they sat down with their elbows upon their knees and hid their faces between their hands. The only words they could be brought to utter were, 'Too much smoke — too much noise-too much houses - too much men - too much everything!"" Edgeworth's Practical Education. Account for the state of mind of the Eskimos. 3. What subjects in the school curriculum seem to you to be best calculated to awaken an interest in ideals? 4. Can the study of mathematical and physical geography be made to develop an interest in ideals? 5. What sort of discipline seems to you to be best calculated to develop an interest in ideals? 6. Under the influence of the intensity of his interest, the whole mind of an orator, in the midst of an oration, is brought to bear upon his subject. Ideas and images not connected with it do not come to his mind as though for the time he had forgotten everything in the world except a certain group of related facts and ideas. Is this con centration of thought voluntary or involuntary attention? LESSON XV. ATTENTION. (Continued.) WE have seen that voluntary attention is not "removed from the sway of interests," but that, to have any educational value, it must start from or lead to interests; that the two functions of voluntary attention are (1) the development of interests in things that would never give us pleasure were it not for voluntary attention; and (2) the development of the power of continuous attention, that the mind may direct its own energies—that it may not be a mere instrument, producing nothing but inharmonious. sounds, because played upon by every passing impulse From this point of view we were able to see that the object of education is the development of certain permanent interests, and of the power to determine the course of one's activities; also that true teaching consists in bringing the mind into contact with subjects that have an intellectual and ethical value, in such a way as to make them interesting. This latter, as we know, is only another way of saying that true teaching consists in getting and keeping the attention of our pupils, and making the right use of it. Rules for Getting Attention. Let us begin, then, with the simpler question, How can we get and keep the VOLUNTARY AND NON-VOLUNTARY. 131 attention of our pupils? Comenius answered that question with remarkable completeness nearly three hundred years ago. In his time it was the custom to teach boys separately, or not more than two or three together. He contended that a lecturer could hold the attention of a large class just as well (1) “by always bringing before his pupils something pleasing and profitable; (2) by introducing the subject of instruction in such a way as to commend it to them, or by stirring their intelligences into activity by inciting questions regarding it; (3) by standing in a place elevated above the class, and requiring all eyes to be fixed on him; (4) by aiding attention through the representation of everything to the senses, as far as possible; (5) by interrupting his instruction by frequent and pertinent questions-for example, What have I just said?' (6) if the boy who has been asked a question should fail to answer, by leaping to the second, third, tenth, thirtieth, and asking the answer without repeating the question; (7) by occasionally demanding an answer from any one in the whole class, and thus stirring up rivalry; (8) by giving an opportunity to any one to ask questions when the lesson is finished." Voluntary and Non-voluntary Attention both Necessary. The hastiest glance at these rules will enable us to see that the teacher who conforms to them supplies the conditions of both voluntary and non-voluntary attention; and we need to carefully note the fact that we must do it if we hope to get and keep the attention of our pupils. A teacher who imagines that his work is done in this direction when he interests his pupils in other words, when he supplies the conditions of non-voluntary attention is - sadly mistaken. He can not get their non-voluntary attention until he begins to interest them; and he can not keep it afterwards simply by being interesting. Until he interests them, their attention, so far as it is non-voluntary, will be given to the most interesting thing that happens to come before their minds. After he interests them, instead of keeping their attention on what he is saying, they will continue to think about some interesting thing he has said, until their attention is attracted by something else. In complying with a part of the first rule in bringing before our pupils something pleasing- — we are evidently supplying the conditions of non-voluntary attention by the matter of our instruction; in complying with a part of the second" stirring their intelligences to activity by inciting to questions regarding it" - we are doing the same thing by the manner of our instruction; and the same is true of the fourth and eighth rules. In bringing before our pupils something which they feel to be profitable; in teaching it so as to commend it to them; in occupying a position where we can see the entire class (a position that will make them feel that the teacher will be likely to know if they permit their minds to wander); in frequently calling upon them to reproduce what we have just said; in asking our questions promiscuously, without repeating them, when an incorrect answer is given — we are supplying the conditions of voluntary attention, giving them reasons for attending apart from the interest of the matter to which we wish to call their attention. - Importance of the Fifth Rule. Every one of these rules for getting the voluntary attention of pupils is important; but I wish especially to call attention to two or KNOWING THE EDUCATIONAL VALUE. 133 three of them. Of the fifth I will only remark that no teacher, below the university, who does not practice it habitually, has the attention of a majority of his pupils, no matter what grade of pupils he teaches. Moreover, unless some such rule is observed, it is hard to see how a teacher can be sure that his pupils understand him. We shall miss half of the importance of the first rule unless we bear in mind that when we can not see our pupils, they can not What a hindrance that is to attention we shall realize if we try to listen to a speaker when we can not see him. see us. Necessity of Knowing the Educational Value of what we Teach. But it is of the first and second rules that I wish particularly to speak. The more I think of it, the more I am convinced that the neglect of them is one of the principal causes not only of inattention in classes, but of a dislike for the work of the school in general. We too often fail to inform ourselves of the educational value of the subjects we teach. It too often happens that the best reason we can give for teaching geography, grammar, arithmetic, etc., is that we were taught them. Now, when we do not know why we require our pupils to study this and that subject, is it any wonder that our pupils do not know why they are required to study them? Boys know very well that they could spend their time to advantage if they could use it as they liked. They could go fishing or hunting or skating, and have lots of fun. and get money, and have more fun. knows. Is it any wonder that he does not like to go to school, when he has never been made to feel the value of an education? Is it any wonder that he makes no effort They could work These things a boy |