Teaching the youth of the church : a manual on methods of teaching graded, elective and uniform lesson courses to intermediates, seniors and young people in the church's school

Front matter

“TEACHING THE YOUTH OF THE CHURCH CYNTHIA PEARL MAUS an

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Preface

“Of the writings of books,” and especially in the field of pedagogy, “there is no end.” The aim of this book, however, is not to discuss teaching principles in general, for there are already numerous texts on pedagogy by recognized authorities in the field of both secular and religious education. The purpose of this book is rather to face with teachers of youth the fundamental principles in the field of knowledge of one’s pupils, of teaching materials and methods essential to successful work with adolescents, and to face them applying the newer educational viewpoint that “life becomes, learns both to know and do, by doing” to every life situation, to every type of knowledge and experience, and to every method by which pupils may become through doing.

If each individual must create his own personality by his own activity, then the supreme task of teachers is to stimulate and guide mental life rather than to impart knowledge or to emotionalize ideas. In the newer theory of education the pupil is a reacting agent, not a recipient. It is fundamental, therefore, that teachers of religion know something of the problems and life situations of individual pupils; the materials that will aid in the growth and development of spiritual personality; and the methods by which pupils may be stimulated to react progressively in the development of Christian character.

As far as the author knows, no one has yet attempted to apply the newer educational viewpoint of the building of personality through self-activity to every method of

Vil viii PREFACE teaching, every type of lesson material, every reaction to life situations and problems by which and through which adolescents may be stimulated to achieve spiritual personality through their own self-activity. Two or three splendid books applying this principle of “self-activity” to the field of religious pedagogy in general and to one or two methods of teaching in particular are available. Can the “problem” or “project” principle in education be applied to the story, the question, the outline, the topical methods of teaching adolescents? ‘The author believes this may be done, and in this text suggests the making of a “project” out of whatever type of lesson development the teacher may use in the process of teaching graded, elective and uniform lesson courses.

The first four chapters are given to a discussion of the fundamental background of knowledge and skill that every teacher must have before one can hope to achieve success with any method of lesson development in teaching the youth of the church. These fundamentals are: Knowing One’s Pupils; Knowing the Materials of Christian Education; Knowing the Technique of Teaching; and Lesson Building Principles. In these chapters also, as well as in the later chapters discussing methods of lesson development, the author has suggested “project” approaches on the part of teachers in acquiring the knowledge and skill needed as a background for the successful use of any and every teaching method. There follows consecutively one chapter on each of the following methods of lesson development specifically applied to teaching the youth of the church,—story, question, topical, outline, project, and learning through the activities of the “survey,” “observation,” and “practice teaching.”

In connection with each chapter the author has given

PREFACE ix one or two type lessons for teachers of youth to study, criticize and analyze with suggested reference sources for those who wish to make a fuller study of particular methods than is possible within the limits of this text. There are also listed in each chapter “Questions for Study and Class Discussion,” thus making the contents available as a teaching text-book for community training schools of religious education, Young People’s Camp Conferences and Training Schools, as well as for training classes in the local church.

In preparing this manual on ‘Teaching the Youth of the Church” for leaders of Intermediate, Senior and Young People’s Classes, the author gratefully acknowledges her indebtedness to the works of Professors Colvin and Bagley, Dewey, Miller, King, Betts, Weigle, Butler, Richardson, Bower and Athearn; to Dr. H. E. Tralle and E. L. Shaver; to Mrs. Margaret W. Eggleston and Katherine Dunlap Cather; and to Misses Anna Branch Binford, Grace Jones, and Mary E. Moxrey.

Besides such acknowledgments as are made in the text, the author wishes to express her thanks to the Professional Young People’s Work Committee of the International Council of Religious Education, to her associates in the Department of Religious and Missionary Education of the United Christian Missionary Society; and to the host of young people’s workers the continent over whose counsel and codperation have contributed to this book.

CyNTHIA PEart Maus.

St. Louis, Missourt.

