rr~.N wE LEARN TO DI~IV~ an automobile， wasted time unless the illustration bears directly<br > play the piano， or make a cake. we may on the purpose of the lesson and will be effec-<br > hear someone tell us how it is done， or tive in accomplishing thai purpose.<br >we max read how it is to be done. We may even When a pupil reproduces in his own mind the<br >see someone else do it， but we still do not know truth being taught， he is learning. He is not<br >how to drive on automobile， play the piano， or learning until he participates in this manner.<br >make e cake. We must do it ourselves. The more Merely pouring out knowledge is not teach-<br >we do it， the better we do it. Practice makes per- ing. The teacher who talks on and on， telling<br >fact. This is known as learning by doing， or by what he knows without arousing mental re-<br >participation， or as educators say it， learning by sponse， is wasting his time and the pupil s time，<br >impression plus expression. He is getting nowhere，<br > When someone tells us or shows us， we are Nor is true learning mere memorization and<br >learning by impression. When we do it， we learn repetition of the words of the teacher， of a quar-<br >by expression. Both methods are necessary. {In terly， or， for that matter， of the Bible. Catechism<br >the preceding chapter， we considered the more may have its merits as a method of imparting<br >c on，non methods of teaching by impression.) truth. For children， particularly those in the ele-<br > 5pplied to teaching in the Sunday school， the mentary grades， memorization is recommended.<br >expression method means that the teacher must But catechism alone is not education. It is mem-<br >gain the participation of the pupil. In the orization.<br >pupil s mind， consciously or unconsciously， is A pupil is sometimes said to have learned the<br >the principle of "Use me or lose me." The lesson when he has committed it to memory and<br >teacher leads the pupil to learn by getting him can repeat or recite it word for word. Education<br >to participate in the class session and then to would be simple if this were true. It is not true.<br >practice in daily life the principles learned in however; when the pupil is merely reciting， he<br >the Bible class. The pupil learns by participat- is not participating at his most productive level.<br >ing in the learning process. The teacher s aim is to teach the pupil not only<br > Whether the aim of the lesson is for an under- the words， but the thought of Scripture. In teach-<br >standing of the Bible or the application of Bible ing the Bible， it is important to know and to re-<br >truth to life， the pupil must participate actively member words， but it is even more important to<br >and know that it is for a purpose. The pupil s ac- know and to remember the lesson thought.<br >tivity may be easily observed such as participa-<br >tion in a discussion. Or the activity may be Advancing in Participation<br >largely mental， such as thinking through a The pupil is to be encouraged m express the<br >proposition presented by the teacher， solving a lesson truth in his own words. Sometimes the<br >problem， or arriving at a general conclusion， thought will be expressed crudely. The capable<br > A class is much like a fruit tree--some pupils teacher will pardon the pupil s inability to ex-<br >are ripe and ready to understand what is being press the thought acceptably while he encour-<br >taught， some are nearly ripe， others are only ages the pupil to think more accurately in order<br >partly ripe， and some are entirely green. The to express himself more adequately.<br >teacher cannot pla~ for the advanced pupil or As the pupil advances in participation， he will<br > for the entirely green pupil， but he must plan to give a reason for that which he believes. He will<br > engage the participation of everyone. The discover a truth， seek proof for that which he<br > teacher will learn which methods are most effec- has discovered， voice these proofs， and thus be-<br > tire after he studies the pupils and after he has come a stronger believer than the one who be-<br > tried several methods， lieves but does not know why or who cannot<br > explain why. The Bible teaches that we are to<br > Activate Thinking find out for ourselves if these truths are so. The<br > Th opurpoae of pupil participation is the pupil will take a stronger hold of the truth if he<br > teacher s constant aim--to get the pupil to t]ztnk， can see a reason for it. In searching for proof， tha<br > Merely to give the pupil somethin~ to do to oc- pupil also encounters new knowledge on the<br > qupy the time is a ai~ul waste of opportunity， way， just like the mountain climber who finds<br > For example， engasiia$ the minds of an adult the landscape always widening around him. The<br > ~s by mas~s of an tnterestia$ illusl~atiou is teacher s effort to encourage the pupil to seek<br >