,J'<c'*HLF
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ACHING
e/* SHORTHAND
■»
SOME SUGGEST ION vS
TO YOUNG TEACHERS
JOHN RilBERrr CSRECi-C
GIFT OF
The
Teaching of Shorthand
SOME SUGGESTIONS TO YOUNG
TEACHERS AND OTHER
ADDRESSES
BY
JOHN ROBERT GREGG
THE GREGG PUBLISHING COMPANY
NEW YORK CHICAGO SAN FRANCISCO
c.
Cc ;..'. -j;
fh
hP'
COPYRIGHT, 191 6, BY
THE GREGG PUBLISHING COMPANY
G89
CONTENTS
PAGE
The Teaching of Shorthand: Some Sugges-
tions to Young Teachers i
The Art of Teaching Shorthand ... 31
" Tricks of the Trade " in Teaching Short-
hand 57
Efficient Stenographers: What Should Their
Attainments and Qualifications Be when They
Graduate from the School 83
The Application of Modern Efficiency
Principles to the Teaching of Shorthand ioi
4GU9/8
THE TEACHING OF
SHORTHAND
SOME SUGGESTIONS
TO YOUNG TEACHERS
An Address to the Students in
THE Summer Normal School
FOR Shorthand Teachers
Gregg School, Chicago
THE TEACHING OF
SHORTHAND
IN teaching the theory of shorthand,
as in teaching all other subjects,
there are three main divisions :
1. The Presentation, or explana-
tion of the lesson.
2. The Application, or practice of
the examples for the purpose of deep-
ening the impression and developing
skill.
3. The Examination, or test for the
purpose of ascertaining the results of
the instruction and practice, and for
the guidance of the teacher in assigning
work.
These three processes are closely
connected, and when properly applied
they result in knowledge, power and
skill. In each of these divisions you
can apply an infinite variety of methods.
4 : Xk'^. Teaching of Shorthand
Let us consider these processes in the
order I have given them.
THE PRESENTATION
A wide difference of views and meth-
ods exists in regard to presentation.
Some teachers hold that the entire
lesson should be explained in detail
before the student is allowed to pro-
ceed with the study or practice of it;
others maintain that no explanation
should be given, as the student will
have the principles more thoroughly
impressed on his mind by working them
out for himself, and, in addition, will
acquired self-reUance by so doing.
The great Pestalozzi says, "Never
tell a child what he can find out for
himself," and Herbert Spencer expresses
the same thought, but not so sweep-
ingly, when he says, "Students should
be taught as little as possible and
induced to discover as much as possible."
The Teaching of Shorthand 5
When Philip of Macedon presented
his son, who afterwards became Alex-
ander the Great, to Aristotle as a pupil,
he said, "See that you make yourself
useless to my son." A great teacher,
using this expression as a text, has said :
"Teach your pupils to think, show them
the sources of information and teach
them how to use those things with
which they will have to do, and you
have done more for them than you
could possibly have done by cramming
their minds with a thousand facts,
useful though they may be."
But in connection with these wise
maxims it should be borne in mind that
the acquirement of shorthand involves
not merely an intellectual understand-
ing of rules and principles, but actual
manual skill in execution, therefore
this theory^of education should not be
given too hteral an application to short-
hand instruction. Shorthand is largely
manual, and the technique of execution
6 The Teaching of Shorthand
can be most quickly secured by the
imitation or practice of correctly written
forms placed before the student as
illustrations. For instance, when you
place a shorthand form on the board,
your students instinctively imitate your
manner of writing and the actual form
of the word or phrase.
Therefore between these extremes, of
an exhaustive explanation of the lesson
and no explanation whatever, I take
the middle ground.
I believe that the teacher can best
secure the attention and gain the con-
fidence of the student by a brief but
interesting and helpful explanation of
the most important features of each
lesson. I believe thoroughly in laying
great emphasis on making the lessons
interesting. Where you secure interest
you are bound to secure deep impres-
sion. Without the cheerful, magnetic
influence of the teacher, there is al-
ways an atmosphere of discouragement
,^'
The Teaching of Shorthand 7
in the shorthand classroom. A well-
known teacher in discussing this subject
said: "Some teachers make the mis-
take of requiring the student to dig his
own way through the theory. Much
valuable time is thus lost, and not a
thing is gained. Interpret the author's
text for the pupil, and get him to the
main business of his course, writings
without a moment's delay."
In giving such an explanation there
is no more helpful adjunct than a good
blackboard. It is a pity that the value
of blackboard work in teaching short-
hand is not more fully realized. By
the skillful use of the blackboard at all
stages of shorthand study an energetic,
resourceful teacher can most effec-
tively arouse the interest and enthu-
siasm of the students, and secure
satisfactory results. I most earnestly
urge that you see to it that you have
a good blackboard and the best chalk
obtainable, and further that you practice
8 The Teaching of Shorthand
assiduously to acquire a style of writing
that will be an inspiration to your
students.
