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The Abingdon Religious Education Texts
David B. Downey, General Editor
Community Training School Series Norman E. Richardson, Editor
HOW TO TEACH RELIGION
Principles and Methods
by
GEORGE HERBERT BETTS
THE ABINGDON PRESS
NEW YORK CINCINNATI
1926
DEDICATED TO THOSE WHO HAVE IN THEIR KEEPING THE RELIGIOUS DESTINY OF
AMERICA--THE TWO MILLION TEACHERS IN OUR CHURCH SCHOOLS.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I. THE TEACHER HIMSELF 13
Importance of the teacher--Three types of teachers--The personal
factor in teaching religion--Developing the power of
personality--The cultivatable factors in personality--A scale for
determining personality--The teacher's mastery of
subject-matter--Methods of growth--Fields of mastery
demanded--Service and rewards--Problems and questions.
II. THE GREAT OBJECTIVE 30
Two great objectives in teaching--Making sure of the greater
objective--Teaching children _versus_ teaching
subject-matter--Subject-matter as a means instead of an end--Success
in instruction to be measured in terms of modified life, not of
material covered--The goal of a constantly developing Christian
character and experience--Problems for discussion.
III. THE FOURFOLD FOUNDATION 42
What the fourfold foundation consists of: (1) right _aims_, (2)
right _materials_ to reach these aims, (3) right _organization_ of
this material for instruction, (4) right _presentation_ in
instruction--The aim of teaching religion is (1) fruitful knowledge,
(2) right religious attitudes and growing consciousness of God, (3)
power and will to live righteously--Selecting subject-matter to meet
these ends--Principles of organization of material--The problem of
effective presentation--Questions for discussion.
IV. RELIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE OF MOST WORTH 58
Not all religious knowledge of equal value--What determines value of
knowledge--Kind of knowledge needed by child--Developing the
child's idea of God--Harm from wrong concepts of God--Giving the
child the right concept of religion--The qualities by which religion
should be defined to the child--The child's knowledge of the Bible;
of the church; of religious forms of expression--Problems and
questions.
V. RELIGIOUS ATTITUDES TO BE CULTIVATED 76
The meaning of religious attitudes--These attitudes lie at the basis
of both motives and character--Importance of the pupil's attitudes
toward the church school and class--Enjoyment of the lesson hour and
the growth of loyalty--The sense of mastery necessary to mental and
spiritual growth--The grounding of a continuous interest in the
Bible and religion--Growth in spiritual warmth and
responsiveness--The cultivation of ideals--The training of fine
appreciations--Worthy loyalties and devotions--Clearness of
God-consciousness--Questions and problems.
VI. CONNECTING RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION WITH LIFE AND CONDUCT 91
Religious instruction must carry across to life and conduct--Hence
necessity of finding practical outlet in expression for feelings,
ideals, emotions and attitudes resulting from instruction--The
setting up of certain religious habits--Expression in connection
with the life of the church--Expression in the home life--Expression
in the community and public school life--Expression in worship and
the devotional life--Problems for discussion.
VII. THE SUBJECT MATTER OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION 109
The Bible the great source-book of religious material--Yet much
material other than biblical required--Principles for the selection
of material from the Bible--Biblical material for early childhood;
for later childhood; for adolescence--Story material and its
sources--Materials from nature--Materials from history and
biography--Picture material for religious teaching--Religious music
for children--Questions and problems.
VIII. THE ORGANIZATION OF MATERIAL 129
Four different types of organization--Organization applied (1) to
the curriculum as a whole, (2) to individual lessons--Haphazard
organization--Logical organization--Chronological
organization--Psychological organization--Three types of curriculum
organization: (1) Uniform lessons, (2) Graded lessons, (3) text
books of religion--Organizing daily lesson material--Typical lesson
plans--Problems for discussion.
IX. THE TECHNIQUE OF TEACHING 148
Teaching that sticks--Attention the key--Types of appeal to
attention--The control of interest--Interest and action--Variety and
change as related to interest--Social contagion of interest--The
prevention of distractions--The control of conduct--Danger points in
instruction--Establishing and maintaining standards--Questions and
problems.
