taught, and will be able to see the force of the truth. Unless the child does see mentally what the teacher wishes him to apprehend, the teaching is in vain. " Do you see it ? " is not a superfluous question in teaching truth.

Right here comes in the value of the review. The wide-awake teacher may ascertain how far the truth has been grasped by questioning the pupils on

The Principle of Apperception 33

what has already been gone over. The writer once addressed some children, and was very much encouraged by the actions of a little fellow sitting in front of him, who nodded vigorously when the speaker said that he was going to tell of a certain man, and wished the children either to tell their parents his name, or tell the story and find from them his name. The speaker went on to narrate the story of the conversion of Paul, and the little fellow showed by smile and gesture that he appreciated what was going on. A kindergartner, who sat beside him, was not so sure that he took the thing in. So she said :

"Freddie, for what are you nodding your head?"

"Because I know who that man is talking about."

"You do?"

" Yes, ma'am."

"About whom is he talking?"

" George Washington," came the prompt and emphatic answer, showing that the little fellow had missed the point entirely, and also indicating how valuable the review is.

To ascertain how Jesus applied this principle of apperception, the teacher should read and reread the account of the Master's interview with the woman of Samaria at Jacob's well. Here the great Teacher got the ignorant woman to understand that He was the Messiah, but He began by talking to her about the water, with which she was familiar, and in which she was so much interested. Then, step by step. He led her to an appreciation of the great truth He wished her to learn, so that she went to her neighbours and said, ** Come, see a man who told me all things that ever I did : can this be the Christ?"

IV

A REFERENCE made to the principle of correlation in the presence of a group of day-school teachers drew forth expressive smiles. An explanation being asked as to the reason for the smiling elicited the declaration : " We are tired of hearing about correlation." This led to further questions and answers, the result of which may be summed up as follows : The application of the principle of correlation has been carried to such extremes, and so many absurdities have been attached to the principle itself, that many teachers do not wish to hear anything about it. For example, a young student in a normal class once had her notes on a certain subject marked way down because, as 35 she was told, the colour scheme on the cover of her note-book was not correlated to the subject matter of the lectures. She was naturally indignant, and when she related her experience to her fellovv^ students, some of them recalled incidents equally foolish.

It is these absurdities that bring a good thing into disrepute. The Sunday-school teacher need not go to such extremes. He ought to bear in mind that correlation may be said to be *' The act or process of putting a number of truths or facts in proper relation to a truth or fact to be learned." Applying this definition, the day-school teacher, or the college professor, would endeavour to bring various subjects already learned by the student to bear upon the particular truth or fact he is about to teach. For example, history and geography may be correlated so that the pupil will be helped in the study of one by what he knows about the other. As the student advances and begins the study of foreign languages, what he knows of history and geography becomes useful in connection with his study of language. So in regard to literature, law, ethics, philosophy, and many other branches of learning. By correlating the various subjects studied, what the pupil has already learned may be reviewed and impressed in an easy and agreeable manner, and employed as a help in the acquisition of more knowledge.

It is well known that one of the criticisms made against Sunday-school work by educators is that Bible facts and truths are taught by what is known as the " hop-skip-and-jump " method. It must be confessed that there is much truth in this criticism. At the same time, however, the teacher who understands and endeavours to apply the principle of correlation may do much to disarm such criticism. The day is here in some schools, and is doubtless coming in most schools, when there will be a supplemental scheme of study — simple, clear, comprehensive — which will serve as an outline for the work of the Sunday-school, and to which the teacher may correlate what the pupil learns as the weeks go by. For example, why should there not be in the mind of every Sunday-school pupil of average intelligence a simple outline of Old Testament history, that should be the point from which the teacher starts in his instruction concerning any given Biblical fact or teaching, and to which he constantly returns? Again, why should there not be memorized by the ordinary Sunday-school member an outline of the life of Christ, and another outline of the work of the apostles ? With these simple outlines in view, every lesson that is taught can be correlated with truth already in the mind of the learner. More than this, facts, incidents and truths may be correlated so that there will be a continually increasing amount of information on Biblical subjects mastered, instead of the great mass of undigested, unassimilated material that eludes the grasp of the average Bible student of to-day.

Take the great hymns that we study ; why should they not be correlated with the Scriptural incidents upon which many of them are founded? When, for example, the teacher is having his pupils memorize, or even sing, " Nearer, My God, to Thee," why should he not correlate that with the story of Jacob on which it is founded ?

Perhaps a few hints will be helpful to the teacher who wishes to make use of the principle of correlation.

I. Have clearly in mind some things that are essential to the understanding of the sweep of Bible history.

2. Teach these in outline form, as has been suggested in the foregoing.

3. Whenever a lesson is being studied, correlate it with as much as possible of the outline to which it belongs.

4. Correlate the lesson of to-day with what has already been learned about the Bible in general.

5. Correlate the pupil's Biblical studies with his day-school lessons. For instance, his knowledge of geography and history, and what he is learning concerning current events, all may be made use of in impressing Scripture facts and truths.

6. In the application of this principle keep in mind the great value of the review, which need not be very elaborate, but which should always be by questions in connection with everything taught.

What will be the result of all this ? If definitely and consistendy carried out the appUcation of the principle of correlation will result in enabling the pupil to recall unconsciously and, thus, to review and to impress things that, otherwise, would be forgotten. When he reads, he will fall into the habit of correlating his reading with what he already knows, and so be helped in retaining it. When he listens to a sermon, or lecture, he will be able to put what the speaker is saying into its proper relation with other things he knows.

This will not all come at once, and the less conscious the effort needed in realizing it, the better. Such a system is so far superior to the present plan of teaching isolated facts and truths, and calling what is given Biblical instruction, that it needs only to be presented to the attention of the intelligent teacher to be appreciated.