32 HOW NATURE STUDY SHOULD BE TAUGHT 

 The Point of View. 



The prime necessity for good nature-study 

 " teaching" is the point of view, what the thing 

 is from your own appreciation of it, and then the 

 purpose in transferring that appreciation to each 

 child. I say, "your own appreciation,'* because 

 we get, in this world, what we prepare for, and 

 what we give. If you want to develop the in- 

 dividuality and love of the child, first develop 

 and make sure of your own individuality and 

 love, and then give generously to the child. 

 Establish a comradeship with every pupil. 



I fancy that some one may object to the reply 

 which the principal made to the German washer- 

 woman, when he tried to explain the purposes of 

 nature study, and that some one may claim that 

 he expected too much, because the woman's son 

 may not have the ability to be a Wordsworth 

 boy. And if you do say that, it is right there 

 that you make a mistake. He loves something 

 exactly as Wordsworth loved. It probably is 

 not " ye cliffs and islands of Winander." But it 

 is something else with an equal love. Your duty 

 is to find out that love. If it is worthy, then de- 

 velop it. If it is not worthy, then guide it to 



