230 THE PI.ANT WORI^D 



Our Teachers' Department. 



Edited by Professor Francis E. Lloyd, 



Teachers College, Columbia University, A^etv York City. 



The month of September sees the teacher back at his work. After a 

 season of refreshment and invigoration, the duty of taking the classes 

 through the elementary course in botany is again upon him. A vital ques- 

 tion for each to ask himself is, Shall it be the same course as I gave last 

 year ? The outline which it is required to follow is perhaps the same ; 

 the text-book, also. Even the materials which are provided may be 

 according to contract and as nearly the same as those provided last year 

 as business methods may make them. Does this mean that you are going 

 to do the same things, say the same things, and give the last year's course 

 over again ? 



I think we may believe that there are few American teachers who 

 would answer this question in the affirmative. It would be un-American 

 in essence. And yet we know well that we find ourselves in the danger 

 of falling into habits and ruts, when we would do otherwise. It is there- 

 fore well for us to take time to think about our own salvation. What 

 can we do to improve our teaching and our own intellectual life ? For- 

 tunately here are two birds which may be killed with one stone. 



Remember, in the first place, that the text-book is behind the times. 

 Every month brings its harvest of new knowledge about plants. It is 

 part of the teacher's privilege to share this. Look out for that part of it 

 which will fit into your course to its enrichment. Let your pupils know 

 about the new things. They will soon see that botany is a live subject 

 and that you are a live teacher. The Plant World will help you to 

 do this. Perhaps you can lead your pupils to form a biological club, for 

 the purpose of taking excursions and doing some voluntary reading. Let 

 the club subscribe for a few periodicals which will help to give them a 

 broader outlook ; it will cost but a few cents from each member. If it is 

 a large club, it may have sections devoted to different interests, as, for 

 example, a bird section or a tree section. 



Be the leading student in your classes. Learn ; work on the materials 

 yourself ; do experiments, especially if you have no apparatus ! Develop 

 your power to get results independently of conditions. Test every method 

 outlined in the text-book, and do not be satisfied until you feel sure that 

 you can not improve on it. You can not fail, in doing this, to develop 

 your critical ability. 



Pursue a field of study. Make it your hobby to work at some problem. 

 If you have your heart in it, you can do some good work. It may be 

 small in amount, and it may take some time. If you feel the need of 



