TEACHING EFFICIENCY.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4741, 22 August 1924, Page 4

TEACHING EFFICIENCY.

—- —: ADDRESS TO COLLEGE STUDENTS. ADVICE FROM PROFESSOR ADAMS. A crowded audience of Training College students and others was addressed on Tuesday afternoon by Dr. J; Adams, the eminent British educationist, whose remarks covered the need for realisation that teaching was not ,a trade but an art. Mr W. H. Gould, principal of the Tra ning College, Wellington, presided. “Bernard Shaw,” said Dr. Adams, “has made many disagreeable remarks about schoolmasters, one of which was : *He who can, does ; but he who cannot, teaches.’ (Laughter.) He was wrong as regarded paintei., and musicians, who studied hard anc yet. were not sufficiently artists to make a living, and who drifted into teaching. Many of the finest artists in the world could not express themselves in words, let alone teach, whereas many women who were not ttrst-class musicians made excellent teachers. In the “schools” of the old masters, pupils merely watched the artist at work, and were allowed o do some of the minor parts of the painting, such as parts of a press. The pupil merely learnt to copy the work of the great master, and in some cases did a large part of the painting. It was very effective teaching of Us kind, because it threw responsibility on the pupils. To-day teachers taught too much, though we were beginning to learn that a little wholesome neglect of the pupil by the teachei was beneficial. How far wais teaching a fine art J Bernard Shaw took it that it was duite a mechanical art, quite inferior to the art which was being taught. Many teachers were honest artisans, who did their daily task in the spirit of a good tradesman. In England there were a number of teachers who saw they were teachers only when in school, and that they had not sold their souls for a mere salary. That was a paltry ideal. It was not a fair attitude to adopt that if boyis turned out larrikins the parents were to blame The teacher had a certain duty as to the moulding of character, and tiw circumstances were favourable to his making the moist of it. Education had come to be regarded as something of value, and the teacher who inrew off all responsibilities at night was not quite giving it due consideration. He was responsible not only wr the knowledge acquired by his p ’pils, but for what port of men and women they afterwards became. The fine artist transcended the artisan as much as th artisan did the meie workman. An artist did a thing once, without having to find out how to do it. Most teachers did not reach the dignity of fine art, which never made mistakes, but they could respond readily enough with a congenial class. The Dalton plan was not likely to succeed, because, after all, the teacher delighted to teach just as the artist delighted to paint. There was a distinct joy in teaching music, and making a class sing in parts. He himself knew that in teaching one subject he was an. artist, in some''Others an architect, in others merely an artisan ; but he hoped he never fell below that standard. A great deal depended on the spirit in which work was approached. There muist be no fumbling on the part of the teacher. A man, not a watchmaker, who shook a stopped clock to make it go without success was a tumbler without sin, but a teacher who shook a child committed a grievous mistake. Preaching had been described as an animated dialogue with one part left out, but if they were attending to his own lecture they must really be working harder than he was in the endeavour to anticipate his thought. They could not complete the sentence ‘ The most optimistic writer on education is. ; . They could anticipate only in' general terms, as they did not know whom he thought the most optimistic writer. The development of the story was all top frequently impeded by commencing in the middle, like many plays. This was all very well for dramatic effect, but the sequence of the subsequent presentation needed care. In China the drama commenced with the birth of the hero. There was much bad exposition in ordinary teaching, as insufficient attention was given to the outlook of the pupil and the impossibility of presenting the anticipatory proclivities of listeners. A good story was spoiled by the dragging in of some important but forgotten point in the wrong place, properly arranged, instruction was imperative. Ideas, must first be recruited and then drilled, so that when the subject was presented it lived to the pupils. One could know a fact without realising it, but all facts accumulated had an influence on future thought. Dr. Adams concluded with hints for gaining the attention of pupils so that the teacher might become a fine artist. The students, one of whom expressed their gratitude, interest, and profit in the address, heartily cheered Professor Adams at the close.