207, 323

Suggestions to Teachers

The writer of this brief manual is convinced that no hard-and-fast
rules can be laid down for the use of a textbook in history. He
believes that every teacher will naturally pursue a system of his own,
and that by so doing he will get better results than if he attempt to
follow a rigid mechanical course which makes no allowance for
individual judgment and gives no scope to originality of method.

The author would simply suggest that where time is limited it might be
well to omit the General Reference Summaries (see, for instance,
p. 43) and to read the text as a continuous narrative. Then the
important points in each day's lesson might be talked over at the end
of the recitation or on the following day.

On the other hand, where time permits a thorough course of study, all
of the topics might be taken up and carefully examined, and the
General Reference Summaries may be consulted by way of review and for
additional information. The pupil can also be referred to one or more
books (see the Classified List of Books in the Appendix) on the
subjects under consideration.

Instead of the teacher's asking a prescribed set of routine questions,
the pupil may be encouraged to ask his on. Thus in undertaking the
examination of a given topic--say, the Battle of Hastings (SS69-75),
the issue of the Great Charter (SS195-202), or "The Industrial
Revolution" and Watt's invention of an improved Steam Engine
(S563)--there are five inquiries which naturally arise and which