n algebra is able to do with the problems assigned in advance.
It forces the students to do most of the talking. It encourages an
intelligent use of the library in a manner calculated to develop the
student's powers of investigation. If the pupil forgets most of his
history, but retains the ability to investigate carefully, thoroughly,
and critically, the plan has more than justified itself. The plan
enables the teacher to spend his time in explanation of what the pupil
has been unable to do for herself, and thus effects a considerable
saving in time. It would be interesting to secure a statement of how
much of the teacher's time is ordinarily spent in doing for the student
in recitation what he should have done for himself before coming to
class. It substitutes for the pupil's snap judgment, given without much
thought and too frequently influenced by the inflection of the teacher's
voice, an opinion that has resulted from research and deliberation
unbiased by the teacher's personal views.

It is too much to expect high school pupils to solve historical problems
extemporaneously. If inferences and contrasts other than those given in
the text are to be drawn, if statements are to be defended or opposed,
the high school student should be given time to prepare his answer.
Aside from the injustice of any other procedure, it is a hopeless waste
of time to spend the precious minutes of the recitation in gathering
negative replies and worthless judgments.

_Methods of preparing questions assigned in advance_

It may be urged that such an assignment of a lesson as that proposed is
too ambitious and that it exacts too much of the teacher's time. In
answer it should be said that specialists in history ought surely to
have read widely enough and studied deeply enough to be _able_ to select
intelligent questions of the sort suggested. We have assumed that the
teacher has made adequate preparation for his work. Certainly, then, he
should be ready to explain the social, geographical, and economic
relation of the events mentioned in the lesson. He should know their
bearing on current history. He should always have ready a fund of
information, additional to that given in the text. In preparing advance
questions for distribution to the class the teacher is preparing his own
lesson. He may be doing it a day or two earlier than he would otherwise
do, but surely he is performing no labor additional to what may
reasonably be expected of