Get close to the students. If the black-
board is a wall fixture around the room
— intended more for decorative pur-
poses or the display of fancy penmanship
than for actual service — and is at some
distance from the first row of students,
then by all means make other provision.
Get a board on a stand if necessary,
but get a board that you can use at all
times close to the students, so that they
can clearly see the shorthand forms,
and where they are distinctly within
the range of your influence.
Having assembled your class in seats
in front of the blackboard, the first
thing is to secure undivided attention.
To do this without apparent efl?brt, is
an art in itself — an art that is worth
all the attention you can give it. With-
out close attention, you cannot hope
for satisfactory results. There are many
The Teaching of Shorthand 9
ways of securing attention, but I be-
lieve in the quiet method. If the teacher
will merely stand before the class for
a minute or two looking at the students
quietly and steadily, without uttering a
word or manifesting impatience or nerv-
ous hurry, absolute silence and atten-
tion will be secured — provided the
teacher has the respect and confidence
of the students.
Begin quietly by asking them to
open their books at page so-and-so,, if
they have not already acquired that
habit. Say, " If you will give me your
attention for a few minutes, I will
explain the first principles of the lesson
you are about to study" — or something
of that kind.
Having explained the first rule or
principle, place the illustrations on the
board. As far as possible make use of
illustrations not given in the hook (your
students will learn what is in the book
by personal study) as this will give
lO The Teaching of Shorthand
additional interest to your remarks,
and secure for them more attention,
because new words under a principle
have a power of stimulating interest
that leads to deep and lasting impres-
sion. The words thus selected, too,
should be common words so that the
student will be continually adding to
his stock of useful shorthand forms.
The application of the principles to
new words will also show reserve power
and knowledge outside of the text-
book, which will inspire respect and
confidence.
It may be asked, "What purpose is
served by giving explanations and illus-
trations of rules so fully explained and
illustrated in the text-book .? " The chief
purpose is to make a vivid impression
on the memory of the student, who
will remember the teacher's oral expla-
nation and the blackboard illustrations
long after the text-book rules and illus-
trations have faded from his memory.
The Teaching of Shorthand ii
To quote from an address I made to
teachers some years ago:
"I believe the teacher should be su-
perior to the text-book, just as the
finished actor rises above the written
play. We read a play, and find it dull
and Hfeless; but when we see it inter-
preted by a great actor Hke Mansfield
it makes a vivid impression on our
minds. So it is in teaching shorthand.
Our pupils, being young, do not realize
the necessity for careful preparation,
and are likely to slight the lesson unless
the teacher, by his personal force and
the use of the blackboard, interests
them in it.
"I think, then, there should be some
presentation of the lesson, but how
much depends very much upon the
conditions — upon the time at the dis-
posal of the teacher, the class of students
he is dealing with and the importance
of the lesson. In approaching an im-
portant lesson, deserving of a great
12 The Teaching of Shorthand
deal of consideration, when the time
at my disposal was limited, I have
often felt as Mr. Depew says he did in
his college days when the sententious
professor of elocution said to him,
*Sir, your time is three minutes, and
your subject. The Immortality of the
Soul/ . . .
"A great mistake commonly made
by young teachers is that of explaining
too much — of being too anxious to
help the student instead of making him
help himself. The word education is
derived from ^, out, and ducerey lead, a
leading out. The great art in teach-
ing is to draw out the student, as he
advances in the study. The teacher
must explain the important rules and
principles and emphasize their impor-
tance, but he should try to get the
student to work out the problems for
himself as much as possible."
Cultivate simplicity of statement. The
power of stating a thing in language so
The Teaching of Shorthand 13
simple, clear and direct as to be under-
stood by the dullest student in the class
is a great art.
In teaching there is a temptation to
elaborate, to be expansive. Train your-
self to shun it relentlessly. A writer
in one of the professional papers says:
Commercial teachers usually talk too
much. They do too much for the student
and communicate to him what he should
get from his own observation and delib-
eration. A boy so trained will go into a
business office and expect the proprietor
to follow the same practice, but the pro-
prietor does not do that, and consequently
the boy is lost. A very important part
of his training has been neglected. If I
were to be asked for what I consider the
most important habit a teacher should cul-
tivate I should say, " Do not talk too much.
Speak only when it is necessary. If you
can, direct a student how to find out for
himself what he requires. Give him a
simple direction and let him do the rest
himself* An enthusiastic teacher becomes
so thoroughly saturated with his work that
14 The Teaching of Shorthand
it is very natural for him to overdo the
matter of instruction. From what I say
it must not be inferred that I mean he should
become so silent that he ceases to be an
instructor. That is the other extreme. He
should exercise a fine discriminating judg-
ment in saying just the right word at the
right time.
