Excerpt from Notes on the English Literature Examination Papers: For Admission to High Schools (1878)

In dealing with literature the teacher must have, as in his other work, one object steadily in view: - his pupils must understand dearly everything the lesson contains, nothing must be taken for granted, it will not do to take their own word for it, or to make them learn accurately the appended notes, the teacher must satisfy himself in his own way that the work is understood. It is very vexatious to find how little is really taken in by the pupil reading over a lesson in the usual way. The notes will give information, make suggestions, call attention to what might be passed over as mere common-place, but they can never supply the place of the teacher, it is he alone that can adapt the question to the needs or capacities of the pupil, he alone that can meet the difficulties and arouse the dormant intelligence of each. He will speedily find that he will have to draw largely upon his own knowledge, and rely upon notes only where his own resources fail.

The lessons in literature must not be lectures, must not be examinations, they must be a continued talk, a familiar conversation between teacher and pupil, for this is the only way that thought can be reached. The knowledge thus conveyed, and the mental activity thus aroused will be far more beneficial than any other kind of teaching can possibly be, it makes intelligent boys and girls.

The teacher will thus sec that the very best author to compose "sets of questions on literature" is himself. There is not a more wearying, deadening, or destructive work for teacher or student than to set himself to studying literature by a series of questions. On the other hand, when his work is well prepared, the teacher will find nothing in the whole range of his work so delightful, so instructive to himself and to his charge as literature, he will find, and be surprised to find, that on going over the same ground again, he will rarely ask the same question the same way, new ideas will continually arise, new modes of illustration, new facts. The lesson must not be made prosy. It is well always to start with what the pupil knows himself, and gradually add with his own help to his stock of knowledge.

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