X. MAKING TRUTH VIVID 165
Vividness of impression necessary to lasting value--The _whole_ mind
involved in religion--Learning to think in religion--Protecting
children against intellectual difficulties--The appeal of religion
to the imagination--Guiding principles for the religious
imagination--The use of the memory in religion--Laws of memory--How
to memorize--Problems for discussion.
XI. TYPES OF TEACHING 183
The several types of lessons for religious instruction--The
informational lesson--The use of the inductive lesson--The deductive
lesson in religion--The application of drill to religious
teaching--The lesson in appreciation--Conducting the review
lesson--How to make the lesson assignment--Questions and problems.
XII. METHODS USED IN THE RECITATION 201
Methods of procedure for the lesson hour--The use of the topical
method--Place and dangers of the lecture method--Securing
participation from the class--The question method--Principles of
good questioning--The treatment of answers--The story
method--Guiding principles in story teaching--The teaching method of
Jesus--Jesus the embodiment of all scientific pedagogy--Questions
and problems.
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION
The teacher of religion needs to be very sure of himself at one point.
He ought to be able to answer affirmatively the question, "Have I the
prophetic impulse in my teaching?" Sooner or later, practical
difficulties will "come not singly but by battalions," and the spirit
needs to be fortified against discouragement. When driven back to the
second or third line defense it is important that such a line really
exists; the consciousness of being the spokesman for God makes the
teacher invulnerable and unconquerable.
But in order that this divine impulse may attain its greatest strength
and find the most direct, articulate, and effective expression, the
teacher must know _how_ as well as _what_ to teach. The most precious
spiritual energy may be lost because improperly directed or controlled.
Unhesitating insight into the solution of practical problems helps to
open up a channel through which the prophetic impulse can find fullest
expression.
There is no substitute for mastery of the technique of the teaching
process. Prayerful consecration cannot take its place. This ready
command of the methods of teaching, on the other hand, is in no sense an
equivalent of the consciousness of having been "called" or "chosen" to
teach religion. The two must go hand in hand. No one who feels himself
divinely appointed for this sacred task dares ignore the responsibility
of becoming a "workman not to be ashamed, _rightly_ dividing the word of
truth."
This volume by Dr. Betts offers the earnest teacher of religion an
exceptional opportunity to make more effective his ideal of
instruction. The treatment applies the best of modern educational
science to the problems of the church school, without, however, for a
moment, forgetting that a vital religious experience is the final goal
of all our teaching.
Besides setting forth the underlying principles of religious teaching in
a clear and definite way, the author has included in every chapter a
rich fund of illustration and concrete application which cannot fail to
prove immediately helpful in every church classroom. It is also believed
that students of religious education will find this treatment of method
by Professor Betts the most fundamental and sane that has yet appeared
in the field.
NORMAN E. RICHARDSON.
AUTHOR'S PREFACE
_Children can be brought to a religious character and experience through
right nurture and training in religion._ This is the fundamental
assumption on which the present volume rests, and it makes the religious
education of children the most strategic opportunity and greatest
responsibility of the church, standing out above all other obligations
whatever.
Further, the successful teaching of religion is based on the same laws
that apply to other forms of teaching; hence teachers in church schools
need and have a right to all the help that a scientific pedagogy
permeated by an evangelistic spirit can give them. They also have the
obligation to avail themselves of this help for the meeting of their
great task.
This book undertakes to deal in a concrete and practical way with the
underlying principles of religious instruction. The plan of the text is
simple. First comes the part _the teacher_ must play in training the
child in religion. Then the spiritual changes and growth to be effected
in _the child_ are set forth as the chief objective of instruction. Next
is a statement of the _great aims,_ or goals, to be striven for in the
child's expanding religious experience. These goals are: (1) fruitful
_religious knowledge_; (2) right _religious attitudes--interests,
ideals, feelings, loyalties_; (3) the _application of this knowledge and
these attitudes to daily life and conduct_.
Following the discussion of aims is the question of just _what subject
matter_ to choose in order to accomplish these ends, and _how best to
organize_ the chosen material for instruction. And finally, _how most
effectively to present_ the subject matter selected to make it serve
its purpose in stimulating and guiding the spiritual growth and
development of children.
The volume is intended as a textbook for teacher-training classes,
students of religious education, and for private study by church-school
teachers. It is also hoped that ministers may find some help in its
pages toward meeting their educational problems.
Northwestern University,
Evanston, Illinois.
