and second year pupil-teachers (see § 21). He must pass from one to the other, so as to satisfy himself as to the leading parts of each lesson. It is seldom that an inspector will have time to hear the whole of a lesson completely out. Nor is it generally necessary that he should do so. He can very soon tell, sufficiently for the purpose not only of reporting on the teachers, but also of talking over their work afterwards with them and with the principal, and of addressing to them, or him, words of warning or encouragement, where their faults or their merits lie, and what signs of ability and painstaking they show. In the supposed case of an arithmetic lesson by a fourthyear pupil-teacher, followed by a geography lesson by a third-year pupil-teacher, the former is the more important thing to hear completely, particularly if it is a lesson of new work, or of review. In the case of a lesson of new work, distributed in the mode in which I have suggested (see § 39), the inspector, after hearing the opening of the lesson (five minutes), and another five minutes of Part 2, will go to the geography lesson and hear that for fifteen minutes, and then will return for the last twenty minutes of the arithmetic lesson. 44. At what stage Pupil-teachers should begin Collective Teaching.-Having finished the arithmetic lesson of the fourth-year pupil-teacher, or so much of it as he finds it necessary or desirable to do before going to the geography lesson, the inspector, still accompanied by the principal teacher, passes on to the geography lesson of the third-year pupilteacher (see § 20). The third year is the year in which the effects of training first begin to be seen most markedly; in which the pupil-teacher begins really to shape; and in which collective lessons can, generally speaking, first be given with any real effect. The schedule to the New Code (see Appendix III.), which defines the qualifications to be required of pupil-teachers during their course of training, does not define at what stage in their apprenticeship they are to begin giving collective lessons. So far as it affords any indication at all on this point, it would seem rather to point to the pupil-teachers not giving such a lesson till their fifth year. This, however, can hardly be the intention of the schedule; and perhaps the explanation of the matter is, that the term "collective lesson" is there used in the sense of "lesson to the whole school" or to a division of the whole school: whereas, I have used the term in the sense in which I believe it is generally used by teachers and managers of elementary schools, viz., that of a lesson in which the instruction is addressed broadly to the whole class, and is not, as in a reading or writing lesson, largely individual. My own practice, when acting as an inspector, was to require collective lessons in such subjects as geography, grammar, and history, for the first time from pupil-teachers at the end of the third year. I think that is a good practice, and I believe that it is not an uncommon rule with inspectors. 45. Inspection of a Geography Lesson.-To what, then, does the inspector particularly look when coming to hear the geography lesson of the thirdyear pupil-teacher? He will of course first of all notice his progress in respect of the elementary laws of teaching. Having his notes of last year in hand, he will see what improvement he has made in handling a class; how far he has corrected the faults which were noticed last year; whether he keeps his place and controls the scholars with the eye, or moves up and down, or to them, or has any other of the gross faults which I have mentioned in speaking of candidates and pupilteachers of the first two years (see §§ 18, 21). Next he will notice whether the lesson has been carefully prepared; and whether the pupil-teacher has the power in a fair degree of attending properly to his class and keeping the scholars active, stimulating them, rousing them when weary, quieting them when boisterous and disorderly, and distributing work evenly among them; and all this while keeping the thread of his lesson in hand, not forgetting the sequence of its parts, and not dwelling too long on the comparatively unimportant parts, or hurrying too quickly over the important parts. He will of course observe whether he has improved at all in his diction since last year, or his first year; whether he speaks in an indistinct or hurried way, or uses any vulgarisms, or is at all undignified or trifling. When he is satisfied, which he will be in a very few minutes, on these rudimentary matters, he will pass on to consider the special value of the lesson, as a lesson in geography. And just as it is necessary to have some clear notions of what is grammar as taught in our elementary schools, in order to be able to judge properly a lesson in grammar, so it is necessary to have a clear notion of what is geography as taught in our elementary schools, in order to be able to form a good judgment of a geography lesson. 46. Divisions of the Subject.-There are two distinct subjects taught in schools under the name of geography. One is the study of those con ditions of the earth which are due to natureits shape and motions, its position in the solar system, and its relations to the sun, moon, and other members of that system; its climate, and principal atmospheric, and other superficial changes and conditions; the phenomena of its surface, such, as seas, mountains, rivers, lakes, and the other natural divisions and formations of land and water; and the like—which is called physical geography. The other is the study of those conditions of the earth which are due to its inhabitant man-the division of its surface into countries, and the subdivisions of those countries; the commercial and political relations of those countries to one another; the localities where men are most aggregated, and the social reasons of such aggregations; the seats of government, industry, learning, and education; the courses and lines of operation of commerce; and the relative progress of the inhabitants of different parts of the world in what we call civilization-which is called political geography. Physical geography comes first of the two, as a study for children, not only because it is more adapted to youthful minds, is less statistical, cultivates thought and reflection more, opens the mind more, and (as an instrument of education) is less apt to degenerate into mere cram; but also because it is impossible to study political geography without some knowledge of physical geography. Children ought not to be taught political geography at all, until they have at least a fair grasp of the rudiments of physical geography, nor to be taught the political geography of a country or county, until they have a good knowledge of its physical geography. In going, therefore, to inspect this lesson in geography, the inspector will look carefully at the notes handed to him by the pupil-teacher to see whether it would appear that the teacher has a clear appreciation of the difference between these two branches of geography, and whether the lesson deals with one or both of these branches; if both, in what proportions or relations; if one, whether that one is physical or political geography. If, on looking at the notes, he feels any doubt about this, he will, in the interval before mentioned (see § 25), put a question or two to the pupil-teacher, to ascertain whether he has realized how different the two branches are, how differently they require to be handled, and what a different state of preparation they require in the scholars. If he sees that the lesson is wholly or mainly on political geography, he will inquire how far the children are fitted for such a lesson by their previous instruction in physical geography. And, if he is not satisfied on these points, he will, in a subsequent conversation with the principal teacher, point out the importance of making political geography wait upon physical, and will insist on the relative position, in a school course, of these two branches of geography being better observed. 47. Importance of Home Preparation.-The next question which he will consider is one of the utmost importance, not only in regard to the teaching of geography, but also to that of history, and to a certain though less degree, in the teaching also of grammar, in our elementary schools. This question is, what preparation are the children expected to have made for this lesson by means of home work? All the mere dry matters of fact |