If an unfortunate reader of this article,
who is a teacher, will on the following day
take himself in hand in the schoolroom,
and endeavor to condense into the fewest
possible words the instruction he gives to
his students, he will be astonished in a very
short time at the great saving in his physical
strength and the greater self-reliance and
application which will shortly be observed
in his students.
Now, brevity in speech must not be under-
stood to mean surliness, curtness or sar-
casm. These are three weapons that come
easy to the teacher, but which are boom-
erangs that return to the teacher and do
far more harm than good. Sarcasm in the
schoolroom is a splendid disciplinary agent,
but it must be exercised with the utmost
caution; curtness and surliness are never
permissible.
The Teaching of Shorthand 15
No instruction is valuable which
depends upon arbitrary practice or
application without an understanding
of the reason for the thing that is being
applied. Therefore make it a practice
to explain the reason for each rule or
principle before the illustrations are
practiced. With the fundamental rules,
it is usually sufficient to explain that
they represent the natural way of writing
the forms.
Another important feature in presen-
tation that I wish to comment on is
this: Make your students feel that they
can " get " the lesson from your explana-
tions if they will give their undivided
attention. Caution them against put-
ting off "getting" the lesson until they
are alone in their private study. Pri-
vate study should be used only to aug-
ment and deepen the impression of
what you have said. It is well to bear
in mind the dictum of Herbert Spencer,
"To give the net product of the inquiry
1 6 The Teaching of Shorthand
without the inquiry that leads to it is
both enervating and inefficient."
We come now to the second process —
THE APPLICATION
Having explained a rule clearly and
briefly, direct the students to practice
the illustrations which you have placed
on the board.
Be explicit in your directions —
"You will now write (so many) lines
of these words, making the forms slowly
and carefully." It is important to
have a well-defined plan of practice,
which should be clearly stated and
rigidly enforced until it becomes a
matter of routine. Assign so many
lines of each shorthand form to be
written by the student, with about so
many forms to the line. The last men-
tioned direction is for the purpose of
preventing the students filHng up the
lines with a few, large, sprawling out-
lines.
The Teaching of Shorthand 17
As they practice the forms, pass
around and examine their work. The
knowledge that you are watching them,
and are interested in what they are
doing, will develop a desire to excel —
to merit your approbation — and this
spirit of emulation is productive of the
best results.
When you think it necessary, you
may criticize and correct the outlines;
but great tact should be exercised in
doing this, especially during the first
week or two. Find something to praise
— the size of the characters, or some
curve or joining, and then say, "But
this form might be written a little better,
like this — ." An experienced teacher
says: "Do not emphasize too strongly
criticisms of pupils' errors. Do not
overlook errors, but give more atten-
tion to, and say more in commendation
of, what the student has done correctly.
If the student is judiciously praised for
everything that he writes correctly, the
1 8 The Teaching oj Shorthand
little that may be necessary to say
about his errors is not likely to dis-
courage him." Praise first — criticize
afterwards.
Do not expect too much precision of
form at first; and above all things avoid
being hypercritical or "fussy." When
the student has gained control of his
hand and has a little more famiHarity
with the forms, you will have plenty
of opportunity to enforce exactness of
form, and your explanations will then
be better understood and become more
effective.
It often requires considerable self-
control on the part of the teacher to
refrain from interrupting students with
many explanations and criticisms.
The student should clearly under-
stand from the outset that shorthand
is a study requiring much practice,
and that he — not you — is to do that
practice. Start him right! If you begin
by explaining everything, correcting
The Teaching of Shorthand 19
everything, giving him constant atten-
tion, he will expect you to continue to
do so throughout the course, and will
feel neglected and helpless when you
are not at his elbow. Encourage him
to acquire self-reliance, but let him know
that you are always ready and willing
to assist him when assistance is abso-
lutely necessary.
For his own sake let him understand
clearly from the first lesson that pro-
ficiency in shorthand is attained only
by much repetition practice — by writ-
ing the outlines over and over again.
This can be conveyed to him as much
by the way you act during the first
lesson as by stating it in words. If a
student stops writing during the prac-
tice work, you can step towards him
and ask in a solicitous tone, "What is
the matter, Mr. Smith?" and then in a
kindly but nevertheless authoritative
way direct him to continue the practice
of the forms until you tell him to stop.
20 The Teaching of Shorthand
The others will hear what you say and
thus the right idea will be established
at the very beginning. Do not permit
any other idea to take root in subse-
quent lessons; let him understand that
nothing will take the place of genuine
effort on his part.
In passing around you may notice
that several students have a common
fault in writing an outline — it may be
the joining of a circle or the slant of
the curves. Step in front of the class
and say: "Let me have your attention
for a moment, please. I notice that in
writing so-and-so some of you write it
like this'' (illustrating). Then explain
the correct way of making the outline,
and have them drill on it.