CHAPTER I
THE TEACHER HIMSELF
It is easy enough to secure buildings and classrooms for our schools.
The expenditure of so many dollars will bring us the equipment we
require. Books and materials may be had almost for the asking. The great
problem is to secure _teachers_--real teachers, teachers of power and
devotion who are able to leave their impress on young lives. Without
such teachers all the rest is but as sounding brass or a tinkling
cymbal. And to be a real teacher is a very high achievement.
Bishop Vincent was giving a lecture on "That Boy." He himself was "that
boy," and in the course of describing his school days he fell into
meditation as follows: "That old school master of mine!--He is dead
now--_and I have forgiven him!_--And I am afraid that was the chronology
of the matter; for I never was able to forgive him while he lived." I,
as one of the listeners, smiled at the bitter wit of the speaker, but
was oppressed.
This somber view of the impression sometimes left by teachers on their
pupils received an antidote the following day, however, when a venerable
old man approached my desk bearing in his hands an ancient and dog-eared
copy of a text in grammar. He opened the book and proudly showed me
written across the fly leaf "Grover Cleveland, President." Then he told
me this story:
"I have been a teacher. In one of my first schools I had Grover
Cleveland as a pupil. He came without a textbook in grammar, and I
loaned him mine. Years passed, and Grover Cleveland was President of the
United States. One day I was one of many hundreds passing in line at a
public reception to grasp the President's hand. I carried this book with
me, and when it came my turn to meet the President, I presented the
volume and said, 'Mr. President, do you recognize this book, and do you
remember me?' In an instant the light of recognition had flashed in Mr.
Cleveland's eyes. Calling me by name, he grasped my hand and held it
while the crowd waited and while he recalled old times and thanked me
for what I had meant to him when I was his teacher. Then he took the old
book and autographed it for me."
Three types of teachers.--Two types of teachers are remembered: one to
be forgiven after years have softened the antagonisms and resentments;
the other to be thought of with honor and gratitude as long as memory
lasts. Between these two is a third and a larger group: those who are
_forgotten_, because they failed to stamp a lasting impression on their
pupils. This group represents the _mediocrity_ of the profession, not
bad enough to be actively forgiven, not good enough to claim a place in
gratitude and remembrance.
To which type would we belong? To which type _can_ we belong? Can we
choose? What are the factors that go to determine the place we shall
occupy in the scale of teachers?
THE PERSONAL FACTOR
When we revert to our own pupil days we find that the impressions which
cling to our memories are not chiefly impressions of facts taught and of
lessons learned, but of the _personality_ of the teacher. We may have
forgotten many of the truths presented and most of the conclusions
drawn, but the warmth and glow of the human touch still remains.
To be a teacher of religion requires a particularly exalted personality.
The teacher and the truth taught should always leave the impression of
being of the same pattern. "For their sakes I sanctify myself," said the
Great Teacher; shall the teachers of his Word dare do less!
The teacher as an interpreter of truth.--This is not to say that the
subject matter taught is unimportant, nor that the lessons presented are
immaterial. It is only to say that life responds first of all to _life_.
Truth never comes to the child disembodied and detached, but always with
the slant and quality of the teacher's interpretation of it. It is as if
the teacher's mind and spirit were the stained glass through which the
sunlight must fall; all that passes through the medium of a living
personality takes its tone and quality from this contact. The pupils may
or may not grasp the lessons of their books, but their teachers are
living epistles, known and read by them all.
For it is the concrete that grips and molds. Our greatest interest and
best attention center in persons. The world is neither formed nor
reformed by abstract truths nor by general theories. Whatever ideals we
would impress upon others we must first have realized in ourselves. What
we _are_ often drowns out what we say. Words and maxims may be
misunderstood; character seldom is. Precepts may fail to impress;
personality never does. God tried through the ages to reveal his
purposes to man by means of the law and the prophets, but man refused to
heed or understand. It was only when God had made his thought and plan
for man concrete in the person of Jesus of Nazareth that man began to
understand.
The first and most difficult requirement of the teacher, therefore,
is--_himself_, his personality. He must combine in himself the qualities
of life and character he seeks to develop in his pupils. He must look to
his personality as the source of his influence and the measure of his
power. He must be the living embodiment of what he would lead his pupils
to become. He must live the religion he would teach them. He must
possess the vital religious experience he would have them attain.