CHAPTER

Contents

PREFACE . : : jf i ‘ f ‘ KNOWING ONE’s PUPILS : : : i :

KNOWING THE MATERIALS OF CHRISTIAN EpuCcA- TION es ° a ° e e e es e

KNOWING THE TECHNIQUE OF TEACHING . : LESSON-BUILDING PRINCIPLES ; : : ; THE Story METHOD AND ADOLESCENCE . : YOUTH AND THE QUESTION METHOD... :

CHAPTER I KNOWING ONE’s PUPILS

Knowledge of one’s pupils is fundamental to the teaching process. The teacher that would teach must know the pupil whom he is to teach. He must know, not merely the pupil’s name and address, parents, and the objective situations and circumstances of the pupil’s life; but he must know,—(1) something of psychology (how mind and matter act together to produce behavior, intelligence, personality); (2) something of specialized psychology of the adolescent years, including the areas of personality that then have peculiar sensitivity; and (3) something of the individual life, interests, needs and problems of the particular pupils that compose his class. Having set himself to this three-fold study of the origin of behavior, the peculiar characteristics of adolescent personality, and the individual needs and problems of the particular pupils he is to teach; he must use the knowledge gained through this threefold study as a basis of meeting the physical, intellectual, social and religious needs of young people. He must teach boys and girls, not lessons. He must use lesson materials as a means, not an end in the teaching process.

HUMAN BEHAVIOR

Psychology is a science that deals with the nature, operation and function of the human mind. It presents — the body of knowledge which men have discovered about the way in which brain matter and nerve-cell energy op-— erate to produce behavior, habits, character. It is not the purpose of this book to present a detailed study of psychology; but rather to present here a brief, condensed statement of the judgment of educators in regard to how human behavior grows and develops in the hope that it may stimulate teachers of youth to make a much more comprehensive study of the whole field of psychology as a teaching background. es

The pupil is a physical-mental organism. To modify his behavior we must know how the brain, nerve-cell energy and instinctive tendencies operate to produce conduct. The nervous system is the organ of behavior. If consists of the brain, the spinal cord, twelve pairs « cranial nerves which do not pass through the spinal cord, but enter the brain directly, and the sympathetic nervous system. The human brain has many parts but for this | study it is enough to divide it into the “brain stem” (¢ continuation of the spinal cord) and the two great outgrowths of the brain stem,—the “cerebrum” and the “cerebellum.” ‘The human brain consists of millions of microscopic specks of living matter known as nerve-cells. These ripen through the years by the stimulation of sensory and motor “neurones” until in adulthood brain matter is gray, about the shades of ashes. This brain matter is from one-eight to one-half inch in thickness, and if spread out would make a square 2 by 2 or four Square feet of brain matter. Aside from the “cranial nerves,” there are two sets of nerves that carry stimulation to and from the brain: (1) the sensory nerves (afferent) which carry sensations into the brain; and (2) the motor nerves (efferent) which carry nerve energy out from the brain. The most essential part of the nervous system consists of infinitesimally small cellular bodies with their outgrowths known as “‘neurones.”” These cellular bodies are not actually joined together in the sense that one grows into the other; but out from these cellular neurones grow two processes,—one a long thread-like growth known as the “axone” with a brush-like end; the other a shorter branching extension known as the “dendrite.” The connection (or “snapse”) between neurones is made at the point where the frayed end of the “axone” vinterlaces with the branches of the ‘‘dendrite.”’ There are three classes of these nerve-cells or neurones:

- (1) those that receive stimulation from sense organs and i.convey it inward are “sensory neurones”; (2) those that ieonvey stimulation outward toward a muscle are known as “motor neurones”; and (3) those that connect the

. sensory with the motor neurones are known as “‘associa-

; tion neurones.”

