Class Teaching in Secondary Schools by P. S. Vedamuttu
Courtesy:
https://noolaham.org/wiki/index.php/Class_Teaching_in_Secondary_Schools
Page 1
Page 2
CLASS TEACHING IN SECONDARY
SCHOOLS
Page 3
By the Same Author
Honest to Mine Own Self.
CLASS TEACHING IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS
P. S. VEDAMUTTU
M. A. (Lond.); Dip. Ed.
Ex-PRESIDENT OF THE ALL-CEYLON
UNION OF TEACHERS
LAKE HOUSE INVESTMENTS LTD 41 W.
A. D. Ramanayake Mawatha Colombo. 2
Page 4
First Published 1976
All rights reserved
To Girlie,
my only guide and support,
from January 4, 1928 to October
10, 1973.
Page 5
Quote from the Aloysian Magazine
1960-1962
'It was natural to think of his future as a bright
one, and I believe that no one, least of all Paul himself, dreamt that he would
spend his life in the obscurity of a class-room.'
The Aloysian, 1960 - 1962, p.
205.
C O N T ENTS
Preface by Rev. P. N. Pieris,
S.J.
The Teaching Profession
The One Thing Absolutely
Necessary -Class Control
Aids to Class Control
The Goal of Teaching
English for the Living
A New Approach to Language
Teaching
Moral Training in the
Class-room.
Things to Remember
Responsibility and Reward
PREFACE
Page 6
(Text missing from the PDF )
through these pages to all the Secondary School
Teachers who are the real architects of our new nation just beginning to rear
its head in the modern World.
P. N. Peiris, S.J.
1. THE TEACHING PROFESSION
As teaching is biologically
necessary for the continuity of the race, man inherits the capacity to teach.
The parent birds must teach their young how to fly; the mother bear must teach
her cubs how to track their prey and protect themselves against their enemies;
the Savage hunter must teach his son the uses of the bow and arrow. It is
especially so true of the social birds, animals, and man that, if there is one
thing that a man can successfully do, it is to teach. But, where the
professional teacher differs is that he has formed “the habit of teaching' and
elevated that habit to an art. This important aspect of teaching Bernard Shaw
apparently ignored, when he wrote that
He who can does, he who cannot
teaches'.
Secondly, the teacher has to
perform his work in combination with that of the men of all other professions,
from the metaphysicians to the sweeps. The teacher spreads the butter which the
scientist, the explorer, the poet, and the historian make, even if he finds the
time to make a little butter himself. The daily class-room lessons of the
teacher cannot take place without the active co-operation of many who are not
teachers, scholars and their parents, tax payers and tax collectors; and that
co-operation will not be efficient unless those who are concerned are given a
voice in the common work.'
Consequently, the function of
teaching is not an isolated process and cannot be confined to the professional
teacher. The teacher must ever remember that for the sake of convenience and
national economy teaching is now at the present stage of our social evolution
relegated to him, but the whole community in a democratic state continues to be
"unqualified teachers', many of whom have learnt the methods of teaching
in their school days from various teachers and could to a certain extent
discriminate methods.
In modern Sri Lanka which has
had the benefits of free education from Primary to University Education for
over two decades, where the national newspapers allocate much space to
educational topics, and where, except politics, education is the one subject which
forms the common serious topic of conversation, it is necessary that a teacher,
besides his professional qualifications, must possess tact, insight, and
understanding in a large measure if he is to practise his profession
successfully.
In spite of the much publicized
nobility of the teaching profession there is no doubt that those who enter it
are those who have no particular vocation for anything else and who vaguely
feel that if everything fails they can at least be teachers, though here and
there, a few become
teachers with a very definite
enthusiasm for teaching. The question is, therefore, whether teaching is
"a life where the sense of vocation can be developed in the exercise of
the profession itself'. The answer is strongly in the affirmative.
“There is no profession which is
so apt, if exercised faithfully and sympathetically and tenderly, to broaden
the character and enlarge. the spirit. A man who goes to be a schoolmaster with
the expectation of having to discharge prescribed duties and afterwards to fill
his leisure time as cheerfully as he may, suddenly wakes up to find himself
bound like Gulliver with all kinds of Lilliputian chains. The little people,
who seem at first sight to be all so much alike in tastes and character, he
realizes are human beings with hearts and idiosyncrasies. He finds himself
guiding and leading. The paternal protective instinct which lies at the bottom
of so many male hearts wakes up; the man who begins as the careless,
self-regarding practitioner of a not very dignified trade, discovers that he is
in the thick of a very real and vivid life, which stirs all sorts of interests
and emotions and brings home to him some of the deep realities of life.'
The following pages are neither
a treatise on education nor a discussion of the principles and methods of
teaching. They are an attempt to “consider the life of a teacher from within'
by a teacher of considerable experience to help young teachers from errors and
worries that generally lead to a premature old age of physical and mental
ailments.
