IDEALS IN EDUCATION.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 23 August 1924, Page 12

IDEALS IN EDUCATION.

THE TEACHER AS AN ARTIST. ADDRESS BY DR. JOHN ADAMS. An interesting address on the subject of “The Teacher as an Artist” was given by Dr. John Adams, Regius Professor of Education, London University, to a gathering of student teachers at the Training College, Wellington, a few days ago. After describing the position of the artist who could not teach, the eminent educationist declared that more was now being left to pupils than used to be the case. This raised the very vital question: “How far is Teaching a Fine Art?” Bernard Shaw had gone astray in suggesting that teaching was a mechanical art. No doubt, some teach-, ers were no artists, but they were hon-4 est artisans who did their daily “darg” with loyalty aind faith. Necessarily there were teachers, who carried on their work in the spirit of tradesmen — teaching from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with an hour and a half for lunch. Their creed was that they had not sold their souls to the profession. The circumstances of the case were entirely in favour of the teacher. There was an acknowledgment that education was of importance. Thirty hours spent in school were far more valuable than the same time spent under inferior conditions. The teachers must give a certain amount of attention to the school out of school hours. The teacher who did not do that was not playing the game. The real teacher was one" who looked upon his calling as an art, and not only an art, but a fine art. It was a case of fche fine artist opposed to the mere meciianician. The artist used certain means to attain a certain result, and there was a joy to the teacher in manipulating a class such as a conductor hud in controlling an orchestra or a painter in producing a masterpiece. An artistic presentation by a teacher enthusiastic in his work was sure to produce results even in examinations. A. teachers might not always be artist, but he should never des-c-end below the level of an artisan in teaching. There should be no fumbling in teaching. The matter shoiild be so presented as to produce a definite result. Teaching was not like preaching, “an animated dialogue with one part left out.” The part left out was m teaching just as important as the other. How was the teacher going to direct the mind of the pupil? The teacher could begin in many ways, but the beginning should indicate the path to what followed. A story that began m the middle would do nothing but confuse the pupil. The ideas should be presented in their proper order, "here was a great deal of bad exposition in ordinary teaching. In teaching one had to discriminate between two different things—lnstruction and education. Instruction meant ai ranging the ideas in the mind to the best advantage. It should endeavour to convey certain ideas in the best possible manneer. The object of instruction was to turn fact into faculty. A question should not be put to a ‘pupil that would lead to a wrong answer. Ihe pupil should be led to come to a desired conclusion ; he should never lie left at a wrong conclusion. In this way they could go about their work gaming a real joy out of it. knowing that they were not. mere artisans but real artists. ’