A New Discovery of the Old Art of Teaching School, Chapter 11
CHAP. X.
Of the Method of Teaching, which was uſed in Rotherham Schoole by Mr. Bonner, an experienced Schoole-Master there, who was thence choſen to Cheſterfield, where he died.
THat none may cenſure this Diſcovery which I have made to be an uncouth way of Teaching, or contrary to what had been aforetime obſerved by my Predeceſſors at Rotherham Schoole (which is the ſame that moſt Schoole-Maſters yet uſe) I have hereto annexed their method, juſt as I received it from the mouth of ſome Scholars, who had been trained up therein all their time at that Schoole, and thence ſent to the Univerſity; before I came thither to be Maſter,
The cuſtome was,
1. To enter boyes to the Schoole one by one, as they were fit for the Accidents, and to let them proceed therein ſeverally, till ſo many others came to them, as were fit to be ranked with them in a form.
Theſe were firſt put to read the Accidents, and afterwards made to commit it to memory; which when they had done, they were exerciſed in conſtruing and parſing the examples in the Engliſh Rules, and this was called the firſt form: of which it was required to ſay four Leſſons a day; but of the other forms, a part and a Leſson in the fore-noons, and a Leſson onelyonly in the after.
2. The ſecond form was,
1. To repeat the Accidents for Parts.
2. To ſay fore-noons Leſsons in Propria quae maribus, quae genus, and As in praeſenti, which they repeated momoriter, conſtrued and parſed.
3. To ſay an after-noons Leſson in Sententiae Pueriles, which they repeated by heart, and conſtrued and parſed.
4. They repeated their tasks every Friday memoriter, and parſed their Sentences out of the Engliſh.
3. The third form was enjoyned firſt to repeat two parts together every morning, one out of the Accidents, and the other out of that forementioned part of the Grammar, and together with their parts, each one was made to form one perſon of a verb Active in any of the four Conjugations.
2. Their fore-noons Leſsons were in Syntaxis, which they uſed to ſay memoriter, then to conſtrue it, and parſe onelyonly the words which contain the force of the Rule.
3. Their fore-noons Leſsons were two dayes in Aeſops Fables, and other two dayes in Cato; both which they conſtrued and perſed, and ſaid Cato memoriter.
4. Theſe Leſsons they tranſlated into Engliſh, and repeated all on Fridayes, conſtruing out of their Tranſlations into Latine.
4. The fourth forme having ended Syntaxis, firſt repeated it, and Propria quae maribus, &c. together for parts, and formed a perſon of a verb Paſſive, as they did the Active before.
2. For Leſsons, they proceeded to the by-rules, and ſo to Figura and Proſodia.
3. For after-noon Leſsons, they read Terence two dayes, and Mantuan two dayes, which they tranſlated into Engliſh, and repeated on Fridayes, as before.
5. The fifth forme ſaid one part in the Latine, and another in the Greek Grammar together.
2. Their fore-noones Leſsons was in Butler's Rhetorick, which they ſaid memoriter, an… then conſtrued, and applyed the example to the definition.
3. Their after-noons Leſsons were 2 days in Ovids Metamorphoſis, & 2 days in Tullies Offices, both which they tranſlated into Engliſh.
4. They learned to ſcan and prove verſes in Flores Poetarum, and repeated their weeks works on Fridayes, as before.
6. The ſixth forme continued their parts in the Greek Grammar, and formed a verb Active at every part.
2. They read the Greek Teſtament for fore-noones Leſsons, beginning with Saint Johns Goſpel.
3. Their after-noones Leſsons were two dayes in Virgil, and two dayes in Tullies Orations. They conſtrued the Greek Teſtament into Latine, and the reſt into Engliſh.
7. The ſeventh forme went on with the Greek Grammar, forming at every part a verb Paſſive, or Medium.
2. They had their fore-noones Leſsons in Iſocrates, which they tranſlated into Latin.
3. Their after-noon leſsons were 2 dayes in Horace, and 2 days in Seneca's Tragedies; both which they tranſlated into Engliſh.
