_A Bulletin Board._--A conspicuous bulletin board, placed at the entrance, will save giving out many a notice.

_The Notices._--The wise superintendent will plan every word he is to say before the school, even--yea, especially!--the giving of the notices. These notices will be the fewest possible; don't let the Sunday-school be used as a bill-board. Announce only what you want the scholars to remember, and in such a bright way that they can't forget it. And don't discredit your perspicuity and their attention by announcing it more than once.

_Protect the Teacher._--One of the most important of the superintendent's duties is to protect the teacher from interruption during the recitation hour. A similar duty is to see that the time for the recitation suffers no diminution through the tardiness or prolixity of himself or any one else.

_Subst.i.tute Groups._--The work of "subst.i.tuting" may well be divided up. Ask a set of older scholars to be ready to subst.i.tute on the first Sunday of each month, another set on the second Sunday, and so on.

_The Pastor as Subst.i.tute._--Certainly the pastor should not take a Sunday-school cla.s.s of his own. That would be unfair to the rest of the school and the church. But he would get into helpful contact with a large number of people, young and old, if he should act every Sunday as a subst.i.tute teacher, now in this cla.s.s and now in that.

_A Five-Minute Meeting._--A few minutes of conference, immediately after the session of the school, will be a great help and stimulus to the teachers. One will ask help in a difficulty, another will report a method just proved successful. Everything will come fresh and vital from living experience.

_How Many Absent?_--Often let the secretary, in his report to the school, state only the number _absent_ from each cla.s.s and department.

He will thus change the emphasis, and arouse a new and profitable interest.

_A Roll-Call._--It takes time, but at long intervals a public roll-call of the entire school is worth while. Of course it should be well advertised beforehand, and the entire membership will wish to be present. Then make the hour so delightful that they will not think of staying away thereafter.

_Honor Rolls._--Hang a large sheet of paper in a conspicuous position, and announce that you will print upon it the name of every one that brings in a new scholar. A red paper star after the name signifies one new scholar, a blue star a second scholar, and so on. A similar roll may be used to honor perfect attendance, stars of different colors being used for the different quarters.

_Gold and Silver Stars._--There are well-based objections to any distinction of one cla.s.s above another, but a plan that will be found very valuable, at least as a temporary stimulus, is this: Honor with a large silver star every cla.s.s that has all its members present, and with a gold star each cla.s.s that reports all its members bringing Bibles, and that all have studied the lesson at least twenty minutes.

_An Asterisk._--If by banners or in other ways you honor regular attendance, there will be a tendency to drop absent scholars from the rolls too quickly, because they lower the standard of their cla.s.ses.

An excellent way of getting around this difficulty is to "star" the name of every scholar that has been absent a month. This asterisk means that the name is not to be counted in making up the report, but the presence of the name on the list means that the scholar is not to be forgotten or neglected.

_To Console Him._--One bright superintendent scorns to give a reward or prize for new scholars, but presents a nice leather-bound Bible, by way of compensation, to each scholar that for any cause is luckless enough to _leave_ his school!

_A Spur._--Enforce punctuality by a large placard hung in front of the school, and reading, "You are early." When the school opens the card is turned, and now reads, in staring letters, "You are late!"

_A Question Drill._--This is a good plan for teachers' meetings. The teachers should ask questions on each verse, turn about, and the leader should criticise the questions.

_Teachers'-Meeting Roll-Call._--To insure previous study of the lesson, and to accustom the teachers to take part in the meeting, let the roll be called every week, and require each teacher to respond with some thought concerning the lesson, usually a comment on some particular verse.

_Attendance on the Teachers' Meeting._--It will prove a helpful spur if this attendance is recorded regularly, and incorporated in all the reports made by the secretary to the school.

_Union Teachers' Meetings._--If you cannot have a teachers' meeting for your Sunday-school alone, because you have no good leader, you can probably find a good leader in some neighboring church, and can give him and yourselves the stimulus of a large union gathering. This plan has many advantages, notably the opportunity for the comparison of methods. It has one great disadvantage: the work cannot apply so particularly to your individual school.

_A Reception Cla.s.s._--New scholars may all be placed in a "reception cla.s.s," until their ability, knowledge, and character can be learned.

_A Visitors' Register._--This is for the names and home addresses of all visitors. The little attention required to obtain these autographs pleases them and their friends, and breaks the ice for further acquaintance. The register should be kept open on some table in a central spot, with pen and ink always at hand.

_An Address-Book._--This should contain, under proper and convenient cla.s.sifications, the addresses of all scholars, teachers, and officers, past and present. It should always be kept in the church, and many will be the references to it.

_A Cradle Roll._--This contains the names of the babies of the church, for each of whom his mother is given a certificate of membership. This roll is read once in a while before the primary cla.s.s.

_Individual Histories._--At least one school has enough personal interest in its scholars to keep a history of each, in a book properly arranged for that purpose. This history includes the date of the scholar's joining the school and of his promotion to the various higher departments thereof, his birthday and the names of his parents, their church-membership, where the scholar lived when he joined the church, whom he married and when, his business, the date of his removal and the city to which he went, together with other and special facts.

_District Reporters._--Appoint one scholar or teacher to watch each street in town,--preferably, of course, the street on which he resides,--and report promptly all newcomers, that they may be invited to the Sunday-school.

