The Sabbath-School Index: Pointing out the history and progress of Sunday-schools, with approved modes of instruction. — John Shaqi
The Sabbath-School Index: Pointing out the history and progress of Sunday-schools, with approved modes of instruction.Pardee, R. G. (Richard Gay)
Religion
The Sabbath-School Index: Pointing out the history and progress of Sunday-schools, with approved modes of instruction.
Pardee, R. G. (Richard Gay)
Sunday schools
He should maintain good _discipline and order_, both for himself and
his school. Sometimes the most disorderly man in the whole school is
the superintendent. The two elements of good order are self-control
and good temper. Let no man think he can control others unless he can
control himself. It will be in vain for him to insist on order,
punctuality, and regard to all the rules of the school, unless he
himself is a living example of strict conformity to them all. When he
calls the school to order, let him always wait patiently, in silence,
until every teacher, every scholar, officer and visitor, is in
_perfect_ order, before he names a hymn or proceeds to do the least
thing.
He should also be _disinterested_, and never overshadow his teachers.
They are the great workers, and his great work is to help the teachers
in the teaching. He should not _forestall_ or _overshadow_ the
teacher's work by an exposition of the lesson at the opening of the
school, so as to leave the teachers nothing to do but to glean after
the superintendent. His remarks and reviews of the lesson should
usually come _after_ the teachers have taught the lesson.
He should likewise _sincerely respect_ all his teachers, and treat
them accordingly. Especially should he respect the weakest and most
inefficient of his teachers. He will have the more to do to aid them,
and he must needs visit, counsel, suggest and instruct them often. I
have always found it better to elevate and improve inefficient
teachers than to dismiss them.
The superintendent should also be a man of good _executive ability_;
and this is a very rare possession. He needs much discerning power, as
well as organizing and combining talent, so as to keep pastor and
people, parents, teachers, and scholars, all harmoniously at work. As
Dr. James W. Alexander used to say: "That man who can well superintend
a Sabbath-school can command an army;" and a well-known bishop has
said, that "the man who can organize a good mission-school can
organize a diocese."
Again: The Sunday-school superintendent should always have a _spirit_
and _temper_ such as will be safe to diffuse throughout the school.
Says the Rev. S. Martin: "If he stands at the desk like a cold,
snow-capped mountain, or floats about the school like a majestic
iceberg, the whole atmosphere of the school will be cold." If he is
warm and genial, such will be the school. A cheerful superintendent
spreads cheerfulness throughout the school. A light and trifling, or a
gloomy and morose, superintendent infects teachers and scholars alike
with the same spirit. Never should the superintendent allow the least
impatience or harshness to manifest itself in his look, tone of voice,
or manner in the school; for its effects will prove most disastrous.
Ill-temper is a perfect barrier to religious improvement and
usefulness.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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