56 METHODS IN TEACHING 



recting papers belongs to the analytical, the technical, the 

 accurate, the formal. Correcting papers is a serious and 

 difficult task in all grades, even in the first, for upon the 

 success of the criticism and the correction depends the growth 

 of the child. It is wasted energy for the teacher to spend 

 solitary hours in correcting papers or in indicating their 

 errors. Such efforts rarely result in more than correct 

 papers, while it is the child who is to be corrected, and who 

 must learn to correct himself. The only true help is in guid- 

 ing others to help themselves; and to wear out the teacher 

 over piles of exercises is a false conception of values. The 

 teacher's freshness, enthusiasm, and vigor should be for some 

 immediate work with the children ; they belong in the school- 

 room, not in solitary work at a desk over papers. At the 

 same time, the pupils must have the advantage of careful 

 corrections or their writing will be in vain. This can be 

 gained in various ways. Oral class drills make plain the 

 common errors and the correct forms that should replace 

 them ; class correction of a few papers out of nearly every 

 set handed in shows the care taken by some pupils and the 

 thoughtlessness of others, it is also further drill in correcting 

 old errors and in pointing out new ones to be avoided ; hold- 

 ing the pupils responsible, within reasonable limits, for over- 

 seeing their own papers opens the way for them into self- 

 help, while, incidentally, it relieves the teacher of much 

 drudgery ; an occasional exhaustive criticism of a whole set 

 of papers gives exact valuation of the work of every pupil. 

 Constructive criticism leads out into new fields of exer- 

 tion; consequently, children should be 

 Criticism 



helped, stimulated, encouraged, into new 



efforts. Adversative, severe criticism belongs only with 