_The Opening Prayer._--Let the ushers admit no one till it is over. Do not begin, or permit any one else to begin this prayer, till every head is bowed. Do not ask any one to offer this prayer without giving long notice; no haphazard prayer will answer.

_Their Own Bibles._--A Bible in the hands of every scholar,--this alone makes possible variety and zest in the opening of the school.

_Lesson Introductions._--In small schools it has often been found profitable for the superintendent to spend ten or fifteen minutes teaching to the entire school (with the exception of the primary department) the historical and similar details of the lesson. The teachers then add the lesson truths, teaching their individual cla.s.ses.

_Varying Programmes._--If the opening exercises of the school get into a rut, it is hard for the teachers to lift the school out of it. Some wise superintendents plan these exercises for weeks ahead, keeping careful record, and thus avoid monotony.

_An Impressive Close._--One school closes its service with the Lord's Prayer, repeated by all as they stand. Then the school is seated, and waits in silence while the ushers, walking slowly up the aisles, dismiss each cla.s.s in turn.

_A Closing Prayer._--Here is a beautiful prayer to be repeated in concert at the close of school: "May the light of thy Word, O Lord, dwell in us richly, and guide us day by day. Amen."

_Scripture in Closing._--To incite to Scripture memorizing, close the school with Bible verses repeated by all the scholars. Let each cla.s.s in turn select the subject, such as "temperance," "obedience," "love,"

and announce it a week in advance.

_The Teachers before the School._--Now and then ask some teacher to say a few words to the entire school at the close of the session, summing up the most important teachings of the hour. This gives the whole school a bit of inspiration from each teacher in turn, and gives to each teacher the inspiration of talking to the whole school.

Chapter XLIV

From a Teacher's Notebook

_Birthday Letters._--Little children will prize highly a cordial, loving letter written to them by their teacher on their birthday.

Doubtless the very oldest scholars in the school will prize such a letter as much, if not even more. There should be no preachment in these letters, no hitting at peculiar sins; just fill them with Christian sunshine. A birthday prayer in the cla.s.s, short, simple, earnest, will clinch to the scholar the lessons of the day.

_Cla.s.s Letters._--When the teacher is away on a vacation or for other reasons, a letter sent each week to some member of the cla.s.s, taking the scholars in order, will be shared with the other scholars, and will strengthen the bond that the absence might have weakened or broken.

_Teaching by Correspondence._--When the teacher must be absent, if she cannot find a good subst.i.tute, and the cla.s.s is of a suitable age for the plan, let her send a letter containing a few thoughts on the lesson, together with many questions, which the cla.s.s are to discuss, and for which, after joint consultation, they will prepare written answers, to be sent to the teacher.

_The Lesson Message._--Do you fear that the central truth of the lesson may not be impressed on your cla.s.s, either through your forgetfulness or because you lack time? Then write out for each scholar a sentence or two of exhortation, with a request that he read a certain appropriate pa.s.sage of the Bible. Place these messages in envelopes, and distribute them at the close of the lesson.

_A Teacher's Loan._--If you have found a book that would be especially helpful to your cla.s.s, by all means, if you can afford it, buy a copy, circulate it among the cla.s.s, and, after all your scholars have read it, present it to the library.

_Birthdays of the Great._--Utilize in your teaching not only Washington's birthday and Lincoln's, but the birthday of any great man whose life may help to point the moral of the day's lesson. For this purpose, one of the many "birthday-books" is of value for reference.

_A Magazine Club._--The members of a Sunday-school cla.s.s have similar interests, and an ideal magazine and paper club may be organized among them. Incidentally, it will enable the teacher to direct much of their reading. The periodicals subscribed for are to be pa.s.sed around in a specified order, kept at each house a definite time, and each finally retained by some member of the cla.s.s.

_Cla.s.s Names._--It will prove an inspiration to any cla.s.s to have a good name, such as "Earnest Seekers," "Willing Workers," "The Joshua Band," "Daughters of Ruth."

_Five-Minute Preludes._--Brief preludes on current topics or practically helpful points connected with the lesson theme may be found valuable in the Bible cla.s.s, just as similar preludes have proved useful in the preaching service.

_Independence._--Occasionally request the cla.s.s to prepare so thoroughly that they can leave at home the quarterly, lesson leaf, even the Bible itself. The teacher also will do this; and if he improves his opportunity, this thorough storing of the mind may result in a recitation so delightful that the cla.s.s will adopt the plan enthusiastically for the future.

_Her "Funny Box."_--A teacher tells how she lightened the occasional sickness of her scholars by carrying to them what they called her "funny box," which held fruit and flowers, with scores of merry jokes clipped from the papers, peanuts marked with comical faces, and a Bible verse or two on the inside of the cover.

_A Review Picture-Gallery._--If you have been using the blackboard during the quarter, try a blackboard review. Draw twelve picture-frames, and call up the scholars one by one, asking each to fill in one of the frames with what he remembers of the blackboard work of that lesson. It may be necessary for the teacher to remind the scholar what the design was, and to help him draw it, or the entire cla.s.s may be asked to give this a.s.sistance.

_An Essay Review._--Divide the lessons of the quarter among your scholars, so that each will write an essay on some one lesson; or, if your cla.s.s is too small for that, a.s.sign two lessons apiece to some of the scholars. Limit them as to time, but let each choose his line of treatment.