2. THE ONE THING ABSOLUTELY
NECESSARY CLASS CONTROL
The best way to begin teaching in the upper classes is for the teacher, immediately after the mutual exchange of greetings on the first day, to tell the pupils very clearly that he is there to teach them as well as he can, and that he expects them to learn as well as they can, and any one who is not prepared to work together with him would do well to keep away from his class.
When the pupils know what the
teacher wants, knows how to get it, and means to get it, they will soon settle
down to serious work, and there will be no difficulty about keeping order in
the class.
Until the teacher has acquired
complete mastery over the class, any pupil who disturbs the class at work
should be promptly but courteously corrected. Any action of a pupil that
distracts the teacher or any pupil from the work that is going on should be considered
as disturbance. But only deliberate offences should be taken serious notice of.
To excuse any deliberate attempt at disturbance on the plea that it is the
first offence can be fatal, for there will be as many first offences as there
are pupils in the class. Once a teacher gets a reputation for impartiality and
strictness, his difficulties are at an end. It will never occur to a pupil to
displease or defy the teacher. An attempt on the part of the pupil to get some
information from his immediate neighbours or to borrow a pen or a pencil or
some instrument should not be considered a disturbance and should be completely
ignored. When the class is engaged in written work and a pupil walks quietly up
to another pupil for some information connected with the work set, he should
not be considered an offender. A certain amount of co-operative help should be
encouraged. What is important is that work should go on smoothly. When the
pupils know what can be done, and what should not be done, they will soon buckle
down to purposive work.
Unless a teacher has actually to
do some written work, he should always stand in the class so that he can have
his eye on every pupil in the class and notice especially the facial
expressions of the boys so that no boy will ever hope to get away with any of
his pranks.
On no account should a teacher
shout at a pupil or show any loss of self-control or begin arguing with a pupil
or adopt a menacing attitude. A disciplinary difficulty is best dealt with
outside the class. The teacher shoud ask the boy quite politely to see him
alone at a convenient time in a suitable place in the school premises. The
suspense alone will be corrective enough, and pupils are generally very
reasonable when they are alone, but in a group they can be troublesome and
defiant.
In rare cases a pupil may be
asked to stand outside the class-room within the sight of the teacher, but
should never be allowed to roam about the school premises.
Every offence in the class-room
should be dealt with by the teacher himself, and should not be referred to
anybody else or discussed outside. Offences in the class-room should not be
confused with breaches of school discipline or rules. If a teacher feels that
in spite of all his efforts, a pupil continues to be incorrigibly recalcitrant,
then the pupil should be regretfully told that he would be reported and the
teacher should make his report in writing to the competent authority.
Unless a pupil is caught in the
act he should not be punished or spoken to about any offence on mere suspicion
or reports from any. If a pupil makes a complaint against another of the same
class, he should do so in the class; the alleged offender should be called upon
for his version, and the matter should be disposed of then and there. Not only
should the teacher be absolutely just in all his dealings with the pupils but
also should be seen to be just. No pupil resents a just rebuke. But nothing is
more conducive to indiscipline than listening to sneaks or talebearers, and
favouritism.
Mass punishment of the whole
class for an undetected offence of a single pupil is a serious reflection on
the ability of the teacher to manage a class, and should not be resorted to.
Such a form of punishment only leads to mass rebellion and mass defiance and is
an encouragement to gangsterism.
In every class there are two or
three pupils who are born leaders, and if a teacher is wise enough to win them
on to his side of elass control, the whole class becomes manageable. a Class
control or class discipline is no problem at all to a teacher who goes to class
well prepared, and begins punctually and carries on his work without being
bored or boring his pupils. If a lesson is boring to the teacher it will be
more boring to the pupils, and boredom breeds listlessness and disorder. A
pupil yawning or nodding over his desk is a severe vote of censure on the
teacher's ability to teach.
If a person has neither the
personality and power to maintain order nor the ability to acquire it, it is
best that he takes to some other calling before it is too late, for the pupils
will make the class-room a “hell for him and his life a burden and a misery.
3. AIDS TO CLASS CONTROL
Besides a pleasing personality, academic qualifications and professional training, the possession of certain mental, moral and physical qualities are valuable armaments in a pedagogic arsenal.
A teacher who is punctual, goes
well prepared to class, carries out punctiliously all that is expected of him,
obeys the school regulations and has harmonious relations with his colleagues
and his conduct is irreproachable, would become unconsciously worthy of
imitation.
A teacher who is invariably
late, asks the monitor of the class where he had stopped the previous day,
neglects his records and registers, exhausts all the possible short leave,
casual leave and medical leave and does not hand in the question papers in
time, should not expect the pupils to be punctual, ready with and for work and
be generally good students.
