CHAPTER X 

 TEACHING 



This report on teaching is based on actual classroom observations 

 and study of courses. While it would have been desirable to see 

 more classes, the results here given are in no way less valuable because 

 the number of visits was limited. 



1 8 classes were visited 



Reports will tell only what occurred in those classes 



Names of classes will be given 



No class report is to be considered as a judgment on the teaching 

 ability of the instructor concerned. Good points or bad points ob- 

 served are to be taken as examples of methods or practices which are 

 used. Whether they occur seldom or often does not alter the impor- 

 tant fact which is that they do occur. The defects pointed out should 

 be discovered and eliminated wherever they exist. The good points 

 should be encouraged and made general. 



Civics 



Seven boys constituted the class, and these boys sat at the back of 

 the room. Effort was made to apply the work to the actual lives and 

 experiences of the boys by specific questions as "Do you and I pay 

 direct taxes?" "Is the tax on an automobile direct or indirect?" 

 The instructor invariably called on the student before asking the ques- 

 tion which immediately lessened the attention on the part of the pupils 

 not called on. In one case only two of the boys seemed to be listen- 

 ing and one of these when called on was not sure what he was to re- 

 cite about. The instructor kept his book open before him and fol- 

 lowed the text. This killed free and voluntary discussion. He re- 

 ferred to the text for questions and when a boy did not answer a ques- 

 tion he read to him from the book. An interesting and definite as- 

 signment was given as part of the next lesson: "Find out how much 

 income tax you will have to pay when you have a $20,000 job. If 

 married? If a single man?" 