& The function of the central nervous system seems to be the turning of excitations received from the external world and from within the body into appropriate responses. ‘The spinal cord is the great channel of communication between the lower centers (sympathetic nervous system) and the higher brain centers; and there are ascending and descending conduction paths. The spinal cord not only conveys excitations to and from sensory and motor brain cells or neurones; but can and does act to a degree independently of these higher brain centers. It can transmit a sensory impulse immediately to a motor neurone or to a number of motor neurones and behavior can result without the brain taking any part in this activity. In other words there are association neurones in the spinal cord itself. It is estimated that there are about eleven thousand million of these separate neurones apparently mingled together in the greatest of confusion within this central nervous system; but working in perfect harmony and leading to behavior that is definite and well-ordered. It seems to be the nature of these neurones or nerve-cells to connect throughout life as they learn to connect when ripening; and it is a well-established fact that nerve-cells or neurones ripen in groups. Related to and conditioned by the physical aspects of this psycho-physical organism, every human being has a mind or consciousness (awareness of what is going on about him). It is difficult to define consciousness; but in so nearly as it can be described in words,—“the field or stream of feelings, of knowledge, of desires, and of deliberations that pass and repass in the human brain constitutes the mind, consciousness, the inner life, the soul.” There are two phases of the mind, conscious and subconscious just as there are two parts of the brain. In these two phases of the mind some kind of awareness (activity) is always going on. The old negro described it when he said, ‘Sometimes I sits and thinks and sometimes I just sits.” That is, sometimes we are acutely aware of this stream of feelings, of desires, of knowledge, of deliberations because we deliberately focus awareness (activity) upon particular things; at other times this stream flows on without our purposefully lifting any particular thing into the focus of awareness. The states of mind or consciousness are always complex. There is what is known as the focus of consciousness and the margin of consciousness. The focus often remains the same while the margin changes constantly; and again the margin may remain the same and the focus change instantly.

Mind or consciousness is a matter of growth and development. It is made by its experiences. The sensory nervous system is the avenue through which we educate consciousness. Some one has beautifully called the senses the “windows of the soul or inner life,”’ because all knowledge of the external world comes to us through sense perception. The task of the teacher in the development of personality is to help open the windows of the soul,—to guard what goes into the inner life or mind through the senses, and to educate the pupil to the best use of his senses.

- It is the nature of this physical-mental organism to respond to stimulation. Every time the organism responds it reacts in one or more of three ways: (1) feeling or sensation, (2) action, and (3) thought or ideas. Every time this physical-mental organism reacts it makes a path through the nervous system. Every time the reaction is repeated it tends to establish a habit of reaction. These habits of reaction, unless inhibited, crystallize finally into character. It is essentially true, therefore, that in adulthood our character is the sum total of our acquired habits of reaction. If these habits of reacting are predominantly good, clean, pure, and right, the individual will be good, clean, pure, righteous; if they are predominantly bad, impure, unclean, wrong, the individual will be bad, impure, unclean and unrighteous.

In addition to the behavior that results from the excitation of sensory neurones, there are two types of behavior that are directed entirely by the nervous activity and yet are not looked upon as under the control of consciousness or mind. One of these types is known as reflex behavior. It is illustrated in the unconscious dilation and contraction of the eye when light of different degrees of intensity affects that organ. There is no awareness or intervention of consciousness in any way; the whole activity is the result of a certain definite inherited arrangement of the eye itself. Coughing, sneezing, swallowing, winking and numerous other examples of this reflex behavior might be cited. They are the result of inherited paths of established conduction between stimulation and response. Besides these simple reflex activities there are an indefinite number of instinctive kinds of behavior that are not controlled by consciousness or dependent upon experience,— such as imitation, curiosity, play, fear, shyness, etc. Professors Colvin and Bagley call our attention to the fact that in all this instinctive behavior four fundamental characteristics are evident: “(1) they are all directed to some useful end; (2) they seem to be made up of various simple reflex activities; (3) they are entirely outside of voluntary direction; and (4) they are all un-learned and must be considered as depending upon inherited paths of conduction in the nervous system.” *

The strength of these inherited tendencies not only varies in individuals and races; but is also modified by climate, heredity, and environment. All of them naturally seek expression and all of them may be made the ally of parents and teachers in the growth and development of personality. If they are inhibited or “blocked” from normal expression it is altogether likely that the instinctive tendency will become perverted into some abnormal, character-destroying trait. Thus Jane Addams, speaking of the perverted play instinct of youth, could

1 Human Behavior, p. 128.

truly say,—‘“‘Vice is the love of pleasure gone wrong. It is the illicit expression of what might otherwise be a normal recreational pleasure.” All of these instinctive tendencies must be guarded, guided and nurtured by understanding parents and teachers into permanent constructive habits of behavior that will make it possible for each individual to realize his “nth” capacity of development.