There is no substitute for
personal example. If a teacher wants disciplined pupils, he should first
discipline himself. If he is strict with the pupils, he must be stricter with
himself. This may sound rather too exacting, but nobody who knows anything
about teaching pupils between the ages of thirteen and nineteen would say that
teaching is a soft job. It is certainly much more exacting - and certainly more
useful - than stacking files and files of reports on Plans for the Future, on
the Mismanagement of State Corporations, on the escapades of corrupt public
officers and plotting graphs on a number of minor problems which leave humanity
where it was before, or signing memorandums and Administration Reports prepared
by others.
Next, if a teacher is an
“educated person, he will have easier access to the minds and hearts of his
pupils. What is an educated person? An educated person is "one whose mind
is alive to ideas; who is interested in politics, religion, science, history,
literature; Who knows enough to wish to know more, and to listen if he cannot
talk; a person who is not at the mercy of a new book, a leading article, or the
chatter of an irresponsible outsider; a person who is not insular, provincial,
narrow-minded, contemptuous”.
An interest in some
extra-curricular activities has an immediate appeal to the pupils. It certainly
helps greatly to observe pupils in their spontaneous activities and to spot any
talent, originality of taste or interest among his pupils, and so to be ready
to sympathize or help. For instance, a teacher who is in charge of the
Students' Literary Union will readily recognize the pupils whose interests can
be canalized into productive, fruitful and creative channels like literary
articles, stories, poems etc. for the school Magazine or the Junior Page of the
national newspapers to enjoy “the sweet pride of authorship.
Pupils unconsciously learn from
those whom they respect. Nothing earns the respect and admiration of pupils
more readily than prowess in some branch of extra-mural activity like Cricket
or Football or Athletics, Drama or Music or Dancing etc. It is not all teachers
who can show accomplishment in any of these activities, but possession is
certainly a very valuable asset.
The knowledge of the background
of a pupil is very valuable. Whenever it is possible, such knowledge should be
acquired indirectly in the course of walks in the town or village. A teacher
should know how and where his pupils live, and what their outside interests
are. On no account should pupils be embarrassed by questions that would satisfy
only a teacher's idle curiosty. In any case the relations between the teacher
and the pupil should be paternal, never sentimental. A teacher should always be
rigid in principle but tender in blame.
4. THE GOAL OF TEACHING
The guiding maxim of a teacher should be that he has not taught anything unless the pupils have learnt what he tried to teach. But, alas, many teachers rush through the syllabus attempting to cover it well before the end of the year. They then think that they have performed a great feat, done their duty by the pupils, the school and the State, and then go about grieving that no one has cared to pin gold medals on their narrow pedagogic chests for their brilliant performance.
There are also many young
teachers who do not care to find out what had been taught the previous year or
what their pupils already know of the subject. They enthusiastically begin with
the prescribed syllabus for the year which the majority of the children often
cannot follow, and the rest of the class have only a vague feeling that they
are being taught things that are likely to come up at the examination. Then we
have a class of teachers, specially in the Collegiate Sections, who call
themselves Lecturers. They lecture and dictate voluminous “notes' which are in
reality a verbatim dictation from a textbook (the name and the author of which
are zealously guarded from the pupils) of the same topic, adequately and
perhaps more clearly treated in the class textbook. The notes are dictated
deliberately so fast that the students have no time to raise their heads. The
nett results are: the syllabus has been well and truly covered, the teacher has
earned the reputation for perfect class control, the pupils have a pile of
Monitor Exercise books within whose covers is a mass of “notes' and their
handwriting thoroughly spoilt.
The prize for the easiest method
of teaching should, however, be awarded to those teachers who sit tight on
their chairs and name a pupil to stand and read a few pages, and then call upon
a second to continue from where the previous pupil has stopped, while they
twiddle their thumbs or write their private letters or read the newspaper for
the day till the bell mercifully puts an end to this fiasco. These are the
teachers who are the first-hence the prize- to inform their colleagues with
gusto that they have covered the syllabus for the year. The pupils, the more
intelligent ones, have learnt to skip and jump a few paragraphs or pages so
that their work will be completed the faster
It is quite understandable why
hundreds of candidates sitting the G. C. Examinations score no marks at al.
Methods of teaching a subject
vary, but all successful methods are a slow process and demand much patience
and diligent co-operation between the pupils and their teacher.
A teacher should always begin
the new year by devoting the first few weeks of the first term to remedial
teaching which consists in a rapid revision of the work of the previous years
and the elucidation of those knotty points which, in the teacher's opinion,
might have been overlooked or insufficiently understood, or be necessary before
he can proceed to the new syllabus.
At every stage the teacher should ensure that the
pupils understand clearly what is taught, can relate it to what they already
know, and can apply it in life situations. Knowledge is power only when it is
applied purposively; otherwise it remains mere academic lumber. A few remarks
on the art of questioning, the use of the class textbook, and note taking may
be useful. -
Questions should not be asked in
order from the first pupil to the last pupil in the class, from left to right
or from right to left. No boy in particular should anticipate to be questioned.