The building of personality.--Personality is not born, it is made. A
strong, inspiring personality is not a gift of the gods, nor is a weak
and ineffective personality a visitation of Providence. Things do not
_happen_ in the realm of the spiritual any more than in the realm of
nature. Everything is _caused_. Personality grows. It takes its form in
the thick of the day's work and its play. It is shaped in the crush and
stress of life's problems and its duties. It gains its quality from the
character of the thoughts and acts that make up the common round of
experience. It bears the marks of whatever spiritual fellowship and
communion we keep with the Divine.
Professor Dewey tells us that character is largely dependent on the mode
of assembling its parts. A teacher may have a splendid native
inheritance, a fine education, and may move in the best social circles,
and yet not come to his best in personality. It requires some high and
exalted task in order to assemble the powers and organize them to their
full efficiency. The urge of a great work is needed to make potential
ability actual. Paul did not become the giant of his latter years until
he took upon himself the great task of carrying the gospel to the
Gentiles.
Our own responsibility.--It follows then that the building of our
personalities is largely in our own hands. True, the influence of
heredity is not to be overlooked. It is easier for some to develop
attractive, compelling qualities than for others. The raw material of
our nature comes with us; is what heredity decrees. But the finished
product bears the stamp of our training and development. Fate or destiny
never takes the reins from our hands. We are free to shape ourselves
largely as we will.
Our inner life will daily grow by what it feeds upon. This is the great
secret of personality-building. What to-day we build into thought and
action to-morrow becomes character and personality. Let us cultivate our
interests, think high thoughts, and give ourselves to worthy deeds, and
these have soon become a life habit. Let our hearts go out in
helpfulness to those about us, and sympathy for human kind becomes a
compelling motive in our lives before we are aware. Let us consciously
listen to the still small voice speaking to the soul, and we will find
our souls expanding to meet the Infinite.
The secret.--He who would develop his personality into the full
measure of its strength and power must, then, set his goal at _living
constantly in the presence of the_ BEST. This will include the best in
thought and memory and anticipation. It will permit none but cheerful
moods, nor allow us to dwell with bitterness upon petty wrongs and
grievances. It will control the tongue, and check the unkind word or
needless criticism. It will cause us to seek for the strong and
beautiful qualities in our friends and associates, and not allow us to
point out their faults nor magnify their failings. It will cure us of
small jealousies and suppress all spirit of revenge. It will save us
from idle worry and fruitless rebellion against such ills as cannot be
cured. In short, it will free our lives from the crippling influence of
negative moods and critical attitudes. It will teach us to _be ruled by
our admirations rather than by our aversions_.
Above all, he who would build a personality fitted to serve as the
teacher of the child in his religion must constantly live in the
presence of _the best he can attain in God_. There is no substitute for
this. No fullness of intellectual power and grasp, no richness of
knowledge gleaned, and no degree of skill in instruction can take the
place of a vibrant, immediate, Spirit-filled consciousness of God in the
heart. For religion is _life_, and the best definition of religion we
can present to the child is the example and warmth of a life inspired
and vivified by contact with the Source of all spiritual being. The
authority of the teacher should rest on his own religious experience,
rather than on the spiritual experience of others.
A character chart.--There is no possibility, of course, of making a
list of all the qualities that enter into our personalities. Nor would
it be possible to trace all the multiform ways in which these qualities
may combine in our characters. It is worth while, however, to consider a
few of the outstanding traits which take first place in determining our
strength or weakness, and especially such as will respond most readily
to conscious training and cultivation. Such a list follows. Each quality
may serve as a goal both for our own development and for the training of
our pupils.
