How to Teach Religion | Page 8

training classes are at present available, the
earnest teacher can gain much help from following an organized course
of reading in such lines as those just given. Excellent texts are available
in most of these fields.
The reward.--One deep and abiding satisfaction may come to the
teacher who feels the burden of reaching the standards set forth in this
lesson. It is all worth while. Some make the mistake of charging against
their task all the time, effort and devotion that go into preparing
themselves as teachers of religion. But this is a false philosophy. For a
great work greatly performed leaves the stamp of its greatness on the
worker. All that we do toward making out of ourselves better teachers
of childhood adds to our own spiritual equipment. All the study, prayer,
and consecration we give to our work for the children returns a
hundredfold to us in a richer experience and a larger capacity for
service.
1. Recall several teachers whom you remember best from your own
pupil days, and see whether you can estimate the qualities in their
character or teaching which are responsible for the lasting impression.
2. Are you able to determine from the character chart which are your
strongest qualities? Which are your weakest qualities? Just what
methods are you planning to use to improve your personality?
3. In thinking of your class, are you able to judge in connection with
different ones on what qualities of character they most need help? Are
you definitely seeking to help on these points in your teaching?
4. Do you think that church-school teachers could pass as good an
examination on what they undertake to teach as day-school teachers?
Are the standards too high for day-school teachers? Are they high

enough for church-school teachers?
5. Have you seen Sunday-school teachers at work who evidently did
not know their Bibles? Have you seen others who seemed to know their
Bibles but who were ignorant of childhood? Have you seen others
whose technique of teaching might have been improved by a little
careful study and preparation? Are you willing to apply these three tests
to yourself?
FOR FURTHER READING
Palmer, The Ideal Teacher.
Hyde, The Teacher's Philosophy.
Slattery, Living Teachers.
Horne, The Teacher as Artist.


CHAPTER II
THE GREAT OBJECTIVE
All teaching has two objectives--the subject taught and the person
taught. When we teach John grammar (or the Bible) we teach grammar
(or the Bible), of course; but we also teach John. And the greater of
these two objectives is John. It is easy enough to attain the lesser of the
objectives. Anyone of fair intelligence can master a given amount of
subject matter and present it to a class; but it is a far more difficult
thing to understand the child--to master the inner secrets of the mind,
the heart, and the springs of action of the learner.
Who can measure the potentialities that lie hidden in the soul of a child!
Just as the acorn contains the whole of the great oak tree enfolded in its
heart, so the child-life has hidden in it all the powers of heart and mind

which later reach full fruition. Nothing is created through the process
of growth and development. Education is but a process of unfolding
and bringing into action the powers and capacities with which the life
at the beginning was endowed by its Creator.
THE CHILD AS THE GREAT OBJECTIVE
The child comes into the world--indeed, comes into the school--with
much potential and very little actual capital. Nature has through
heredity endowed him with infinite possibilities. But these are but
promises; they are still in embryonic form. The powers of mind and
soul at first lie dormant, waiting for the awakening that comes through
the touch of the world about and for the enlightenment that comes
through instruction.
Given just the right touch at the opportune moment, and these potential
powers spring into dynamic abilities, a blessing to their possessor and
to the world they serve. Left without the right training, or allowed to
turn in wrong directions, and these infinite capacities for good may
become instruments for evil, a curse to the one who owns them and a
blight to those against whom they are directed.
Children the bearers of spiritual culture.--The greatest business of any
generation or people is, therefore, the education of its children. Before
this all other enterprises and obligations must give way, no matter what
their importance. It is at this point that civilization succeeds or fails.
Suppose that for a single generation our children should, through some
inconceivable stroke of fate, refuse to open their minds to
instruction--suppose they should refuse to learn our science, our
religion, our literature, and all the rest of the culture which the human
race has bought