Teaching the common branches; a textbook for teachers of rural and graded schools

Preface

This book represents an attempt to write a simple text on the theory of teaching for students of teaching and for inexperienced teachers, particularly in the rural schools.

Most of the would-be teachers who take an elementary course in methods of teaching are destined to begin in country schools. But most of the methods found in books on teaching have been worked out for graded schools, where there is more time, and where there are, on the whole, better teachers. The author has faced this problem by writing the present text primarily for rural teachers. The most practical assistance to him in the task has been several years* experience of his own as a country school teacher, several years more spent in training country teachers in a County Model School, and, very recently, some experience in teaching pedagogy to a group of young students in the University High School. This equipment has been supplemented by an examination of all the books used in the high-school normal training classes of those states that have them, and by submitting the manuscript to certain experts who know country schools and the capacities of their teachers.

In planning the textbook, three courses were open. First, the principles of teaching might be discussed with copious illustrations from the several subjects. This, however, would give a disjointed view of each subject. Or, the abstract principles might be stated briefly in the iv PREFACE

first four or five chapters and applied In detail to the different subjects in later chapters. Or, — and this was the method finally selected by the author, — the subjects might be treated separately, each explained and illustrated, and a general statement of these given in the last five chapters of the text.

The reasons for adopting this plan are two. In the first place, it provides for an inductive treatment of the principles of teaching. After the student has seen how to secure interest in spelling, writing, arithmetic, reading, etc., he is able to understand the abstract statement of how to do it in all subjects; he can make his own generalizations and apply them. But, in the second place, many people do not know how to apply principles, and seemingly can never learn. This type of mind seems to handle a new situation not by reference to a principle stated abstractly but by reference to another concrete case. For such, the last five chapters are of little use. Such teachers will use only the special methods. Hence, these methods should be treated fully.

The number of pages devoted to each subject is no indication of relative importance, for much space is taken in the earlier chapters to explain technical terms and illustrate general principles.

The order of subjects in the first fifteen chapters was determined according to the teaching process most clearly exemplified therein. Spelling was selected as the first because it is essentially a drill subject, and hence easy to demonstrate to beginners. In this subject, drill is emphasized. In reading, appreciation is emphasized; in drawing, an easy correlation with other subjects; in music, the parallel with written composition; in geography, the use of the imagination; in arithmetic.

PREFACE V

the developing method; and in civics, a psychological organization based upon practical problems. Developed in detail in one subject, the principles are then applied in the subjects following.

Each subject has been approached from the functional point of view.

The references for class reading are not exhaustive; only those books that seem sufficiently simple for inexperienced teachers have been cited.

While special attention is paid to those modifications that are necessary because of the lack of time in rural schools, yet the author believes that the text will be of value to all teachers, whether in rural or graded schools.

Acknowledgment of assistance in criticizing the manuscript is made to State Superintendent W. D. Ross of Kansas, formerly Inspector of Teacher Training Courses in the Kansas high schools; to State Superintendent W. P. Evans of Missouri; to S. E. Davis, Inspector of Teacher Training Courses in the high schools of Missouri; to G. W. Reavis, Rural School Inspector for the State of Missouri; to R. H. Emberson, Professor of Rural Education in the University of Missouri; to R. M. Dewey, of the University of Missouri; and to my wife, Jessie Allen Charters.

W. W. C.

Columbia, Mo., August, 1913.