In doing this it may be necessary to
contrast the correct and incorrect forms,
but tht faulty forms should not he allowed
to remain on the hoard; let the emphasis
rest strongly on the correct forms. If
emphasized too much, a had hahit may
The Teaching of Shorthand 21
leave an impression that will lead to
unconscious imitation or repetition of it.
For this reason the forms placed on
the board should be as graceful and
accurate as it is possible for the teacher
to make them with freedom of move-
ment. The conscientious teacher will
practice diligently to acquire a good
blackboard style of writing. Students
are naturally imitative and pick up
almost unconsciously the style of writing
placed before them by the teacher.
Explain one point at a time; then en-
force it by giving the students illustra-
tions for practice. That distinguished
educator, Dr. Charles W. Eliot, Ex-
President of Harvard University, says:
The next thing education should attend
to -is the imparting of the habit of quick and
concentrated attention. Without this there
can be no true economy of time. A pro-
longed attention is not natural to children,
and should not be demanded of them,
but quick and concentrated attention may
22 The Teaching of Shorthand
be reasonably expected for brief intervals
from every child. As the age increases,
the possible period of close attention will
grow longer and longer.
We all recognize the truth of this
statement, and it is well to keep it stead-
ily in mind in all our classroom work.
As you can secure from your students
quick and concentrated attention for a
brief period only, talk briefly, interest-
ingly, explain one point at a time —
just one point — and enforce that point
by earnest practice.
From motives of economy many
schools supply students with cheap
notebooks and pencils, and sometimes
students buy such notebooks and pen-
cils at the stores. Nothing can be more
detrimental to the progress of the short-
hand student than poor materials. A
well-known reporter says: *'When I
see some of the notebooks and pencils
used by stenographers, I sometimes
wonder how these stenographers man-
The Teaching of Shorthand 23
age to write. No mechanic could use
poor tools in his work, and produce
good, fast work. Artists and experts
are not satisfied with anything but the
finest tools and instruments. The ste-
nographer should have the same spirit.
The cost of the best is only a trifle more,
and the better and finer work done
often results in a reduced size of writing
which makes the best material the
cheapest after all."
There is a lack of uniformity and order-
liness in having various kinds of note-
books. Just as an orderly, well-kept
office inspires the office force to be neat
and orderly, so good notebooks and pen-
cils inspire the student to do good work.
Therefore see that your students have
good notebooks and good pencils, and
that they keep the pencils sharp, which
will aid them in making neat, clean-cut
outlines and insure a light touch.
Let us now consider the third
process —
24 The Teaching oj Shorthand
THE EXAMINATION
No part of the work is more impor-
tant than tests and examinations to
determine the student's knowledge of
the principles of shorthand as he pro-
gresses, and perhaps no portion of the
work is more neglected. It is in the
examination that the intelligence, tact,
industry, and teaching quaHties of the
teacher are brought out unmistakably.
Show me a teacher's methods of testing
students, grading papers, and system
of promotion, and I will tell you the
quality of his work — and the success
he reaches in preparing stenographers
for the exacting demands of modern
business.
I hasten to assure you, however, that
I shall not prescribe a method of per-
forming this part of the work except
to make some suggestions based upon
experience. Although I have been
teaching shorthand for a quarter of a
The Teaching of Shorthand 25
century, I am free to confess that I have
not by any means discovered the ideal
method of giving examinations. There
are, however, some general proposi-
tions which now meet with almost uni-
versal acceptance, at least as far as
teachers of Gregg Shorthand are con-
cerned. These are:
1. That in shorthand it is necessary
to insist upon a certain standard of
accuracy oi form as well as in the appli-
cation of the rules.
2. That a practical understanding of
the application of a rule is vastly more
important than a knowledge of the
exact wording of it.
3. That an understanding of the
practical application of a rule is best
ascertained by requiring the student to
write words illustrating the rule that
are not given in the lesson.
4. That new words and new sen-
tences arouse the interest of the stu-
dent, and develop his constructive
26 The Teaching of Shorthand
power, and consequently his ability
to deal more promptly with new
words.
A few comments on tests and exam-
inations, as a whole, may be of service.
There is a wide divergence of opinion
as to the benefits of examinations.
Some distinguished educators are op-
posed to examinations, but mainly on
the ground that they interfere with
continuous work, and for this reason I
believe that the tests should be short,
such as may be given in one period, so
that they may not interfere with the
onward progress of the student.
Properly conducted, examinations give
students an opportunity to discover
for themselves many of their weak
points, and perhaps therein lies their
greatest value. The examination is
of much more benefit to the student
than to the teacher. The teacher
generally knows the student's capabil-
ities. The examination serves also as
The Teaching of Shorthand 27
a review, and brings all the work he
has done into a comprehensive view,
and is therefore of great value. The
student should be induced to feel that
the examination is but another form of
recitation — that his actual knowledge
of the subject is not affected by dis-
closing his weaknesses.