A question should be put to the whole class and a few seconds given to think
out the answer; the boy who perhaps least expects to be questioned. should then
be named for the answer. If the teacher follows a set pattern, many of the
pupils will become inattentive, knowing very well they have had their turn.
The same procedure applies when
the pupils do the exercises. in the textbook orally. A pupil should do two or
three, one after the other, before another pupil is asked to continue.
No pupil should be allowed to
think that he has done for the day. The teacher should unexpectedly revert to a
pupil, though he might have done an exercise before. This is the best way to
ensure that every pupil is always on the alert.
Pupils should be trained to make
their own notes which should not be a paraphrase, a precis, or a copy of the
original. Notes should always be in “point form' like the outline of an essay,
or “the points' before the first draft of a precis. The whole aim of note
making is to fix the essential points in memory of what is read or taught and
certainly should not be a tabloid form for cramming.
The art of note taking is an
essential training for those preparing. for higher studies, which is
regretfully ignored even in some of our best schools. *
To make sure that the pupils
have grasped what is being taught, the teacher should constantly watch the
facial expression of the pupils; the teacher would then know whether he has
carried the whole class with him. If he feels that some have not understood
him, he should repeat his exposition slowly by referring to concrete examples
from life situations within the experience of the pupils till he is quite sure
that every one has understood the point at issue. ܫ
A pupil who does not understand
the teacher or follow the lesson or hear what is being said should be
encouraged to put his hand up to enable the teacher to repeat or explain
further with more familiar or homely examples. It is always useful to drive a point
home by examples or instances taken from various aspects of life. The pupils
should feel that they are learning something actually connected with the
work-a-day-world and not some useless facts to be stored in the brains of some
fogeys who have special aptitudes for such things.
The practical importance of
learning may not be always obvious, and the work in class may not be always
interesting. But it is easy enough to convince the students that it is
advisable for "every one to cultivate the habit of doing well whatever is
expected of them and that nine tenths of the noble work done in the world is
drudgery though drudgery itself is by no means noble work.. Of course, a wise
teacher will avoid drudgery as much as possible. For instance, taking piles of
excercise books home to correct scrupulously every mistake is wasteful
drudgery. In fact, there should not be any need to take home any exercise book.
As much as possible, all corrections should be done in class. If some long
answers like composition, cannot be corrected in class with the pupil beside
him, they should be corrected in the Teachers' Room whenever it is convenient.
A teacher should not write out
the corrections. He should underline the errors by symbols, the significance of
which pupils should be made familiar with at the beginning of the academic
year. The Written comment should be brief and refer to the matter of the topic
or a few words of praise or encouragement like good, better effort, refer to p.
59 in your history textbook for more material etc. If pupils are correctly
trained to think, properly guided before they begin to write, and are set only
subjects within their interests and range of experience, adverse comments will
be absolutely unnecessary. "To praise diligence, to find words of
appreciation for a thoughtful piece of work is far more likely to produce
further diligence than to be critical and cold.' -
Written work should be regular.
A clear, legible, cursory hand-. writing and handing in exercises at the
appointed time should be insisted upon. •
Whenever a pupil fails to hand
in the work, “work not done' should be inserted in the excercise book and dated
by the teacher. This will have a salutary effect on the boy and be
self-revealing when the need arises,
Laborious and elaborate
correction of pupils' exercises is only a Pharisaic display of self-inflicted
martyrdom.
Common mistakes should be
pointed out immediately after the review of every written exercise, but
individual mistakes should be corrected when the pupil stands beside the
teacher.
Correction in any form should
aim at self-improvement and never savour of punishment or discourage a pupil or
suppress originality. On no account should a pupil's work be compared with
anothers, for such comparisons, it is now known, cause emotional conflict and
psychosomatic diseases.
Every teacher would do well to
ponder carefully over the implica-. tion of the following passage in Emotional
Conflict by Peter Fletcher: "When we know, as we can know by experience
and observations. if we use our minds attentively, that fear between man and
man is created by everything said and done to assert a contrast of value
between one person and another, by every attempt to exercise power over another
for our own satisfaction, or to make another responsible for our actions in
order to avoid learning by our own mistakes and failures, then nothing more
than plain commonsense should be:needed to persuade us not to behave towards
others in a manner which generates the fear we want to be free from and
destroys the human communication we want to establish. After all, we are human
beings.'
