In the lessons that follow, the answers given to questions are those which pupils may be expected to give after corrections and additions have been made by themselves and the teacher.
Professor Alexander has said:
It is impossible to exemplify on paper actual teaching. Actual teaching, as all other practical matters, is in large measure determined by circumstances and conditions which are never twice the same. A large part of a teacher's skill lies in the sympathetic perception of these conditions and in the power of adapting himself to them on the spur of the moment. The teacher should have a definite aim in view, and a general conception of the proper method to be followed; but these will be modified by the character of the pupils before him, of the answers given, of the manifestation of interest, and the comprehension of the various points brought forward. A question quite proper in one case will be quite out of place in another. What knowledge should be imparted by the instructor, what elicited from the pupils themselves, what matters dwelt upon, what lightly passed over—these things can only be determined by the actual circumstances.
PANTOMIME
LITTLE MISS MUFFET
(Primer, page 75)
Little Miss Muffet sits on a low chair eating from an imaginary dish. The spider comes creeping softly behind her. When he reaches her side, he sits quietly down. Then she sees him and, in a great fright, jumps up and runs away.
DRAMATIZATION
LITTLE BOY BLUE
(Primer, page 68)
The senior division of the primary class had read the story of Little Boy Blue. Norman asked: "May we play it? May I be Little Boy Blue?"
Allan said: "I'd like to be the farmer".
Dorothy wished to be the farmer's wife.
Clara asked if the pupils of the highest class might be the cows and the sheep.
As Norman was enthusiastic and eager to express himself, he was permitted to direct the movements of the different characters.
The farmer selected a horse and prepared to take him to market, while Little Boy Blue could be seen tramping along the road (the front part of the room). The cows and sheep were grazing quietly near by.
As Little Boy Blue approached the farmer, he removed his cap and said: "Good morning, sir, do you want a boy?"
Farmer: "Yes, I want one to watch the cows and the sheep."
Little Boy Blue: "I can do that, sir."
Farmer (handing Little Boy Blue a toy horn that had been brought to school for use during a drawing lesson): "Here is a horn, then. If they try to go away, blow this, and they will come back."
Little Boy Blue: "I will, sir."
The farmer drove away, and Little Boy Blue watched the cows and the sheep. Once they were about to wander away (among the aisles), but Little Boy Blue blew the horn, and they immediately returned. He soon grew tired of watching them; they seemed to be content to graze quietly where they were. He leaned against a haystack (a chair) and fell asleep. The cows were soon in the corn and the sheep in the meadow, where the farmer saw them as he was driving home. But he could not see Little Boy Blue. He called:
Little Boy Blue,
Come blow your horn,
The sheep are in the meadow,
The cows are in the corn.
Farmer: "Wife, where is Little Boy Blue?"
Wife: "He is under the haystack, fast asleep."
Farmer (going to haystack):
Little Boy Blue,
Come blow your horn.
The boy jumped up, blew a blast on the horn, and the sheep and cows immediately came back.
Little Boy Blue: "It was my fault and I'm sorry."
Farmer: "All right, you'll take better care of them next time."
THE STORY OF HENNY PENNY
(Primer, page 48)
When the teacher suggests that a game be played, many pupils fairly project themselves backward in an effort to look so well that they may be chosen to take part in it.
The teacher wrote "Dorothy" on the black-board. Dorothy whispered that she would like to play the story of Henny Penny. (The adventures of Henny Penny had been recounted the day before.) The teacher wrote the story of Henny Penny. As Dorothy had sufficient self-confidence and a good memory, she was allowed to choose her part, which was certain to be that of the principal character. Had she not possessed these qualities, she would have been assigned a minor part during the first attempt at dramatizing this story. The teacher wrote "Rooster Pooster" on the black-board. "I should like to be Rooster Pooster", said Albert. "Turkey Lurkey", wrote the teacher. "I'd like to be Turkey Lurkey", said another. In this or some similar way, the parts were assigned.
As the play began, Henny Penny was discovered pecking at imaginary worms in the garden; suddenly she jumped up in a great fright. "Oh, the sky is falling!" she said, "I must run and tell the king". She ran down the road (an aisle) till she met Rooster Pooster.
When he saw her coming, he stopped crowing and asked, "Where are you going, Henny Penny?" "Oh", she said, "the sky is falling, and I am going to tell the king". "I will go too", said Rooster Pooster. They ran down the road till they met Turkey Lurkey gobbling contentedly. The usual formula was repeated, and Turkey Lurkey ran on with them.