Preparation should be made for the
regular periodical examination by giving
frequent tests on words under the prin-
ciples contained in certain groups of les-
sons. These tests not only strengthen
knowledge of the principles, but tend
to relieve the student of the nervousness
that is often present on examination
day. Progressive Exercises, and the sup-
plementary exercises given each year
in the Gregg Writer, serve admirably
for tests on the lessons. In both tests
and examinations I think great care
should be exercised to avoid selecting
words that involve too intricate word-
building. It is very easy to err on the
28 The Teaching of Shorthand
side of making the words so difficult as
to discourage the student.
The younger and more inexperienced
students, too, often have difficulty in
writing the correct forms — especially
in the advanced work — not so much
because they are unable to apply the
principles of shorthand^ as on account of
unfamiliarity with the words and their
pronunciation. In shorthand, as in
spelling, there are many words that
may be called "catch" words, and these
should be avoided in examinations.
Such words may be used as a special
drill in regular recitation.
In closing, let me say a word or two
of the value of personality in getting
results. A keen sympathy with the
aims and ambitions of the students is
one of the quickest means of getting
into that close personal relationship
which is so necessary for both student
and teacher in the development of the
student's abilities. This can best be
The Teaching of Shorthand 29
attained by letting the student feel
that you are a leader and guide and not
a critic. Too many teachers, especially
the younger and inexperienced, are apt
to feel that they are not fulfilling their
mission unless they put themselves in
the attitude of critics. There can be
no greater mistake. You at once an-
tagonize the student, and all that con-
fidence and freedom of expression, and
that unfolding of his real self are lost
to you — you never get at his better
side, the side which will lead both him
and you to success. If the student
feels that you are his guide and friend,
and that he can come to you in the
fullest confidence, without fear of crit-
icism, when he meets a difficult sit-
uation, you have done more for the
development of that student than you
could by all the criticisms you could
ever make. On the other hand, there
is such a thing as being too much of a
guide — the student will lean on you
30 The Teaching of Shorthand
instead of being self-reliant. The qual-
ity of self-reliance must be cultivated.
He must learn that while you may
plaster his pathway all along with sign-
posts for his guidance, he must do the
traveling for himself — that nothing can
ever be substituted for his own energy,
industry, intelligence, and initiative.
THE ART OF TEACHING
SHORTHAND
Read before the
Central Commercial Teachers'
Association, Omaha, Nebr.
May, 1905
THE ART OF TEACHING
SHORTHAND
THE "Art of Teaching Shorthand"
is such a broad subject that I
shall not attempt to do more in this
paper than to give some thoughts bear-
ing on certain phases of it which have
occurred to me in my experience. I
can do no more, perhaps, than open a
discussion which will lead us into view-
ing some of the problems from different
angles. If I do this much, I shall be
satisfied.
As the business man of to-day has
been educated to demand a higher
standard of efficiency in his steno-
graphic force than formerly, there must
be a corresponding advance in the
methods of teaching shorthand and
typewriting if we would meet these
34 ^^^ Teaching of Shorthand
requirements. The demand for speed
in execution has grown in the profes-
sion of shorthand as in everything else.
Work of all kinds is now done under
greater pressure than ever before.
The keen competition between com-
mercial schools seems to render it im-
practicable to lengthen the course of
instruction materially, and yet the
teacher of to-day is expected to produce
much better equipped stenographers and
typewriter operators than formerly, not
only from the standpoint of technical
skill, but of a wider cultural education.
This additional cultural work can be
done effectively in the high school by the
lengthening of the course, but the com-
mercial school must produce results in
a shorter time. It is necessary, there-
fore, for the teacher in the commer-
cial school to intensify his instruction.
While it is safe to say that the time
devoted to the subjects included in a
shorthand course has not been increased
The Teaching of Shorthand 35
to any appreciable extent in the business
school, there has been in the past ten
years a demand by business men of
fully twenty-five per cent increase in
efficiency, which means that the stu-
dents must accomplish just that much
more in the time that custom has es-
tablished as necessary to prepare for
stenographic work.
This being the case, it is obvious that
improved methods of instruction are
imperatively demanded to meet pres-
ent-day conditions.
And while this demand for increased
efficiency has been growing and is still
growing at a tremendous rate, there can
be no change in the fundamental proc-
esses of writing shorthand — processes
that are entirely distinct from any
improvement in the shorthand systems
themselves — and must ever be pres-
ent, whatever the shorthand system
used. Let us consider briefly what
these processes are, and we shall realize
36 The Teaching of Shorthand
how great are the problems involved in
teaching shorthand, as well as in acquir-
I ing sufficient skill in writing to meet
existing requirements. A keen analyt-
ical writer on this subject has said:
There are at least five distinct mental
operations carried on continuously during
verbatim reporting. First, there is the
sensation of sound received by the ear.