It should not be insuperably
difficult to learn how to behave like human beings, even if we have rather got
out of the habit of doing so. Terminal Tests are an intergral part of class
teaching. They enable a teacher to assess how much of what he had taught has
been assimilated by his pupils, and enable the pupils to assess their own
achievements. Test questions should not be a mere repetition of exercises
actually -done in class or copied from the class textbook. A teacher should
always fully work out the answers to problems etc.; otherwise he may be setting
snares for himself
The answer scripts should be
marked by the teacher himself, and the mistakes of the pupils should be
carefully underlined. At the earliest opportunity the marked scripts should be
handed to the pupils who should carefully note the mistakes they had made. A
free exchange of marked scripts among the pupils in the class has a very
salutary effect.
A careful review of the answers
is an excellent preparation for the new work to follow. -
If the classwork had been
systematically done and the tests are properly set and marked, there will be a
remarkable correspondence between the marks scored at the terminal tests and
the averages of those scored in the class exercises, and the pupils will gain
valuable -confidence in themselves and will face the public examination with
confidence and take it in their stride.
There can be no case of
"the massacre of the innocents' at public sexaminations. Incompetence of
marking examiners is not the valid reason for “the annual massacre'. The most
deplorable offence a teacher can ever commit is misleading a student under his
or her -direct charge.
5. ENGLISH FOR THE LIVING
In the General Certificate
Examination Classes the best way to teach English is to base a series of
lessons on a topic of current interest. arising from the real needs of
community life and capable of evoking the immediate and spontaneous interest of
the pupils for instance, cricket in the first term of the school year in an
urban school. The greatest advantage of taking a topic like cricket is the
pupils' familiarity with a ready made vocabulary. Whatever the standard of
attainment of the pupil may be, he has already a practical command. of a good
number of words he has quite casually picked up. Even if he has not learnt
English, he is still familiar with many words in the English language whose
general meaning he already understands. and is able to use for all relevant
purposes.
Who is the city boy of fourteen
or fifteen years of age today who. has not heard of bat, ball, batsman, bowler,
wicket keeper, captain, pads, gloves, umpires, pitch, boundary, score, sixer,
run, hit, out, team, side, coach, draw, Stump, spin, fast, slow, crease, catch,
l.b.w., throw, match etc.? The next great advantage is that the pupils would be
really interested in the subject and willing, and perhaps only too. willing, to
participate actively in the conversation and express their opinions, provided the
teacher listens to their views in a sympathetic. spirit. It would certainly not
be a lack of the power of conversation. but over enthusiasm that would have to
be politely but firmly regulated and controlled by a tactful disciplinarian.
Further, a topic like cricket
may be discussed at various levels; class matches, house matches, school
matches, 'big' matches, test. matches, cricket stories, biographies etc.
Fourthly, the topic lends itself
to consideration from various. aspects as a game, as exercise, as extra
curricular activity, as part. of moral training, international fellowship etc.
The topic of cricket may also be
continued and sustained. throughout the term without any slackness in interest.
In fact, many urban schools still consider the first term essentially a
cricket. term, and as the season advances the pupils interest quickens, and
even the shiest and usually tongue-tied pupils may have something. to
contribute to the discussion.
Another great advantage is that
many types of written exercises. may be set. As the pupils command a vocabulary
and have enough material from personal experience to draw from, they find it
comparatively easy to express themselves in writing with confidence and
freedom.
Once the pupils' interest in
cricket has been aroused and main-- tained they would spontaneously begin to
discuss among themselves.and to read the daily newspapers at least for the
latest cricket news with keen interest and some of them may even buy books on
cricket by famous cricketers of the day and read them with eagerness.
By the end of the term, the
teacher would find that he has unavoidably co-ordinated all the aspects of the
language-Speech, Reading and Writing - all integrated harmoniously by the
spontaneous interest of both the pupils and the teacher.
The details may be easily worked
out. After two or three oral lessons the pupils would have, by listening to the
teacher's talk and to the comments of one another, enough material to select
from and write on, with a sufficient and reliable vocabulary to express that
material in. Let the class now write an account of the cricket match each
enjoyed most. -
A careful scrutiny of the
exercises would show the general weakness of the class and the mistakes in
expression or vocabulary peculiar to each. For instance, the general defects
may be the wrong use of certain forms of verbs such as participles instead of
finite verbs or wrong sequence of tense, and mistakes in spelling.
How should these errors be
corrected? Certainly not by making each pupil to write the correct form three
or more times below each exercise Correction of written exercises should by no
means carry even a faint Suggestion of punishment.
In the next oral lesson the
teacher should deliberately introduce the same participles correctly in full
sentences and write two or three such sentences on the black-board, and proceed
to get the pupils to make a few more sentences of their own, and also write on
the board the correct form of words mis-spelt by the pupils without in any way
letting the class know the names of boys who made these mistakes.
Before the next written exercise
is set, the class should read the marked excercises and proceed to correct the
mistakes by Writing the right form in the left margin along the line in which
the mistake occurs. In addition, each pupil should be encouraged to make a list
of the words he had wrongly spelt, in the last page of his exercise book or in
a special note book.