POSITIVE QUALITIES
NEGATIVE QUALITIES
1 Open-minded, inquiring, broad
Narrow, dogmatic, not hungry for truth
2 Accurate, thorough, discerning
Indefinite, superficial, lazy
3 Judicious, balanced, fair
Prejudiced, led by likes and dislikes
4 Original, independent, resourceful
Dependent, imitative, subservient
5 Decisive, possessing convictions
Uncertain, wavering, undecided
6 Cheerful, joyous, optimistic
Gloomy, morose, pessimistic, bitter
7 Amiable, friendly, agreeable
Repellent, unsociable, disagreeable
8 Democratic, broadly sympathetic
Snobbish, self-centered, exclusive
9 Tolerant, sense of humor, generous
Opinionated, dogmatic, intolerant
10 Kind, courteous, tactful
Cruel, rude, untactful
11 Tractable, cooperative, teachable
Stubborn, not able to work with others
12 Loyal, honorable, dependable
Disloyal, uncertain dependability
13 Executive, forceful, vigorous
Uncertain, weak, not capable
14 High ideals, worthy, exalted
Low standards, base, contemptible
15 Modest, self-effacing
Egotistical, vain, autocratic
16 Courageous, daring, firm
Overcautious, weak, vacillating
17 Honest, truthful, frank, sincere
Low standards of honor and truth
18 Patient, calm, equable
Irritable, excitable, moody
19 Generous, open-hearted, forgiving
Stingy, selfish, resentful
20 Responsive, congenial
Cold, repulsive, uninviting
21 Punctual, on schedule, capable
Tardy, usually behindhand, incapable
22 Methodical, consistent, logical
Haphazard, desultory, inconsistent
23 Altruistic, given to service
Indifferent, not socially-minded
24 Refined, alive to beauty, artistic
Coarse, lacking æsthetic quality
25 Self-controlled, decision, purpose
Suggestible, easily led, uncertain
26 Good physical carriage, dignity
Lack of poise, ill posture, no grace
27 Taste in attire, cleanliness, pride
Careless in dress, frumpy, no pride
28 Face smiling, voice pleasing
Somber expression, voice unpleasant
29 Physical endurance, vigor, strength
Quickly tired, weak, sluggish
30 Spiritual responsiveness strong
Spiritually weak, inconstant, uncertain
31 Prayer life warm, satisfying
Prayer cold, formal, little comfort
32 Religious certainty, peace, quiet
Conflict, strain, uncertainty
33 Religious experience expanding
Spiritual life static or losing force
34 God a near, inspiring reality
God distant, unreal, hard of approach
35 Power to win others to religion
Influence little or negative
36 Interest in Bible and religion
Little concern for religion and Bible
37 Religion makes life fuller and richer
Religion felt as a limitation
38 Deeply believe great fundamentals
Lacking in foundations for faith
39 Increasing triumph over sin
Too frequent falling before temptation
40 Religious future hopeful
Religious growth uncertain
It is highly instructive for one to grade himself on this list of
qualities; or he may have his friends and associates grade him, thus
getting an estimate of the impression he is making on others. Teachers
will find it well worth while to attempt to grade each of their pupils;
for this will give a clearer insight into their strengths and
weaknesses, and so indicate where to direct our teaching. Mark each
separate set of qualities on the scale of 10 for the highest possible
attainment. If the strength of the _positive_ qualities of a certain set
(as in No. 10) can be marked but 6, then the negative qualities of this
set must carry a mark of 4.
THE TEACHER'S BACKGROUND OF PREPARATION
One can never teach all he knows. Dr. John Dewey tells us that the
subject matter of our instruction should be so well mastered that it has
become second nature to us; then when we come to the recitation we can
give our best powers of thought and insight to the _human
element_--seeking to understand the boys and girls as we teach them.
Our knowledge and mastery must always be much broader than the material
we actually present. It must be deeper and our grasp more complete than
can be reached by our pupils. For only this will give us the mental
perspective demanded of the teacher. Only this will enable our thought
to move with certainty and assurance in the field of our instruction.
And only this will win the confidence and respect of our pupils who,
though their minds are yet unformed, have nevertheless a quick sense for
mastery or weakness as revealed in their teacher.
A danger confronted by teachers in church schools.--Teachers in our
church schools are at a disadvantage at this point. They constitute a
larger body than those who teach in the day schools, yet the vast army
who teach our children religion receive no salaries. They are engaged in
other occupations, and freely give their services as teachers of
religion with no thought of compensation or reward. The time and
enthusiasm they give to the Sunday school is a free-will offering to a
cause in which they believe. All this is inspiring and admirable, but it
also contains an element of danger.
For it is impossible to set up scholastic and professional standards for
our teachers of religion as we do for the teachers in our day schools.
