#54.# These and many other principles are the basis of the whole teaching process. Happy that child whose teacher has thought his way through these essential laws and observes them in all the activities of the recitation. No teacher can grow in power or skill without mastering the meaning of these laws, which may be called the alphabet of the teacher's preparation. These laws the teacher should always have in mind as guidance. They are not to be announced to the pupil. Jesus always followed great educational principles, but he never announced these to his disciples. When you say "That is a good lesson," you mean that the lesson is in harmony with laws of teaching you know to be good. There is no other basis of judging the worth of a teacher. Test Questions 1. What is meant by a law of the soul? 2. Why are educational principles needed? 3. What is the first law as to the subject matter of teaching? The second? 4. What is the earliest power that becomes educationally active? 5. What maxim sums up the order in which the soul-powers should be exercised? 6. State the third law of the soul. The fourth. Illustrate. Lesson 7 What an Educational Method Is #55. Applying Principles.#--When the teacher puts an educational principle to work in the act of teaching he uses a method. A method is a principle applied, put into operation. Principles make up one's educational theory; methods make up one's educational practise. It is as important to have a good method as it is to have a good law. The way a law is applied is a method. When we agreed that it would be a good thing to teach scientific temperance to our children we announced a principle. To apply this led to the use of the school. Teaching in the school the subject of scientific temperance became a method. We might have chosen the home, the church, or any other agency. #56.# One's method is often the test of one's principle. If I say that repetition makes for clear knowledge I announce a law or principle. The test of the law is the way the soul acts under repetition. Does the learner gain in clearness of knowledge by repetition? If so, the law is true. If not, the law is not true. #57. Kinds of Methods.#--Methods are of two kinds: _general_ and _special_. A general method may be followed in teaching all the different subjects that make up a course of study. A special method is followed in teaching one particular subject or a part of a subject. A device is merely a temporary resort to some special act to accomplish an immediate result. Methods, general and special, may be used again and again. A device rarely can be repeated, since the same conditions may never again arise.