8. The eighth forme ſtill cont…nued their parts in the Greek Grammar.
2. They ſaid fore-noones Leſsons in Heſiod; which they tranſlated into Latine, and afternoones Leſsons in Juvenal, and afterwards in Perſius, which they tranſlated into Engliſh.
9. The ninth and higheſt forme ſaid morning parts in the Hebrew Grammar, forenoons Leſsons in Homer, and afternoons Leſsons in ſome Comical Authour.
Thus when I came to Rotherham, I found two or three ſorts of boyes in the Accidents, and nine or ten ſeveral formes, whereof ſome had but two or three Scholars in it; and one of theſe formes alſo was not very far from that which was below it. So that I being to teach all my ſelf alone, was neceſſitated to reduce them to a leſser number, and to provide ſuch helps for the weaker boyes, as might enable them to go on with the ſtronger. Beſides, obſerving how barren the Scholars were of proper words and good phraſes, with which their preſent Authours did not ſufficiently furniſh them for ſpeaking or writing Latine, I was enforced to make uſe of ſuch books amongſt the reſt, as were purpoſely made for that end, and having at laſt brought the whole Schoole into a good method and order, ſo as the Scholars learned with profit, and I taught them with much eaſe and delight; I was perſwaded to write over what I had done, that I might leave it as a pattern for him that ſucceeded me; and this was the ground-work of my Diſcovery.
The manner of giving Lectures before I came was,
1. For the two higheſt boyes in the eighth forme, to give Lectures to all the lower formes, each his week by turnes.
2. The higheſt Scholar in the Schoole, gave Lectures to the ſecond form.
3. Thoſe in the higheſt form were commonly left to ſhift for themſelves.
The manner of the Maſters hearing Leſſons was this;
1. The higheſt boy in the form at their coming to ſay, conſtrued his Leſson two or three times over, till he was perfect in it, that his fellowes might all learn by him, to conſtrue as well as he; then every one conſtrued according to the order in which he ſtood.
2. They parſed their Leſsons in that order, that they had conſtrued it in.
3. They tranſlated every day after the Leſson, and ſhewed it altogether fair written on Fridayes.
Their Exerciſes were theſe;
1. The four loweſt formes tranſlated at vacant times, out of ſome Engliſh book.
2. The higher formes, having a ſubject given them every Saturday, made Themes & Verſes upon it, againſt that day ſeven night.
The manner of collecting phraſes was that every Friday in the afternoon, the boyes in the higheſt form collected phraſes for the loweſt formes, out of their ſeverall Authours, which they writ, and commited to memory againſt Saturday morning.
The ſet times for Diſputations, were Fridayes, and Saturdayes at noon, and the manner thus; one boy anſwered his day by courſe, and all his fellowes poſed him out of any Authour, which he had read before.
A part of Thurſday in the afternoon, was ſpent in getting the Church Catechiſme, and the ſix principles of Chriſtianity made by Mr. Perkins.
Finding this method (which is uſed alſo in moſt Grammar Schooles) to concurre in the main grounds with that which I had been taught at Wakefield, but not to be ſo plain and eaſie, as that was to children of meaner capacities: I began to ſeek (not ſo much to alter any thing, as) to ſupply what I ſaw defective in it; having theſe and ſuch like conſiderations often in my mind,
1. Though every man liketh his own method beſt, yet none ought ſo far to be conceited of his own, as not to ſearch after a better for the profiting of his Scholars.
2. Though one conſtant method muſt diligently be obſerved, yet triall may be made of another at fit times, ſo it be done without any diſtraction to the Maſter, or hinderance to his Scholars.
3. A new courſe of teaching muſt not be brought in ſuddenly upon Scholars, that have been long trained in a worſe, but by degrees.
4. Some modern Schoole-maſters, ſeem to have gained a far more eaſie, and nearer way of teaching, then many of the more ancient ſeemed to have.
5. Mr. Brinſley ſeemeth to have made a Diſcovery of a more perfect method, then was in his time uſed, or is yet generally received. Mr. Farnaby, Mr. John Clerke and ſome others, have facilitated the way further; but Mr. John Comenius hath lately contrived a ſhorter courſe of teaching, which many of late endeavour to follow; and others have more contemplatively written what they have thought of learning the Latine tongue in the eaſieſt manner.
