Questions arising spontaneously from the topic.—­One who does not know his lesson well enough so that he can ask the necessary questions practically without reference even to the text, let alone referring to the printed questions, or asking questions in the words of the text, is not yet ready to teach the lesson.  In order to successful teaching there must be a constant interchange of response between teacher and class at every moment throughout the recitation.  This is impossible if the teacher must stop to read the text of the lesson, or take her eyes and attention away from the class to look up the question which is to come next.  All such breaks of thought are fatal to interest and attention on the part of the class.

As suggested in an earlier chapter, the teacher should have prepared a list of pivotal questions as a part of her lesson plan.  With these at hand there should be no necessity for reference to the printed lesson to find questions during the recitation period.  Let the teacher who is accustomed to slavish dependence on the lesson text for his questions really master his lesson, and then declare his independence of tread-mill questioning; he will be surprised at the added satisfaction and efficiency that come to his teaching.

The principle of unity.—­Questions that really teach must follow some plan of unity or continuity.  Each succeeding question must grow out of the preceding question and its answer, and all put together must lead in a definite direction toward a clear aim or goal which the teacher has in mind.  One of the serious faults of the questions quoted above from the lesson quarterly is that they lack unity and purpose.  Each question is separate from all the others.  No question leads to the ones which follow, nor does the whole list point to any lesson or conclusion at the end.  Such questioning can result only in isolated scraps of information.  A series of questions lacking unity and purpose resembles a broom ending in many straws, instead of being like a bayonet ending in a point:  and who would not prefer a bayonet to a broom as a weapon of offense!

The principle of clearness.—­The good questioner makes his questions clear and definite so that they can not be misunderstood.  That this is not always accomplished is proved by the fact that a child who is unable to answer a question when it is put in one form may answer it perfectly when it is asked in different phrasing.  The teacher always needs to make certain that the question is fully comprehended, for it is evident that an answer cannot exceed the understanding of the question in clearness.