Second, there is the perception by the
brain of the word uttered — practically
simultaneously with the sensation of a
hearing in the case of a distinct speaker,
but often delayed a large fraction of a
second when a speaker drops his voice, or
a witness in court has a foreign accent. In
the third place, the stenographer must
analyze the structure of all the less common
words in the sentences, all except the stock
words or phrases, which he writes by a
practically automatic habit. Fourth, these
relatively uncommon words must be put
on paper according to the principles of the
system employed. This one operation in-
volves many subordinate and infinitely
swift efforts of recollection, association, and
The Teaching of Shorthand 37
decision. Fifth, all these mental operations
are carried on while the pen or pencil is
from two or three words to an entire sen-
tence behind the speaker — this of course
in rapid speaking — thereby complicating
the situation by compelling memory to keep
pace with attention. In other words, while
the scribe is writing the predicate of one
sentence and analyzing an unfamiliar word
in the subject of the next, he is at the same
time giving his auditory attention to the
predicate of the second sentence then being
uttered by the speaker. This is impossible
to an untrained mind. The average edu-
cated person cannot retain more than
perhaps six or eight words of the exact
phraseology of a speaker at one time. The
competent stenographer can hold ten, fif-
teen, twenty words, or even more in his
memory, while at the same time taxing his
mind by the act of writing the words that
preceded.
The truth of what this writer says
is obvious to us all and there is forced
upon us at once the conclusion that the
teaching of shorthand presents some
38 The Teaching of Shorthand
peculiar and distinctive problems in
pedagogy. I say "peculiar and distinc-
tive" because the ordinary principles
of pedagogy cannot always be applied
in shorthand instruction, because it is
an entirely distinctive problem.
The teaching of bookkeeping is largely
a mental problem; the teaching of
penmanship is largely a manual one.
The teaching of shorthand combines
both problems — and in a combination
that is complex in the highest degree.
In teaching bookkeeping it is not of
great importance that the work be done
quickly. Speed here, as elsewhere, is
desirable; but it is of the greatest im-
portance that it be done accurately.
One of our problems is the thorough
correlation of these two phases of short-
hand work — that is, of acquiring both
speed and accuracy.
Let me draw your attention for a
moment to the last named condition
of which the writer just quoted speaks,
The Teaching of Shorthand 39
namely — the training of the memory,
and the development of concentration,
to enable the student to remember as
many words as possible while record-
ing other words. Memory training and
complete concentration, to my mind,
present a distinctive factor in the teach-
ing of shorthand — memorizing not in
the sense of storing up in the mind
facts or information for future use, but
temporarily holding suspended the exact
words of a speaker, given perhaps very
rapidly, until they can be written, to be
then forgotten.
This training must necessarily be a
part of the course in the training of all
shorthand students and, until the ability
to retain a large number of words is
developed, a high degree of skill cannot
be attained; and this factor, as has
been said before, is quite distinct from
the mastery of the principles of short-
hand, and is not affected by the system
which is being studied. It is this faculty
40 The Teaching of Shorthand
that gives the expert shorthand writer
the abihty to make the process of writ-
ing continuous. It may be possible to
simpHfy the principles of shorthand con-
struction, so that the mind may con-
struct the word forms more easily, and
it may be possible to render the joinings
and characters more easy and natural,
so as to lessen the manual labor in
executing them, as has been done in
modern systems, but it is not possible
in a few hours to endow the student
with the trained memory which will
permit of the performance of the com-
plex mental and manual acts required
in very rapid shorthand writing.
How can we in the schoolroom give
this memory training effectively in a
course that is already burdensomely
heavy? One of the ablest teachers we
have ever had in the profession, Mr. J.
Clifford Kennedy, it seems to me, has
made a very valuable suggestion. He
made it a practice to give one dictation
The Teaching of Shorthand 41
each day for the purpose of training the
students to remember a series of words.
He would dictate from ten to fifteen
words and the students would not write
until he had uttered the last word —
which he indicated by tapping his desk.
They would then begin to write, and
when they had finished he would dictate
another line or two while they refrained
from writing until he again tapped the
desk, and so on. His method was
effective. I have used it myself, and
it is surprising the attention value it
has, and the interest it lends to the
work of dictation.
A well-known reporter, Mr. W. E.
McDermut, in a recent paper, said:
"In David Wolfe Brown's book on
Factors of Shorthand Speed he refers to
what he calls the * word-carrying faculty,'
the ability to carry a number of words
in the mind while catching up. The
faculty may be improved by keeping
a safe distance behind the dictator
42 The Teaching of Shorthand
while going at a moderate speed, and
gradually increasing the distance that
the writer can keep behind, as well as
the speed. ... In dictating to classes
a good beginning in this way can be
made by dictating short questions and
answers, the student not to begin
writing the question until the dictation
of the answer is begun, and so on."
And while on the subject of memory
training, there is another act which must
be given attention — hearing. The ear
must be trained to catch and digest
words.
