PREFACE MANY years of experience in supervising practice teaching and in conducting method courses preparatory to such teaching have developed in the writer the conviction that intelligent selfdirection is the most economical and respectable means of producing improvement in the art of teaching, provided the "self-direction" is guided by a knowledge of the basic principles of good teaching. Thus safeguarded, self-direction is economical in that it insures a thoughtful beginning and thereby avoids much of the wasteful expenditure of energy involved in reconstructing harmful habits that have resulted from imitation. It is respectable in that it has a universally accepted foundation and is, therefore, capable of being defended. The form of the present volume is the result of a desire, and even a hope, of the writer to lay bare the essentials of good teaching in a simple, concrete, and consistent manner in order to conserve the time and energy of teachers who are anxious for intelligent guidance in their teaching. The order and the organization of the various chapters are determined by the principles that are emphasized in the first chapter. An occasional reference to these principles will aid one in determining the sequence and relative worth of the topics presented. The writer desires to acknowledge the valuable suggestions he has received from the critic teachers of the practice department of the Illinois State Normal University during the years he has been director of practice teaching. He desires especially to express appreciation for the helpful suggestions of Professor M. J. Holmes and of Principal T. J. Lancaster, of the Illinois |