Before the teacher marks the
next set of exercises he should carefully check the corrections. The work is
slow and taxing but, as the pupils' progress in the language will be rapid, it
will be rewarding, and this method will certainly save much recrimination,
annoyance, and unhappiness. .
From exercises in composition to
exercises in letter-writing is an easy transition. Letters should deal with
situations that naturally arise in the cricket seasons such as accounts of
matches, invitation, challenge, protest, explanation, or giving news of the
season to a friend, ill either at home or in hospital, or to a friend abroad.
Exercises in Comprehension may be taken from passages in articles. or books on
cricket.
Cricket was taken, as I said
before, only as an illustrative example. Any current topic of public interest.
would well serve our purpose perhaps with suitable adaptation.
6. A NEW APPROACH TO LANGUAGE
TEACHING
Soon his students became avid
readers and critics of the newspapers, and a good number of them ignored the
approved textbooks to the delight of the teacher
To use the newspaper as a
textbook for teaching a living language, it is absolutely necessary that the
Language Teacher should buy at least one national newspaper and read it before
he enters the classroom. On no account should he carry any newspaper into the
classroom or ever express his political or religious views on any controversial
question of the day.
One of the chief reasons why the
standard of English (and Arithmetic) at any rate is deplorably so low is that a
good number of teachers set written work in these subjects and then, ensconce
themselves in their chairs, and proceed to read the newspaper that they had
bought on their way to school.
Indeed some teachers would
complain that they could not afford to buy a paper. But no teacher who smokes
at least three cigarettes or cigars or drinks more than two cups of tea a day
should ever bemoan the lack of money to buy a newspaper
The teacher in his preliminary
talk should ask the students to read, before they come to school, at least one
of the national newspapers of the day, anything in which they are interested:
Cricket, Athletics, Science, Films, Music etc. and the latest news of the day
on the first or last page. The important thing is that every student should
read something of anything in which he is interested. If he is not interested
in anything at this age. then he is a clear case for a psychiatrist
The teacher should devote a few
minutes every day before he begins the formal lesson, to asking some questions
on the news or articles of the previous day, and then recommend one or two
readable and educative articles in the issue of the day to be read before they
retire to bed. Undoubtedly a teacher cannot do this unless he has at least
intelligently glanced through the issue of the day before he enters the class.
To give positive evidence of
their reading, students should be asked to bring to class on a specified day,
preferably on the day following the Sunday, a summary of any article which
interested them.
If the language lesson on every
Monday is devoted to the discussion of articles in the week-end papers, which
the teacher as well as the students would have read, it will be very profitable
and rewarding. The teacher can quickly and timely check the students' reading,
comment on articles of interest, and draw their attention to matters of
national and international importance. Or it may be that the students
themselves may draw the attention of the teacher to articles. that he might
have overlooked.
Occasionally, students should be
asked to bring to class a list of factual errors, grammatical and spelling
mistakes detected in any paper they have read. They should always give the
proper reference, the name of the newspaper, date, number of the page, and the
heading of the article. Nothing gives a student a greater joy than finding
mistakes in printed material or in the language of the teacher!
Comprehension exercises can be
set on any of the passages. brought by students to class, or the class may
discuss freely any matter of interest reported in the papers. The teacher
should on no account dismiss Summarily any personal views but listen patiently,
tolerantly, and good-humouredly to any views openly expressed by the students,
however absurd they may sound. He should only correct errors of fact or
expression.
Often a student in the same
class may point out the errors of his fellow-students. The teacher should play
the part of the impartial and disinterested judge. The teacher himself may
often be astounded at the views expressed, and should be humble enough to learn
much from students of this age
A few lessons may be devoted to
the consideration of “Letters to the Editor'. Students could critically study
the form and content of the various letters which should provide living
examples of letter writing on topics of current interest in the work-a-day
world.
When that aspect of the syllabus
is handled, students may be asked to write in class composition exercises on
subjects of topical interest. as reported in the newspapers. The students may
reproduce what they have read or express their own views on subjects they have
read about.
Here the Junior Reader's Page is
very useful. Students should be encouraged to read it regularly, cut out at
least one article suitable for their level, and paste it into their Notebooks
maintained for the purpose and checked occasionally by the teacher. Students
themselves may be inspired to contribute articles of their own to the
newspapers Later, exercises in Precis Writing, Essay Writing, aspects of style
and vocabulary and idiom may be all adequately found in the columns. of the
newspapers of the day. In fact, if the newspaper is intelligently used, the
whole syllabus in language for the N.C.G.E. and H.N.C.E. levels can be
completely and adequately covered by the exclusive use of articles in the
newspapers.
In the hands of an honest and
enterprising teacher the students would acquire the habit of reading, correctly
assessing what they read and value the important part modern newspapers play in
national life and know why and how the “Freedom of the Press' they should
cherish and preserve.
