Training the Teacher Part 40

#54. The Messenger Cadets.#--These are usually boys of the Junior Department, and their chief business is to carry messages to absentees, flowers to the sick, or messages to any one, for the superintendent or pastor. Under the direction of the Home Department Superintendent they may deliver the quarterlies and other supplies.

They should be in charge of a man who understands boys and loves to work with them.

#55. The Suns.h.i.+ne Band.#--This is usually made up of girls of the Junior age, who visit the sick, carry them flowers, sing and read to them, and minister to them in every way they can. They should be in charge of a woman appointed for this work.

#56. The Department Superintendents.#--These should be looked upon as officers of the Sunday-school. Each superintendent is expected to preside in his own department, with as much care as if it were the entire school; to preserve the grading provided for by the superintendent of cla.s.sification; to endeavor to keep the cla.s.ses as nearly uniform in size as possible; and to cultivate a department life and interest.

#57. The Superintendent's Cabinet.#--All of the officers named above, and the Chairmen of all the committees named above, const.i.tute the Superintendent's Cabinet. Nothing should be presented to the teachers or to the school as a whole until it has first been decided upon by the Cabinet. The Cabinet should have regular meetings, perhaps once a month.

Test Questions

1. What are the duties of a superintendent of cla.s.sification?

2. Of the librarian?

3. How can a Birthday Secretary be utilized?

4. How may subst.i.tute teachers be secured?

5. In what ways can door-men render service?

6. What may ushers do?

7. Through what officers may missionary work be emphasized, and how?

Temperance work?

8. What is meant by Superintendent's aides? Messenger Cadets? The Suns.h.i.+ne Band?

9. How may a Superintendent's Cabinet help the school?

Lesson 5

The Sunday-school in Session

#58.# The Sunday-school session is not the Sunday-school, for the same reason that a church service is not the church. The session begins, carries out a certain program, and closes. The Sunday-school continues throughout the week. Much previous planning and preparation are essential to the success of any Sunday-school session.

#59. Time.#--The most convenient hour is the best hour. Having discovered that hour, hold to it the year round. Frequent changes will bring disaster. Every hour has its advantages and disadvantages. The morning hour is usually attended by more tardiness of teachers and scholars, but all are fresher. The noon hour will suffer less from tardiness and will have a larger attendance of adults. Discipline will be more of a problem, especially if the school is continued far beyond the dinner time. The afternoon hour has the following advantages: (1) The school does not precede nor follow another service, which is detrimental to both. (2) A completely rounded program can be carried out because the time will be longer. (3) There is opportunity for after-meetings, if desired. Many of the best schools are held in the afternoon. There are the following disadvantages, however: (1) It breaks in upon the Sunday afternoon home life. (2) It prevents the members from working in mission schools, etc. (3) It may interfere with the attendance at the night services.

#60. Length of Session.#--The usual session is one hour long, but this is too short to secure the best results. An hour and a quarter is better, and is long enough for a morning or noon school. Under good management, an afternoon school can use an hour and a half to advantage.

#61. Program.#--The superintendent should have a written program, and know his ground every step of the way. The pastor and chorister should have copies. So also should every individual partic.i.p.ant. The pa.s.sing from one feature of the program to the next should be done quickly, and, so far as possible, without announcement.

#62. How to Begin.#--Be ready. Insist that all officers and teachers shall be ready. Begin exactly on time. Do not wait for anything nor anybody. Be sure all understand the signal for beginning. Give the signal once, _never oftener_. Wait for silence. Do not begin without it.

#63. Signals.#--Use the bell sparingly, if at all. For certain signals the bell may be desirable, but never to secure order. A chord on the piano is better than a bell. Piano signals should be arranged so that a signal given in a certain way always means the same thing. The superintendent's rising in his place, or, if standing, simply raising his hand, should be signal enough to secure the attention of any school. It will be, if the school is properly trained, and so seated as to be able to see a signal.

#64. Music.#--An orchestra is good, but should not be too large for the room. A piano is better than an ordinary organ because of its distinct tones. The next best instrument to add is a violin for a small room and a cornet for a large one. Do not consume too much time with instrumental music in the session. The orchestra can give an overture at the opening, a number while cla.s.ses rea.s.semble after the teaching period, and a postlude at the close. That is sufficient. The superintendent should select the hymns, in conference with the chorister. Some of them should be appropriate to the lesson of the day. Use one or two old church hymns at each session. Select a good book, and have plenty of copies. The best results cannot be secured where even two sing from the same book. The hymn numbers should be placed on the blackboard or hymn-board, before the opening, in plain sight of all.

#65. Prayers.#--Sunday-school prayers should never be long, and those who pray aloud should keep the children in mind. All the rest will follow. Two or three short prayers at different times are better than one long prayer.

#66. Memorizing Scripture.#--Every school should repeat some Scripture from memory every Sunday. Select the verses carefully, and not too many of them. A few verses thoroughly memorized are better than many imperfectly learned.

#67. Lesson Study.#--The lesson study period should be the heart of the session. It should never have less than thirty minutes. Hold this period sacred to the teachers, without interruption of any kind. No visiting of cla.s.ses by officers at this time should be permitted. The necessary business of the session should be conducted during the opening and closing services. Do not distribute books nor papers to the cla.s.ses until the close of school--certainly not during the teaching period.

#68. Review.#--The superintendent should not review the entire lesson; he should mention only that part of it which enables him to fix the personal application he has in mind for the school that day. The blackboard will help if properly used.

#69. Reports.#--Reports should be few, and very short, never in detail. Calling the roll of officers and teachers is a waste of time.

To give the number present, the number absent, the offering for the day, the missionary collection, and the names of the sick is usually sufficient, except in cases of emergency, such as deaths or funerals.

#70. Announcements.#--The fewer announcements the better. Those that must be made should be brief, plain, striking. Do not call them "announcements." Work them in, one at a time, as comments on the program in hand. The announcement that you have an announcement to make is an announcement wasted, and time wasted, too. Never take the time of all to make an announcement that concerns but a few. Do not fall into set forms. Announcements may be interesting and instructive, but usually they are not so. They should be made a study.

#71. How to Close.#--The lesson review or application should be followed by a short prayer. Then sing a sweet, familiar hymn bearing upon the truth you have tried to impress, the school remaining seated.

Then the benediction, school still seated. Then a moment of silent prayer, followed by the piano or orchestra softly playing the music that has just been sung. Let this be the signal for dismissal.

Test Questions

1. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of the various hours for Sunday-school session?

2. What are some of the details to look out for in beginning a session?

3. Name a signal that is better than a bell.

4. State how you would plan to secure good singing.

5. What should not be allowed during the lesson period?

6. Outline a good plan for the closing service.

Test Questions for Review

Lessons 1 to 5

1. What is the purpose of the Sunday-school?

2. How many Sunday-schools in the world to-day?

3. Suggest ways of creating missionary interest in the school.

4. What are some of the requisites for hand-work in the school?

5. Give four conditions that mark the organized Sunday-school.

6. What is meant by grading?