THE TOPICAL METHOD.
Editor History Teacher’s Magazine:
The college entrance examination seems to be a contest between the man who makes out the questions and the teacher who aims chiefly or solely to get his pupils by the examination. The teacher who desires mainly to teach history and how to study it, and to whom the examination is only an incident, is the “innocent third party.” The examiner and the examination-crammer alike search the papers of previous years in the attempt to outwit each other. It would never do to ask questions only on the most important parts of the subject; the candidates would surely know all about such questions, a most undesirable state of affairs! A teacher who, perchance, would try to teach some of “the glory that was Greece” and, to save time for some first-hand acquaintance with Greek literature cuts off the Peloponnesian war with a single lesson may be doing right, but his pupils may suffer when asked to describe the Peloponnesian war after the failure of the expedition to Syracuse. He may dwell on the spread of Greek civilization over the East, and his pupils be asked to describe, with dates, Alexander’s battles. He may emphasize the civilization of the Empire and his pupils be examined on the lives of insignificant emperors.
In mathematics the topics to be treated in algebra are specified in detail; and a syllabus of required or book propositions in geometry is issued. In physics a list of experiments is furnished. In English a definite list of books for reading and another for careful study are prescribed years in advance.
It is in the air that certain objections to the field of ancient history as stated by the Committee of Seven will be met by providing a list of topics representing the desirable subjects for study in the pre-classical and early medieval periods. Why not go further and make it safe for a teacher who would subordinate the passing of an examination designed to beat the crammer, to a sound knowledge of essentials and substantial preparation in methods of historical study? The worst that could happen would be that an increasing number of candidates would know the essentials so well that most of them would pass good examinations. But better still would be the possibility of using the time thus gained for a thorough and intensive study of a very limited portion of the field, whereby, to some degree, a right method of historical study could be inculcated, thus securing better work in history in college.
This plea is put forth not with a desire to make easier the work of college preparation, but from a feeling that the efforts of the conscientious pupil and teacher should reach out to a higher and more enduring purpose than “beating the examiner.”
W. H. C.