286 THE PLANT WORLD. 



A meeting of the New York Association of Biology Teachers 

 was held at the High School of Commerce, on Friday evening, 

 December 14, 1906. 



The subject of the evening's discussion was, " How Can 

 Teachers of Biology in Secondary Schools Maintain a 

 Spirit of Investigation While Engaged in Teaching?" 



The speakers of the evening were Dr. C. Stuart Gager, Director 

 of the Laboratories of the New York Botanical Garden, and Dr. 

 M. A. Bigelow, Head of the Department of Biology at Teachers 

 College. 



Dr. Gager distinguished between research and a spirit of 

 research. Every high school teacher should have a spirit of 

 curiosity directed toward high ideals, but he will not necessarily 

 be a better teacher because he has added some fact to the sum 

 of human knowledge. The world needs teachers more than it 

 needs new facts. There is a vast field of research for the 

 teacher, practically as yet untouched, in the pedagogical problems 

 connected with his subject. " While the pupil studies the subject 

 the teacher should study the pupil." Research and publication 

 are not s}non}'mous, and much good research work is never 

 heard from. Research should never be a thing apart from a 

 teacher's work, but should grow out of his work. A man may 

 gain much from the study of problems already known, provided 

 he gets his information at first hand, and such study ma}- prove 

 a great source of inspiration and rest from drudgery. 



Dr. Bigelow started with the asumption that a teacher has the 

 spirit of research when he enters upon his work of teaching and 

 considered the question, " how can a busy teacher keep up his 

 interest in problems zvhich shall add nezv facts to the sum of 

 knozvledgc — facts zvhich shall be zvorthy of publication." Prac- 

 tically, a man must decide to what he will devote his energies — ■ 

 to teaching or to research w^ork — for if he gives his energy to 

 teaching he will not have time or strength for successful research 

 work. We are coming to realize that research in the line of 

 biological education is as valuable as the solving of strictly 

 biological problems. The teacher should keep in touch with 

 periodicals and books relating to his subject, and wath the various 