During the adolescent years all sense perceptions are tremendously intensified and vitalized by the baptism of power and energy that comes with maturation. So also are these instinctive tendencies sensitized, and many of these inherited tendencies of behavior that have seemed more or less dormant in childhood become dominant in their control of the thought, action and emotional life of adolescents.

Inasmuch as it is the nature of the physical-mental organism of the pupil to respond to stimuli, instinctive and from without; it is evident that the task of parents and teachers lies largely in the field of providing the right type of stimulation. What we want in developing human personality is right action from right motives. To get this right action the character of the stimuli must be suited to the conduct or behavior desired. But no single parent or teacher, or group of parents or teachers can control all the stimuli of the pupil’s life; therefore we must not only provide proper stimuli; but we must build into the heart and life of youth such ideas and ideals as will insure a negative reaction to wrong stimuli.

Not only must we provide proper stimuli, but these proper stimuli must be presented at the right time. We have noted that brain cells or neurones ripen in groups, hence the need of a specialized study of the psychology of the adolescent period that we may know what centers of interest and sensitivity are ripening during the yeasting, fermenting years of adolescence. We must saturate developing life with the right kind of physical, intellectual, social and religious stimuli at the right time; and we must so vitalize and emotionalize these experiences as to make them easy to be transmitted. The attitudes and habits that we want adolescent boys and girls to acquire must be vitalized, emotionalized and personalized in us. Just as Jesus personalized God, so the great fundamental Christian attitudes of faith, hope, love, joyousness, goodness, service, loyalty, sympathy, purity, sincerity, courage, vision and God-consciousness, which we want them to acquire must be incarnated in the heart and life of leaders of youth. Methodology alone will not conserve the values of the Christian religion. Religious ideas and ideals must be vitalized, personalized, diffused with emotion if they are to become dynamic in their charactermaking value to youth.

The following source materials are suggested for a fuller study of thought processes:

Psychology—A Study of Mental Life, Woodworth. Human Behavior, Colvin and Bagley.

How We Think, Dewey.

Talks on Psychology and Life’s Ideals, James. Psychology, Briefer Course, James.

Essentials of Psychology, Pillsbury.

The Fundamentals of Child Study, Kirkpatrick.

SPECIALIZED STUDY OF ADOLESCENCE

It is of vital importance that teachers of youth know, not only something of the nature and operation of the human mind in the growth and development of personality; but also that they know something of the physical, intellectual, social and religious re-birth that comes with the adolescent years. God takes the first eleven or twelve years of human life to grow and mature the body, mind, heart and soul of a child; and then He takes the next twelve-year period to turn that matured child into an adult that functions with all the powers and capacities of adulthood. No teacher of youth is in anyway prepared to be the friend, guide and leader of young people who has not given careful study to the maturing powers and capacities, the needs and interests of that important epoch of life that lies between childhood and maturity. ‘The childhood-self, shell-like has slipped off, and the young animal stands with eager expectancy before life’s possibilities.” The birth of this new self that comes with the teen years is often fraught with as much danger as the birth that first brought the child into the world. Not to know both the nature of the pupil and the method of procedure may mean the blighting forever of this budding personality.

Professor Irving King says: “The study of adolescence has two possible objectives, the one to discover as far as possible the natural tendencies and characteristics of the period; and the other, to determine how they can best be brought to a successful issue in maturity, that no un-— toward events or influences may dwarf the budding spirit or start it to developing along lines which will harm or destroy its future efficiency.” ”

The outstanding characteristics of early and middle adolescence are thus briefly summed up by President Nicholas Murray Butler: “The marked characteristics of the pupil of secondary school age are due to the fact that,

2The High School Age, p. 85.