Let us return to the acts involved in
shorthand writing — for I have not
mentioned all of them. While the
writer of shorthand is hearing, think-
ing out, remembering and recording
the words of the speaker or dictator, he
has other work to do. He must turn
the pages of his notebook from time
to time, make corrections occasionally,
observe proportion in writing the char-
The Teaching of Shorthand 43
acters — all operations necessitating a
share of the attention. If he is to
make an intelligent report, he must pay-
close attention to the purport of the
speaker's remarks. This last phase of
the work is of the highest importance
in making an intelligent transcript,
being almost impossible if the writer
is unable to comprehend the meaning
of what the speaker is saying.
It has been said that the practice of
shorthand brings into active, instan-
taneous operation all the faculties of
the mind, and that the attainment of a
high degree of skill in shorthand writing
is equivalent to a proportionate increase
in mental activity.
From this partial statement of what
is done in actual shorthand writing, it
will be clear that the teaching of the
subject has distinctive problems, and
affords the teacher exceptional oppor-
tunities for diversified methods.
How shall we develop speed with
44 '^he Teaching of Shorthand
accuracy in the shortest possible time?
In other words, how shall we prepare
our students to become efficient stenog-
raphers and at the same time give them
that correct fundamental training which
shall enable them to develop a high
degree of skill?
It is my opinion that in the past we
have laid too great stress upon accuracy ,
and paid too little attention to the
development of speed from a scientific
point of view. It is a common fallacy
that "speed will come with practice."
Without in the least depreciating the
importance of accuracy, I believe that
we have insisted too much upon accu-
racy without regard to speed, and by so
doing have fastened upon our students
a sluggish method of forming the char-
acters from which, in many cases, they
have been unable to free themselves
in after years. I am firmly of the
belief that speed in execution should he
developed along with a theoretical knozul-
The Teaching of Shorthand 45
edge of the principles, and not postponed
until the writer has mastered the prin^
ciples.
I have heard teachers, in speaking
about this matter, say, "Oh, well, the
students will learn the knack of speed
in actual work outside the school."
That view of the matter is a survival
of the old idea, now fast dying out.
Accuracy and speed can be combined
from the very beginning, and should
be. Who can say that the steps of a
runner are any less accurate than are
those of the walker.? The secret of
speed in execution lies largely in getting
the right idea.
It has long seemed to me a strange
anomaly in business education that the
value of movement exercises should be
so universally recognized in the teach-
ing of penmanship, and that such exer-
cises should be almost entirely ignored
in teaching shorthand. The technique
of shorthand writing is of the utmost
46 The Teaching of Shorthand
importance, and yet most of us, I am
afraid, lay the stress on ** principles"
and not "practice."
If it be conceded that movement
drills in penmanship develop a more
perfect command of hand and pen, it
would seem to follow that they are
absolutely indispensable in teaching
shorthand, where rapid and accurate
execution simply cannot be dispensed
with.
The explanation of this apparent
inconsistency may possibly be found
in the belief that shorthand, requiring
as it does greater nicety of execution,
is liable under free movement exercises
to develop into an illegible scrawl.
While this may be true to some extent
with the student who has not been
properly trained in the beginning, I
believe that an injustice is done to
the careful and conscientious student
by the utter neglect of such drills. A
recognition of the fact that a greater
The Teaching of Shorthand 47
nicety of execution is demanded for
shorthand writing in order to gain speed
in writing and the legibility necessary
for rapid, accurate transcription, would
seem to emphasize the absolute neces-
sity for movement drills to develop
manual skill.
We can't get away from the fact that
rapid shorthand writing is largely a
matter of manual skill. Shorthand writ-
ing is writing, not drawing. This fact
must become a fixture in the mind of
the student from the first day of his
work, and it must be doubly impressed
that all that is written must be read.
I am not one who believes that the short-
hand characters must be drawn with
mathematical accuracy in the early
lessons. I think the characters must
be correct, and held as nearly as pos-
sible to the ideal, but they must be
written so, not drawn.
Many teachers are a little too *'text-
booky," if I may so express it. They
48 The Teaching of Shorthand
use modern text-books written from the
teacher's point of view; they know these
books from cover to cover, and they
teach the principles much more thor-
oughly than the teacher of the old
school; but when they have done all
that, they are apt to think that the
development of speed lies entirely with
the student, and that all he needs
is continuous dictation practice. They
feel that they have done their part in
teaching rules and form, and the rest
lies with the student and his em-
ployer.
Willing and anxious as they are to
assist the student at all stages of the
work, they have no systematic plan
for giving him an insight into the
peculiar knack of rapid writing or of
training him in those time-saving ex-
pedients and modifications of form
which must be acquired before a high
degree of skill can be attained.
In my opinion the shorthand teacher
The Teaching of Shorthand 49
owes It to the reputation of the school
with which he is connected to demon-
strate to the students that under his
instruction they acquire something out-
side the text-book — something that
cannot be acquired by any amount
of home study or mere dictation
practice.
