PRINCIPLES DETERMINING METHOD. 191 



our ideas to others, leads us to relate our knowledge, 

 and put it in order much as an expected visitor leads the 

 housekeeper to u put her house to rights." Teachers 

 recognize this fact when they say, " We do not know 

 what we know until we try to teach it." 



Second. To convey ideas to others, and thus aid us 

 in influencing others, or in adapting other minds to our 

 mind. Assuming that we have ideas worth expressing, 

 gained by and through the means already considered, 

 we will be most successful in bringing others to our 

 way of thinking, adapting this part of our environment 

 to ourselves, in proportion as we can most effectively 

 express our ideas. 



Third. To give us a medium through which we can 

 receive ideas from others, and thereby relate or adapt 

 our mind to other minds. In general, the better we 

 can express our own ideas, the better will we under- 

 stand the ideas expressed by others. 



The relation of nature study to the expressive work 

 of the elementary school is considered in Chapter XI. 



