Why the Pastor's Wife Left the Church by JoAnne DeMello

Author:JoAnne DeMello [DeWitt, JoAnne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781466940772
Publisher: Trafford Publishing
Published: 2012-07-27T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter VII

Tuesday morning Alice began to realize that writing in a journal allowed her to concentrate on her life. After breakfast she went to class wondering what the assignment would be for the morning. Dr. Kalahan started the class by saying. “The journal entries that I have read are examples of what a journal entry should be. You have written of your family, your friends and places that have had an effect on your life. Would anyone like to share their journal entry with the class?”

There was no response.

“Today, if you choose my suggestion for writing, I would like for each of you to have a copy of this small book by Horace Mann. It is entitled “On the Art of Teaching” and the original was written in the 1840’s. Read his ideas for a successful learning environment and respond to them. Some of you are in your first year of teaching and will have to speculate on his ideas. Take the books with you and spend the remainder of the afternoon reading and responding to Mann’s theories”

Each teacher picked up a copy of the little black book that was 4 inches by 7 inches. Alice was surprised that a book that was supposedly so important was so small. She put the book in her bag and headed to her room. Her mind was filled with the details of her conversation with Clyde, but she had to put those details aside and read the little black book and then she began writing in her journal.

“In my three months at Williams, I have learned that I do not know how to teach. This was revealed to me as I read Horace Mann’s manual to the teachers in his governing district.

“First of all, I must have knowledge of the subject that I am teaching so well that I can give answers and ideas without a book in front of me. My role is to inspire the students to search for answers to questions that are part of their lives. If I teach them to write, I must let them know how and when to use it in their lives. The literature that we read must also offer meaning to their knowledge. Memorizing does not teach.

“Second, I must know the students and the type of activities that inspire each of them. Will the classes respond to traditional methods? I do not know the students. What are they like? What will get their attention? Should I punish them? If so, how? What knowledge will inspire them to learn? I must work on getting to know all of my students. How can I teach students that I do not know?

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