Page:State manual and course of study.djvu/16

 In every successful school, closely allied to method in teaching is method in study. The greatest teachers are those who not only arouse the minds of their pupils and create a thirst for knowledge, but also teach them how to search, investigate, and know. Therefore the teacher should know how his pupils study, correct their faults and suggest methods of concentrating the mind and intensifying mental concepts.

The steps in study are:

(1) To select the central points.

(2) To illuminate them with the imagination.

(3) To associate them with past knowledge.

(4) To classify with each central point its system of lesser points that depend upon and reflect its truth.

(5) To state them in exact language.

As individuals differ widely in character, ability, and attainment, it cannot be expected that any system of studies can be arranged suited to all. It is, however, true that every human intellect feels its way out from the unknown by essentially the same mental processes, and no matter what the method, when a truth dawns upon the human mind it always enters the windows of the soul from the same side and by the same pathway. It is also a fact that no truth can be taught in its fulness until the intellect has reached the proper development for its reception; or, briefly stated, there is a natural and correlated order of mind growth.

A course of study must recognize this truth, otherwise it will be a hindrance rather than a help. Furthermore, while the correlation of subjects and degree of mental acumen should be kept constantly in mind, no teacher is expected to fit each and every pupil into an inflexible grade. The grades are made for the pupil, not the pupil for the grades. The just teacher places the pupil in the classes for which he is best adapted, even though he may by this means be found in more than one grade.

It may be proper to say here a few words concerning “grades.” The word as used herein, covers the average school period of nine consecutive months. But as long as there exists such a diversity among school districts in length of school years, it will be impossible to have a grade mean a year of work. The word, therefore, should signify a certain period of school life, and the subjects indicated in that period be taught together, whether it takes one or two school years.

Classification:—

Have a temporary classification for the first few days of school. Spend much time during this period in testing each pupil, studying his character, attainments, mental ability, etc. Classify together the pupils who seem to have ability for about the same amount of work, placing their work in each study as near as possible in accordance with the Manual. This will bring the work of some pupils in different grades.