But the fox (villain) was waiting around the corner. "Where are you going, Henny Penny, Rooster Pooster, and Turkey Lurkey?" said he. "Oh, Fox Lox", they said, "the sky is falling and we are going to tell the king". "I will show you the way." "Oh, no, Fox Lox, we know you. We will not go with you."
So they ran and ran, but had to return home because they did not find the king's house.
WISHES
(Primer, page 52)
The pupils knew by the pictures on page 52 that the lesson would be a delightful one, but when they attempted to read it, they found difficulties that lessened their pleasure somewhat.
They enjoyed reading "I wish I could find a little fat fly", but "sad little sigh" and "an odd little shrug" were very difficult to say and were meaningless until the children imitated the teacher's "sad little sighs" and "odd little shrugs".
The pupils were then asked which little chicken they would like to be. The first pupil to respond was chosen. He went to the front of the room, which was then a garden, and with a much bigger sigh than was necessary, complained: "I wish I could find a little fat fly".
The other pupils then eagerly studied the page, that they might learn what the next little chicken said and did. The teacher was always ready to tell them any words they could not discover for themselves. One pupil could make a shrug but could not remember the second little chicken's words, so another was found who could say what the second little chicken said in just the way he would say it if he could talk. The other little chickens and the mother hen were chosen in a similar manner.
The mother hen could be seen busily scratching at one end of the garden, while her little chickens were walking aimlessly about.
First Chicken (after sighing):
"I wish I could find a little fat fly."
Second Chicken (with a shrug):
"I wish I could find a fat little bug."
Third Chicken (with a squeaky voice):
"I wish I could feel some corn in my beak."
Fourth Chicken (sighing):
"I wish I could find a fat worm on a leaf."
Mother Hen (impatiently):
"See here, if you want things to eat, just come here and scratch."
INDIAN LULLABY
Rock-a-bye, my little owlet,
In the mossy, swaying nest,
With thy little woodland brothers,
Close thine eyes and take thy rest.
Hush-a-bye, my little owlet,
Many voices sing to thee;
"Hush-a-bye," the water whispers,
"Hush!" replies the tall pine tree.
—Longfellow
There had been language lessons on the habits of the Indians; their way of living had been worked out, as far as possible, on the sand-table, and pictures representing Indian life had been shown. The pupils had eagerly constructed an Indian home—"Dark behind it rose the forest" (twigs from the pine and other evergreen trees), "Bright before it beat the water".
The lessons in drawing, painting, end modelling had been connected with this work. From their boxes of coloured crayons, the pupils had selected the colours used in making the pine trees, the grass, the bark of the trees, the owl in the tree, the wigwams, etc.
From the many beautiful Indian lullabies that would have been suitable, the teacher selected the Indian Lullaby by Longfellow. During the periods set apart for music, the pupils had been taught the desired melody with the syllable "loo".
Teacher. "How does your mother put baby to sleep?"
Pupils. "My mother rocks the baby in her arms." "Mine puts him on the bed and he falls asleep." "We rock our baby in a cradle," etc.
Teacher. "The picture I give you will show you what the Indian mother does with her baby."
Each pupil was given a small picture showing an Indian baby in his cradle suspended from a tree. These pictures had been cut from a supplement to Primary Education.
Teacher. "What has the mother done?"
Pupils. "She has put her baby in a basket and hung it on a tree."
Teacher. "Is the baby in the picture awake or asleep?"
Pupils. "He is asleep."
Teacher. "What could the baby see before he went to sleep?"
Here a picture—fourteen by twenty inches—was shown. It was a good representation of an Indian home and its surroundings. The pupils had made use of this picture when working at the sand-table.
Pupils. "He could see the pine trees, the water, the wigwams, the canoes, the Indians," etc.
Teacher. "What could the baby hear while swinging in his cradle?"
Pupils. "He could hear the Indians talking. He could hear the wind among the trees; the water; the birds singing in the woods; the cry of an owl; perhaps wolves, bears," etc.
Teacher. "What other babies lived in the woods?"
Pupils. "Birds, squirrels, owls, wolves," etc.
Teacher. "A man once wrote what he thought an Indian mother might have sung to her baby. This is what he thought she would sing." (The teacher recited the Indian Lullaby.)
Individual pupils then repeated one stanza at a time with the assistance of the teacher.
The pupils sang softly the melody they had learned to "loo"; then all tried to sing the words with the teacher. The purpose was to emphasize the rhythm and interpret the spirit of the poem. The lesson occupied twelve to fifteen minutes. At another time, hectographed copies of the poem were given to the pupils, and as they had already partly memorized it, they soon learned to read it.
