42 NATURE STUDY AND AGRICULTURE 



upon but it needs to be included again in any category of 

 dangers. As a rule the inexperienced teacher feels more 

 or less at a loss and grasps at every straw of help; books, 

 magazines, lectures, or summer courses; and running 

 through it all appears to be the hope of securing a precise 

 outline of the work to be done. 



All outlines and all uses of outlines are not to be in- 

 cluded in one sweeping condemnation, but they introduce 

 a danger that may be fatal. It is rare to find a proper 

 outline or an outline used properly. 



Yet a plan is deemed necessary for the most effective 

 work. But an effective outline must be very flexible. It 

 should be a series of suggested possibilities rather than 

 of rigid prescriptions. It must adjust itself to seasonal 

 fluctuations, to daily changes of weather, to the chance find 

 in the field or material brought in, and always it must 

 be specially written for the local conditions. And so it 

 becomes amorphous to the degree that it nearly ceases to 

 be an outline at all. It has few definite lines of structure 

 and many alternative lessons. It nominates more topics 

 than can be covered, for many may not be available in 

 certain seasons. It provides on the same days lessons for 

 rain and lessons for shine, and just so surely as the teacher 

 approaches the ideal the need for any such outline van- 

 ishes save only to prevent the trespass of one grade upon 

 the general premises of another. But withal it must be ad- 

 mitted that with things as they are with teachers' prep- 

 aration good outlines sanely used are altogether useful in 

 practical nature study. 



An outline constructed by the teacher is a good thing. 

 It may not be a good outline, but it is the organized ex- 