These days when the general
lament is that students do not read, possess only a meagre general knowledge,
and have no ideas to express, a language teacher has a very handy and easily
accessible tool to get them to read and enjoy what they read, to form their
taste and opinion and to educate them in the use of a language as a means of
effective communication.
If the language is taught in the
Way outlined here teachers will be not only helping the pupils to learn a very useful
living language Sinhala, Tamil or English - but also directing, correcting,
guiding the pupils' attitude to matters of the day and so educating them to
become intelligent citizens in a democratic welfare state.
In short, the teacher of any
Language for the Living will be the best educator and the trusted friend of the
senior pupils of the School, and through them will wield a tremendous influence
in moulding the. tone of the school.
7. MORAL TRAINING IN THE CLASS-ROOM
But faults of the will in the
classroom too have to be corrected and sometimes checked. These are generally
laziness, disobedience, dishonesty, and personal affront.
A teacher should, as early as
possible at the beginning of the first term, learn to appreciate the various
nuances that differentiate the work of the pupil who does his best, from that
of the pupil who does just enough to pass muster, or from that of the indolent.
Unless there is a serious motive
like winning an award or a strong sense of duty, most of us generally try to
get things done with the least possible effort. But once the teacher has
assessed aright the capabilities of each student, he should demand the best
from each according to his ability. Whenever a boy brings up work below his
level, he should be told that he is not doing justice to himself; he would
consider it a compliment and respond to the teacher's demand. At the same time,
the teacher should not push any student beyond his capability, for that will
only nudge him into rebellion.
With regard to dishonest work
like copying in the class-room, or trying to help another or get help from
another, when they have been strictly instructed not to do so, it should be
immediately checked, and the pupil or pupils concerned must be politely told
that they are only deceiving themselves and defeating the very purpose for
which they are sent to school and are not giving a reasonable opportunity to
the teacher who is there to help them.
In cases of personal affront
etc. the teacher may find himself in an embarrassing situation. Very often
pupils do not really mean what their tone or words imply. In such clear cases,
the teacher would do well to make a joke of it or ignore it altogether.
"A turn for ready repartee
is a very useful thing, because a boy above all things dislikes being made to
feel a fool before others. A certain quiet irony, as long as it is not cruel,
is a very effective weapon, but not to be used except by indubitably
good-natured men. Another very useful quality is the power of losing one's
temper with dignity; almost all people, whether boys or men, dislike being
confronted with anger; but it must be kept in the background....
“But a deliberate insult had
better not be dealt with on the spot, if a boy is told to wait afterwards, he
has to pass a disagreeable period, wondering what is going to happen; and the
excitement has a way of oozing out of the heels of the boots on such occasions.
Moreover, boys are generally reasonable enough alone; there is a kind of
excitement, which might be called comitalis, which sustains a boy in the
presence of his fellows.
If the offender is not amenable
to such treatment, then the incident should be faithfully reported to the
proper authority at the earliest possible opportunity, and considered closed as
far as the teacher is concerned.
If the insult has been
deliberate and his fellow students regard it as such they themselves will advise
the offender what to do. When he knows that "public opinion' is against
him and that the sympathy of his colleagues is with the teacher, that feeling
alone will have a deterrent and reformative effect on the offender. * 。
It is well, however, for a
teacher to remember that to admit one's mistakes takes a sense of humour, and
this wisdom very frequently does not come until late in life, and to some never
at all.
One cannot over emphasize the
fact that consistency is important in all dealings with the pupils. Reasonably
firm rules with regard to work and behaviour make life pleasant and smooth for
everyone. Wholesome consistency which allows for relaxation of the rules on
special and exceptional occasions gives a pupil the security he needs badly in
an insecure world.
As the boys get older it is
important to remember that there should he an increase of respectfulness
imported into the manner of a teacher and that they should be addressed as
equals, when they are about to enter the portals of the seats of higher learning
or to take their place in that society which has educated them at its cost.
1. The classroom is only a part
of the school. At times he may find it extremely difficult to do his work on
account of noise or disturbance in the adjoining classes. He should never try
to reform his colleagues: he should learn to adapt himself or perish! He should
never raise his voice or shout at the pupils. He should lower his voice, and
his pupils will be forced to attend to him.
2. The classroom is not the
ideal set-up for teaching. It is only a compromise among various conflicting
theories. A teacher must accept this compromise at our present stage of social
evolution. 3. Class teaching and class control should never reflect his
personal health problems or unhappy domestic relationships.
4. All education principles and
methods of teaching are only general truths. Learning is an individual process.
His real interest should be in the individual and not in the group.
5. He should not be daunted by
the welter of theories of educational experts who have spent a few months
abroad and come back to sit at their desks with their eyes ever on the next one
above to plan, co-ordinate, develop, and administer.
