COLOR PHOTOGRAPHS AND CONVERSATION LESSONS. 
of you have seen a bird like this? 
How would you like to own him, and 
have him at your house? Don't you 
think, dear children, God is very good 
to us to let us have such beautiful 
birds in the world ? 
Any one of these questions by itself is 
not harmful, but an exercise made up 
of such material merely gives the class 
a chance to say, "Yes, ma'am," and 
raise their hands. All talk by the 
teacher and no activity by the class. 
With a bright smile and a winning 
voice, the teacher may conduct what 
appears to be a pleasant exercise with 
such material, but there is little real 
value in it under the best circum- 
stances and it should be avoided sys- 
tematically. It is unskilful, and a 
waste of time and opportunity. 
Attempts to lower one's conversa- 
tion to the level of little children are 
often equally unsatisfactory. Too 
much use of " Mamma bird," " baby 
birdies," "clothes," "sweet," "lovely," 
"tootsy-wootsy," and "Oh, my!" is 
disappointing. 
Ordinary conversation opened with 
a class in much the same style and 
language as used by one adult in talk- 
ing with another is found to be the 
most profitable. Introductory remarks 
are generally bad, though some other- 
wise excellent teachers do run on 
interminably with them. To begin 
directly with a common-sense state- 
ment of real interest is best. 
Here are a few profitable opening 
statements for different exercises: One 
day I found a dead mouse hanging 
upon a thorn in a field. Mr. Smith 
told me he heard a Flicker say, "Wake 
up! Wake up! Wake up!" Willie 
says his bird is fond of fruit, and I 
notice that most birds that eat fruit 
have beautiful, bright feathers. This 
bird likes the cows, and I once saw 
him light on a cow's horn. 
Such statements open the minds of 
young people where many times direct 
questions close them. Questions and 
regular contributions to the conversa- 
tion flow readily from members of the 
class when the right opening has been 
made. Do not let the class feel that 
your purpose is to get language from 
them. Mere talk does not educate. 
Animated expression alone is valuable. 
Have plenty of material to use if the 
class seem slow to respond, and have 
patience when they have more to offer 
than the time will admit. Bear in 
mind that a conversation lesson on 
some nature subject is not a nature 
lesson, but is given to induce correct 
thinking, which shall come out in 
good language. It may incidentally 
be such a nature lesson as to satisfy 
the requirements of your course of 
study in that line, but if you give it 
as a conversation lesson, let conversa- 
tion be the exercise. 
Where a few in the class tend to 
monopolize the time you may fre- 
quently bring a diffident one into the 
exercise by casually looking at him as 
if you felt his right to be heard. It is 
better not to ask him to talk, but to 
make it easy for him to come into the 
conversation by referring to something 
he has previously done or said, or by 
going near him while others talk. A 
hand on his shoulder while you are 
conversing with others, will sometimes 
open him to expression. Sometimes 
you need to refer to what Willie's 
father said, or what you saw at his 
house, or to something that Willie 
owns and is pleased with. Many 
expedients should be tried and some 
time consumed in endeavoring to get 
such a pupil into the conversation 
instead of saying point blank, " Now, 
Willie, what do you think?" 
The matter of spoken language is 
words largely. The thinking of chil- 
dren is always done in words, as far as 
school matters go. The thoughts of 
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