6. That for me it would not be amiſſe, by imitating theſe and others, of whoſe learning and dexterity in teaching I had got ſome little experience, and obſerving the ſeverall tempers and capacities of thoſe I taught, to endeavour to finde out, and contrive ſuch helps, as might make the moſt generally received method of teaching by Grammar, Authours, and Exerciſes, more briefe in it ſelf, and more eaſie and delightfull to the Teacher and Scholar. And for what I have done in this kinde theſe Arguments were eſpeciall inducements. That,
1. It is not only poſſible, but neceſſary to make children underſtand their tasks, from their very firſt entrance into learning; ſeeing they muſt every one bear his own burden, and not rely upon their fellowes altogether in what they doe.
2. It is poſſible and meet for every teacher ſo to ground his Scholars, as that change of Maſters may not much hinder their progreſs in learning.
3. Things moſt familiar and obvious to the ſenſes are firſt to be learned, and ſuch as may be an eaſie ſtep towards thoſe which are next to be attained.
4. The moſt vocabula's, and phraſes of ordinary diſcourſe, may and ought to be taught together with the Latine Grammar, and the loweſt ſort of Schoole-Authours.
5. Boyes ought to know the meaning, and how to make uſe of each Rule, as they learne, yet ſo as not they be forced upon underſtanding of it.
6. The moſt uſeful books ought to be read, and may be taught after one manner in every Grammar-Schoole.
7. Children muſt be furniſhed with ſtore of matter, and able to write a good ſtyle, and ſhewed how to imitate their Authours, for making Exerciſes, before they be put to uſe their own invention.
8. It is tyranny in the Maſter to beat a Scholar for not doing that which he knoweth not how to goe about; ſo that he muſt firſt know him to be well able, and then he may more juſtly puniſh his neglect.
9. Many young Schoole-maſters are more puſled about frameing to themſelves a good method, then toyled in the exerciſe of teaching Schoole.
10. No man ever had ſuch an acute and direct method, but another able Scholar might obſerve and follow it.
11. Many Maſters that are excellent in perfecting Scholars, have not the patience to ground them, and many that have the skill to ground a Scholar well in his Rudiments, are not of ability to bring him on to perfection in Grammatical Exerciſes.
12. In many Schooles, one Maſter alone beareth the whole burden of teaching, without any help of an Uſher.
13. Every one that teacheth a Grammar Schoole, is not able to make a right choyce, nor knoweth he the true uſe of our beſt claſſical Authours.
14. It is a prime part of a Schoole-maſter, to inſtruct his Scholars well in the principles of Chriſtian Religion, and to make them acquainted with the holy Scriptures.
15. It is an utter undoing to many Scholars, to be ſent ungrounded to the Univerſities; and Parents are generally unwilling to have their children tarry long at the Schoole, and therefore it is good for Maſters to make uſe of the ſhorteſt and ſureſt way of teaching.
16. It is very neceſsary, and hath been ever wiſhed, that ſome of our moſt famous, and beſt Schoole-maſters, would for the benefit of others ſet themſelves on work, to finde out, and publiſh the exacteſt method of teaching, which might be generally received, till a better were knowne; for by that meanes they ſhould doe much good to the Church and Commonwealth, and ſomewhat herein advantage themſelves, ſeeing every Parent will be willing to have his ſon taught, by one whom he knoweth to be conſtantly diligent in a good way of teaching.
And the hopes that I conceived hereby to provoke my betters, hath eſpecially encouraged me (at laſt) to yield to my friends importunity, in ſetting down this Method of Teaching, and writing down alſo this for me of Schoole-Government, which I heartily commend to Gods heavenly bleſſing, and the candid cenſure of the more judicious, hoping that as I intend chiefly the generall good, ſo none will requite me with malicious obtrectation, which if any ſhall doe, I charitably pray for them before hand, that God would for Chriſts ſake forgive them, and grant that I may not heed what they write or ſay concerning me, or my labours, ſo as to be diſcouraged in my honeſt endeavours for the publick ſervice.
foreign.
FINIS.
End of the text · Charles Hoole, A New Discovery of the Old Art of Teaching School (1661)