as Rousseau puts it, we are born twice: the first time into existence, the second time into life; the first time as a member of the race, the second time as a member of the sex,—in other words they are due to the phenomena of adolescence. The physical and mental effects of this epoch in human life begin earlier and last longer than is sometimes supposed. They dominate the entire secondary-school period. Rapid growth and increase in nervous mental energy mark these years. Emotions, vague and disordered, displace the placidity of earlier years. Ambitions, yearnings, desires, are formulated crudely and for the first time. Introspection begins and a morbid self-consciousness is not infrequent. The future, hitherto almost unthought of, becomes of great importance and overshadows the present. Abnormally intense religious experiences and reflections are common. The old familiar tasks, occupations and games no longer suffice; the soul seems to overflow, as it were, and demands new and more difficult problems to occupy it and to absorb its activities. The higher thought processes until now latent, exhibit themselves in a variety of ways, and more formal and elaborate chains of inference supersede the reasoning from one particular instance to another that is so characteristic of the little child.” *

Adolescence is the period when selfhood unfolds. Dr, Norman E. Richardson notes: ‘Physical changes, heightened powers of sense perception, social sensitiveness, and rational activity all tend to stimulate self-awareness. Slowly through the years individuality takes on definiteness of form and character. Youth faces the inevitable responsibility of self-control and self-direction, is forced to take a lively interest in the management of his own

3 The Meaning of Education, pp. 209-210.

conduct. Young people live their own lives. Outside interference is apt to be resented if it ignores this newly discovered and highly prized selfhood. The right to originate plans independently of others is cherished. To accept or reject the judgment of parents and teachers is looked upon as youth’s high privilege. Practical questions of membership in social groups, of vocation, of friendships, of public opinion, of individual beliefs, of leadership, of personal appearance, of sex, of ambition now press for answers. All of these emphasize self. For light and guidance youth looks within to his own conscience as well as without to some external voice of authority. Unlike the dependent and receptive child, youth is independent and creative. His face is set toward his own alluring future.” *

It is not the purpose of this chapter to attempt the discussion of adolescent psychology here; but rather to bring to the attention of church-school teachers the necessity for the recognition of adolescence as an epoch of life and the importance of such an exhaustive study of the developing lives of adolescent boys and girls as will make real teaching possible. The following sources of information will be of invaluable aid to teachers of youth:

Adolescence, Hall.

The Psychology of Adolescence, Tracy.

Girlhood and Character, Moxcey.

Womanhood in the Making, Eggleston.

The High School Age, King.

The Psychology of Early Adolescence, Mudge.

The Psychology of Middle Adolescence, Moxcey. The Religious Education of Adolescents, Richardson.

# Religious Education of Adolescents, pp. 4-5.

KNOWING ONE’S OWN PUPILS

Equally important with the study of genetic psychology, and the peculiar characteristics and needs of the adolescent years, is the individual and personal study of the particular pupils that compose the class you teach. A general study of genetic and adolescent psychology will do much to increase your efficiency as a church-school teacher; but neither can ever take the place of or be substituted for the more intimate, personal study of the individual pupils that make up your class. To whom else may they go for counsel and advice? For them, you must be “the words of eternal life.’ This individual study alone will reveal the personal needs, characteristics, limitations and problems of your pupils in such a way as to make it possible for you to use teaching opportunities, both inside and outside the formal class period, and lesson materials with the specific needs of particular pupils in mind.

The following outline is suggested as a guide in securing background information for teaching pupils from twelve to twenty-four years of age. Every teacher of adolescents should make a loose-leaf “pupil study” book devoting two or three pages to a study of the life situations of each member of the class. This information needed in order to teach lesson materials in such a way as to meet life needs may be obtained through direct questions, personal conferences and observation. Care should always be taken, however, not to make the pupil feel that he or she is the subject of unusual or undue investigation. Teachers of youth need to cultivate such a friendly attitude toward their pupils as will make personal conferences natural, spontaneous and sought after.

ITEMS TO NOTE IN THE LIFE SITUATIONS OF ONE’S PUPILS

1. Name. 2. Address. 3. Temperament. 4. Home life situation: A. In what kind of a home does the pupil live?

(1) Is it Christian or non-Christian? (General spirit and attitude of the home toward God, Christ and the Christian religion.)