The day-school teacher, employed by the state and receiving public
funds, must go through a certain period of training for his position. He
must pass examinations in the subject matter he is to teach, and in his
professional fitness for the work of the teacher. He must have a
certificate granted by responsible authorities before he can enter the
schoolroom. He must show professional growth while in service if he is
to receive promotion or continue in the vocation.
Greater personal responsibility on church school teacher.--Naturally,
all this is impossible with volunteer teachers who receive no pay for
their services and are not employed under legal authority. No
compulsion can be brought to bear; all must rest on the sense of duty
and of opportunity of the individual teacher. Yet the Sunday school
teacher needs even a more thorough background of preparation than the
day-school teacher, for the work of instruction in the Sunday school is
almost infinitely harder than in the day school. Religion and morals are
more difficult to teach than arithmetic and geography. The church
building usually lacks adequate classroom facilities. The lesson
material is not as well graded and adapted to the children as the
day-school texts. The lessons come but once a week, and the time for
instruction is insufficient. The children do not prepare their lessons,
and so come to the Sunday school lacking the mental readiness essential
to receiving instruction.
This all means that the Sunday school teacher must rise to a sense of
his responsibilities. He must realize that he holds a position of
influence second to none in the spiritual development of his pupils. He
must remember that he is dealing with a seed-time whose harvest involves
the fruits of character and destiny. With these facts in mind he must
ask himself whether he is justified in standing before his class as
teacher without having given the time and effort necessary for complete
preparation.
The teacher and his Bible.--The teacher should know his Bible. This
means far more than to know its text and characters. The Bible is
history, it is literature, it is a treatise on morals, it is philosophy,
it is a repository of spiritual wisdom, it is a handbook of inspiration
and guidance to the highest life man has in any age conceived.
To master the Bible one must have a background of knowledge of the life
and history of its times. He must enter into the spirit and genius of
the Hebrew nation, know their aspirations, their political and economic
problems, and understand their tragedies and sufferings. He must know
the historical and social setting of the Jewish people, the nations and
civilizations that surrounded them, and the customs, mode of life, and
trend of thought of contemporaneous peoples.
Not all of these things can be learned from the Bible itself. One must
make use of the various helps and commentaries now available to Bible
students. The religions of ancient Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia, Greece,
and Rome should be studied. Ancient literatures should be placed under
tribute, and every means employed to gain a working knowledge of the
social medium out of which the Christian religion developed.
The teacher's knowledge of children.--Time was when we thought of the
child as a miniature man, differing from adults on the physical side
only in size and strength, and on the mental side only in power and
grasp of thought. Now we know better. We know that the child differs
from the adult not only in the _quantity_ but also in the _quality_ of
his being.
It is the business of the teacher to understand how the child _thinks_.
What is the child's concept of God? What is the character of the child's
prayer? How does the child _feel_ when he takes part in the acts of
worship? We talk to the child about serving God; what is the child's
understanding of service to God? We seek to train the child to loyalty
to the church; what does the church stand for to the child? We teach the
child about sin and forgiveness; just what is the child's comprehension
of sin, and what does he understand by forgiveness? We tell the child
that he must love God and the Christ; can a child control his
affections as he will, or do they follow the trend of his thoughts and
experiences? These are not idle questions. They are questions that must
be answered by every teacher who would be more than the blind leader of
the blind.
Coming to know the child.--How shall the teacher come to know the
child? Professor George Herbert Palmer sets forth a great truth when he
says that the first quality of a great teacher is the quality of
_vicariousness_. By this he means the ability on the part of the teacher
to step over in his imagination and take the place of the child. To look
at the task with the child's mind and understanding, to feel the appeal
of a lesson or story through the child's emotions, to confront a
temptation with the child's power of will and self-control--this ability
is the beginning of wisdom for those who would understand childhood. The
teacher must first of all, therefore, be a sympathetic investigator in
the laboratory of child life. Not only in the Sunday school, but daily,
he must _observe, study, seek to interpret children_.
Nor should the teacher of religion neglect the books on the child and
his religion. Many investigators are giving their time and abilities to
studying child nature and child religion. A mastery of their findings
will save us many mistakes in the leadership and training of children. A
knowledge of their methods of study will show us how ourselves more
intelligently to study childhood. Comprehension of the principles they
represent, coupled with the results of our own direct interpretation of
children, will convince us that, while each child differs from every
other, _certain fundamental laws apply to all childhood_. It is the
teacher's task and privilege to master these laws.
