Page:The Elementary Worker and his Work.djvu/21

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ELEMENTARY WORKER AND HIS WORK

2. Separate class rooms should be provided. It is quite impossible for the class to do its best work without a separate class room. The separate room is most important for Junior and Intermediate boys' classes. As far as practicable every class should be provided with a room of its own. When this can not be, each class should be isolated by portable screens or by curtains.

3. In general, teachers should remain in charge of the same grade. This enables the teacher to become a specialist in some one particular field. Sunday-school teachers are busy people and can neither be required nor expected to thoroughly acquaint themselves with the entire field of Sunday-school instruction and life. They may, however, reasonably be expected in time to become adept in the field of some one department or grade. The objection is made that under the old system the class became attached to the teacher and thus by the bond of personal affection were held to the Sunday-school. But did it always work out so happily? As a recent writer puts it: "Suppose the teacher goes into heaven, into matrimony, or elsewhere. Where will the class go? They will go—be very sure of that." Whatever weight this argument has is counterbalanced by the fact that passing from one teacher to another aids in giving to the pupils a distinct sense of advance and by so doing promotes interest and effort.

An exception to this general rule may be made in the Intermediate and Senior Departments. Here a teacher who has shown himself capable of interesting and influencing the boys or girls should be allowed to continue with the same class through the three grades of the department. Confidence of the pupils in their teacher, personal friendship, and intimate acquaintanceship of the teacher with the pupils are at this period indispensable. These can only exist as teacher and class may be together more than one year. But this continuance of the same teacher with the class should not extend beyond the limits of the department.