(2) Is the home neat and orderly or careless and untidy?

(3) Is there a sense of parental authority, or is the boy or girl a law unto himself or herself?

(4) What is the pupil’s attitude toward the home?

5. Pupil School Life: A. Grade in school:

(1) Is the pupil on grade, below grade or above grade?

(2) What subjects does the pupil like best? Why?

(3) Is the pupil taking other studies of any kind in addition to his public school work? If so, what?

(4) What is the pupil’s attitude toward school?

(5) Is the pupil in college, contemplating college, or specialized vocational training?

6. Vocational Life Situation: A. In what kind of employment is the pupil engaged?

(1) Is the pupil trained or untrained for work?

(2) What is the pupil’s degree of interest in his employment?

(3) Does the pupil look upon employment as a means of livelihood only, or as an opporttnity to make a worthwhile contribution to the world’s life?

(4) With what type of people is the pupil associated in his vocational life?

7. Recreational life: A. In what recreations does the pupil engage?

(1) Along physical lines,—games, play, sports?

(2) Along social lines,—parties, receptions, social functions?

(3) Along intellectual lines—reading, plays, pageants, debates, etc.?

(4) What type of recreation does the pupil like best?

(5) Is there a fairly good variety in the character of the pupil’s recreation?

(6) What is the pupil’s attitude toward others in recreation?

8. Religious life:

A. What is the pupil’s attitude toward things religious?

(z) Is the pupil a member of a church? If so, what church? If not, why not?

(2) What service or services of the church does the pupil attend?

(3) What service or services of the church seem most to appeal to the pupil?

(4) Is the pupil interested in the missionary and benevolent program of the church?

(5) In what organized activities of the church does the pupil engage?

(6) Is the pupil growing in his service responsibilities and leadership in the life of the church and its auxiliary organizations?

What fads or hobbies does the pupil have?

. What habits does the pupil have:

A. Good and bad: (1) Those that should be strengthened and matured? (2) Those that should be faced as injurious and overcome?

Is the pupil selfish and cliquish, or unselfish and altruistic? What particular talents or capacities does the pupil have? What unsatisfied longings does the pupil have? What are the pupil’s prospects: A. Along physical, intellectual, social and religious lines: (1) Is the pupil steadily growing stronger physically with an increasing mastery over disease and physical defects?

(2) Is the pupil on the up-grade or down-grade mentally? Would he be a good investment for a concern desiring a young person to fill a position demanding high mental ability?

(3) Is it increasingly easy for the pupil to meet and mingle with a crowd of young people? Would the pupil be a valuable asset to an organization demanding a young person of high social development?

(4) Is the pupil having an increasing triumph over sin? Is his religious life growing deeper, broader and fuller, and his religious experience expanding?

1. What is psychology and what is its importance as related to the teaching process?

Describe in detail the central nervous system? Why is it called the organ of behavior?

What is the function of the central nervous system? What is mind or consciousness?

How do we educate (grow and develop) mind or consciousness?

Describe the way in which the central nervous system operates to produce behavior or conduct? 7. To what extent is it true that character is the sum total of one’s acquired habits? 8. How may bad habits be overcome and removed? How may good habits be cultivated? 9. Name and describe two types of behavior that are not considered as under the control of mind? 10. How may instinctive behavior be inhibited? What usually results from blocking instinctive behavior? 11. How may instinctive behavior be directed in such a way as to contribute to the fullest development of personality or character?

12. In what ways may we contribute to the education of the pupil through sense perception?

13, Why is adolescence regarded as an epoch of life; and of what importance is the study of the psychology of adolescence in teaching teen-age boys and girls?

14, What are the outstanding characteristics of adolescence?

15. In what ways will a study of the individual lives of one’s own particular pupils aid teachers in the teaching process?

Chapter II Knowing The Materials Of Christian Education

In the preceding chapters we have noted the importance of the teacher’s knowing the pupil he is to teach,—how he feels, learns to think and act in response to stimuli from within and without. In this chapter we want to face that equally important issue of the teacher knowing the materials of Christian education.