Knowledge of technique.--Teaching is an _art_, which must be learned
the same as any other art. True, there are those who claim that anyone
who knows a thing can teach it; but often the teacher who makes such a
claim is himself the best refutation of its validity when he comes
before his class. Probably most of us have known eminent specialists in
their field of learning who were but indifferent teachers. It is not
that they knew too much about their subjects, but that they had not
mastered the art of its presentation to others.
The class hour is the teacher's great opportunity. His final measure as
a teacher is taken as he stands before his class in the recitation. Here
he succeeds or fails. In fact, here the whole system of religious
education succeeds or fails. For it is in this hour, where the teacher
meets his pupils face to face and mind to mind, that all else
culminates. It is for this hour that the Sunday school is organized, the
classrooms provided, and the lesson material prepared. It is in this
hour that the teacher succeeds in kindling the interest, stirring the
thought and feeling, and grounding the loyalty of his class. Or, failing
in this, it is in the recitation hour that the teacher leaves the
spiritual life of the child untouched by his contact with the Sunday
school and so defeats its whole intent and purpose.
The teacher of religion should therefore ask himself: "What is my
craftsmanship in instruction? Do I know how to _present_ this material
so that it will take hold upon my class? Do I know the technique of the
recitation hour, and the principles of good teaching? Have I read what
the scholars have written and what the experience of others has to teach
me. Have I definitely planned and sought for skill? Is my work in the
classroom the best that I can make it?"
The teacher must continuously be a student.--The successful teacher of
religion must, therefore, be a student. He must continually grow in
knowledge and in teaching power. There is no possibility of becoming
"prepared" through the reading of certain books and the pursuit of
certain courses of study and then having this preparation serve without
further growth. The famous Dr. Arnold, an insatiable student until the
day of his death, when asked why he found it necessary to prepare for
each day's lessons, said he preferred that his pupils "should drink from
a running stream rather than from a stagnant pool." This, then, should
be the teacher's standard: _A broad background of general preparation,
constant reading and study in the field of religion and religious
teaching, special preparation for each lesson taught_.
The churches of each community should unite in providing a school for
teacher training. Where the community training school cannot be
organized, individual churches should organize training classes for
their teachers. Such schools and classes have been provided in hundreds
of places, and the movement is rapidly spreading. Wherever such
opportunities are available the best church school teachers are flocking
to the classes and giving the time and effort necessary to prepare for
better service.
Even where no organized training classes are at present available, the
earnest teacher can gain much help from following an organized course of
reading in such lines as those just given. Excellent texts are available
in most of these fields.
The reward.--One deep and abiding satisfaction may come to the teacher
who feels the burden of reaching the standards set forth in this lesson.
_It is all worth while_. Some make the mistake of charging against
their task all the time, effort and devotion that go into preparing
themselves as teachers of religion. But this is a false philosophy. For
_a great work greatly performed leaves the stamp of its greatness on the
worker_. All that we do toward making out of ourselves better teachers
of childhood adds to our own spiritual equipment. All the study, prayer,
and consecration we give to our work for the children returns a
hundredfold to us in a richer experience and a larger capacity for
service.
1. Recall several teachers whom you remember best from your own
pupil days, and see whether you can estimate the qualities in their
character or teaching which are responsible for the lasting
impression.
2. Are you able to determine from the character chart which are
your strongest qualities? Which are your weakest qualities? Just
what methods are you planning to use to improve your personality?
3. In thinking of your class, are you able to judge in connection
with different ones on what qualities of character they most need
help? Are you definitely seeking to help on these points in your
teaching?
4. Do you think that church-school teachers could pass as good an
examination on what they undertake to teach as day-school teachers?
Are the standards too high for day-school teachers? Are they high
enough for church-school teachers?
5. Have you seen Sunday-school teachers at work who evidently did
not know their Bibles? Have you seen others who seemed to know
their Bibles but who were ignorant of childhood? Have you seen
others whose technique of teaching might have been improved by a
little careful study and preparation? Are you willing to apply
these three tests to yourself?
FOR FURTHER READING
Palmer, The Ideal Teacher.
Hyde, The Teacher's Philosophy.
Slattery, Living Teachers.
Horne, The Teacher as Artist.