3.16.2 Five Methods of Recitation

But while many will admit that this law of development applies in the mechanical world, they hold that there is something mystic about teaching for which only a pedagogical birthright is a solution. The fallacy of such a contention seems too evident to call for argument.

At least the only sensibly hopeful view to take in such a Math class as ours, in which so many members must perforce be called to be teachers, is that power in teaching can be developed as it can in any other field of endeavor.

The other bit of warning applies to the kind of teacher who is unalterably committed to a single method, not only as the best method, but the only one worth following.

Method depends so essentially on the personality of the teacher, on the nature of the kids taught, and on the subject matter to be presented, that it is a very dangerous thing to say that, in spite of circumstances, one method is invariably the best method.

Let us, then, turn to the different methods and consider their relative values. Five possibilities immediately suggest themselves:

• 1. The story method.
• 2. The “reading ’round” method.
• 3. The special topic method.
• 4. The lecture method.
• 5. The discussion method, built up through questions and answers.

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