PARAGRAPHS FOR THE TEACHER Vll 



life. This is wrong. The mieroscope is not an intro- 

 duction to nature. It is said that the physiology of 

 plants can be besi understood by beginning with the 

 lower forms. This may be true- but technical plant 

 physiology is not a subject for the beginner. Other 

 subjects are more important. 



The youth is by nature a generalist. He should 

 not be forced to be a specialist. 



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A great difficulty in the teaching of botany is to 

 determine what are the most profitable topics for con- 

 sideration. The trouble with much of the teaching is 

 that it attempts to go too far, and the subjects have 

 no vital connection with the pupil's lite. 



Good botanical teaching for the young is replete 



with human interest. It is connected with the common 

 associations. 



The teacher often hesitates to teach botany because 

 of lack of technical knowledge of the subject. This 

 is well; hut technical knowledge of the subjeel does 

 not make a good teacher. Experl specialists are so 

 likely to go into mere details and to pursue particu- 

 lar subjects so far, when teaching beginners, as to 

 miss tin- leading and emphatic points. The) are so 

 cognizanl of exceptions to everj rule that they qualify 

 their statements until the statements have no force. 

 There are other ideals than those of mere accuracy. In 



other words, it is more important thai the teacher be 