6. He should remember that he
has gone through, in order, a religious domination, political administration,
and is now going through a period of reforms based on the social needs of the
country. But unless he knows the social needs and the individual capability and
needs of each child and of the geographical region from which he hails and
where he will earn his living, the projected reforms will continue to be only a
dream. This is why this little booklet lays much emphasis on the right student
teacher relationship without in any way disparaging Principles and Methods of
Teaching. Very unfortunately the role of the teacher is not sufficiently
appreciated even at this stage of Sri Lanka's political and social evolution.
The threat of "promotion only to dedicated teachers' is a premonitory sign
that the administrators have failed to secure the co-operation of the teachers.
When boys and girls leave school
after their Secondary Education, it is important they go into the world with a
firm determination to live successfully as useful members of the community in
which they find themselves. They should know their own place in Nature and
their social responsibility and the social relevance of what they do and how
they live. They should leave school thinking internationally and globally and
firmly convinced that hard work, honest work, and intelligent work in
co-operation with their fellowmen alone can help them to solve their own
personal problems, their own country's problems, and the global problems of
food, population, and inflation.
Unless we live in accordance
with Nature and maintain the balance of Nature and its resources, live
harmoniously with our fellowmen, we alone are responsible for the disaster on
this planet and for man's inhumanity to man or Woman, or bird or beast,
wherever it may be found. Whose duty is it to inculcate in their minds and
hearts this attitude of the school leavers?
Modern means of mass
communication and wider education have opened the eyes of modern youth. Now
they see: they realize only too well that they have been misguided far too long
and nurtured on ignorance and her stepdaughter superstition. They may not know
how to solve their besetting problems, but they can no longer be bludgeoned
into obedience or threatened into conformity.
Neither by violence nor by
force, but by long and arduous struggle of trial and error, by the use of all
intellectual and moral resources on the basis of accumulated experience in
mutual aid and co-operation and by hard work alone can man save himself.
We should cease to consider the
so called intrinsic and formal value of a subject. We should not approach our
work from the subject end at all. If out of our knowledge we mean to help our
children to live richer, nobler and fuller lives, and become useful and good
citizens, we should not then think of the internal logic or the mind value of
the subject we teach but think more about the pupils themselves and the social
relevance of whatever we teach. We shall then be certainly teaching our subject
better and helping our pupils more effectively and purposefully. Are we
democratic enough for this task in Independent Sri Lanka? None but democratic
citizens can train would-be democratic citizens.
Instruction can have no moral
weight unless children see that teachers are sincere, that they practise and
that their own lives are influenced by, the principles which they seek to
instill into their pupils. The teacher whose life is worthy of example for his
pupils to follow does more to form their character to virtue than he can do by
all his instructions and all his laws'. On no account, however, should a teacher
deliberately set himself up as a model teacher.
The teacher should, therefore:
1. Rigidly adhere to strict
honesty in all the many small and perhaps apparently trivial matters connected
with the schoolwork.
2. Be always tidy, neat, and
clean in his own person and habits.
3. Be always punctual; lessons should be ended as well as begun at the proper time.
4. Be patient with the dull;
tender, considerate and encouraging towards the weakly or afflicted, the shy
and the timid; courteous and attentive to all.
5. Be friendly, but not patronising, towards parents, and forbearing and conciliatory when messages are received from them.
6. Avoid the slightest
appearance of partiality, favouritism, unfairness or inconsistency; in other
words, be perfectly just, not allowing himself to be influenced by any other
reason than the welfare of the children, nor be swayed by passion, caprice, desire
of popularity, indolence, or love of ease.
7. In punishment, consider what
is best rather than what is deserved: rather encourage, persuade, remonstrate
or warn than resort to scolding, threats, or punishment.
8. Be perfectly reasonable in his requirements and demands, and not harsh or demonstrative in wielding his authority.
9. Be conscious of his
weaknesses and deficiencies.
10. Be the best embodiment of the culture and the refined and gentle manners of his age-an educated and enlightened man.
If the responsibility is great,
the reward is great. When a teacher retires, he has the joy of feeling that he
has contributed effectively to human welfare. Though he may not have had
monetary rewards or any recognition of his work, a teacher will live in the
grateful memories and hearts of his old pupils.
End.
Page 17
Printed by Wesley Press, 490,
Havelock Road, Colombo 6, for and on behalf of Lake House Printers and
Publishers Ltd, 41, W. A. D. Ramanayake Mawatha, Colombo 2.
Page 18
Back Cover
Vedamuttu in reminiscent mood
pictures a phase of our school life ……..What he recalls is experience
worthwhile to young teachers even of today.
W. M. A. Warnasuriya
LAKE HOUSE INVES BOOK PUBLISHERS
41 W. A. D. Ramanayaka Mawatha
Colombo 2.
Comments
Post a Comment