One of the most powerful aids in
imparting to others the knack of writing
shorthand rapidly is the abiHty to write
rapidly and to demonstrate how it is
done. Not rapidity in the sense that
the teacher must be a "record breaker,*'
or a "speedist," but he ought to have
sufficient executional skill to show stu-
dents that he is a capable writer himself.
And it may be remarked in passing
that the teacher who takes the trouble
to acquire this skill will have revealed
to him some of the things behind the
scenes which will do more to help him
to secure results than anything he has
ever undertaken.
50 The Teaching of Shorthand
It is not sufficient to give general
suggestions from time to time, for such
academic instruction, however valuable
it may be, leaves only a transient im-
pression on the mind of the average
student and is of little practical value
in the development of speed.
To be of any effective service, the
instruction must be supplemented by
regular and intense application under
the eye of the teacher. I advocate a
systematic course of exercises for ad-
vanced students, mapped out with the
same care as are the drills now used in
teaching penmanship or touch type-
writing.
Such drills will result in a great im-
provement in the style of writing, and
will have the effect of keeping steadily
before the student the importance of
facility of execution. In an article some-
time ago in the American PenmaUy Mr.
Carl C. Marshall, in speaking of a visit
to a penmanship class conducted by
The Teaching of Shorthand 51
Mr. F. B. Courtney, said: "I noticed
that the class did not follow the count
uniformly, that is, did not 'write to-
gether' or in the same time. I after-
wards called Mr. Courtney's attention
to this and asked him if it was intended
that they should do so. 'Oh, no,' he
said, *the purpose of the count is pri-
marily to secure speed, not uniformity
of movement, which is not only im-
practicable but not really desirable.
I think the counting helps them to
avoid the drawing habit or the con-
struction of the letters slowly and with-
out regard to the time. It keeps the
paramount idea of speed constantly
before them.'" Mr. Marshall adds,
"This was the first time that the
ps^T^chological value of the counting
device had been made plain to me."
So it is with shorthand penmanship
drills when conducted with snap and
vim. They eliminate the "drawing
habit" and keep the "paramount
52 The Teaching of Shorthand
idea of speed" constantly before the
students.
The advantages of the shorthand
penmanship drill may be briefly
summed up as follows:
It relieves the monotony of ordi-
nary routine dictation and by keep-
ing the student interested in his
work insures more certain and rapid
progress.
It promotes harmony between the
mental and physical actions in short-
hand writing, the hand being trained
to respond more promptly to the thought
transmitted to it from the brain.
It leads the student to study the
individual peculiarities of his writing,
and by familiarizing him with the modi-
fications which outlines undergo when
rapidly written, enables him to acquire
greater fluency in reading.
It teaches him to control the unnec-
essary movements of the hand and to
acquire knowledge in this direction,
The Teaching of Shorthand 53
which might otherwise come to him
only after years of actual work.
It compels a student who has a
sluggish or awkward method of writing
to realize by comparison that the fault
is with himself, and not with the
teacher or the system he writes.
It trains him to make rapid transi-
tions between words, to move easily
and rapidly from the end of one line
to the beginning of the next, and from
page to page.
It gives him a swiftness of action that
is carried into all the other writing.
It shortens the time required to attain
proficiency in shorthand, and thus allows
more time to be given to typewriting,
spelling, punctuation, etc.
It promotes a spirit of emulation and
inspires the student with greater confi-
dence in his teacher.
It is of the highest importance to
maintain the interest of the student in
his work. There is too much routine
54 '^^^ Teaching of Shorthand
and too much continuous dictation in
our classrooms. Continuous dictation
acts as a soporific, and the evidence of
this will be found in the large percent-
age of students who find it necessary
to support their heads with their hands
while taking dictation.
The penmanship and other exercises
that I have suggested will impart an
interest and a vim to the work in the
classroom which will induce students
to do their very best, and this quite
apart from the value of the exercises in
developing combined speed and accu-
racy. The former superintendent of
the Chicago schools, Mr. Cooley, in
reply to a criticism about the in-
troduction of fads into the public
schools, said; "The fads are essen-
tial. It is impossible to keep a child's
attention at a set task for very long.
They have their three R's and then
their games, cooking, sewing, etc., and
then they go back to the first. In
The Teaching of Shorthand 55
this way the children enjoy all the
studies."
Now as our students are but children
of a larger growth, what Mr. Cooley
says appHes to our work. We should
make it more interesting, more intense.
"TRICKS OF THE TRADE"
IN TEACHING SHORTHAND
Read before the National
Shorthand Teachers' Association
St. Louis, Missouri, 1901
"TRICKS OF THE TRADE"
IN TEACHING SHORTHAND
THE title of my paper was suggested
by the concluding remark of a
school proprietor who applied to me
for a teacher. After mentioning the
requirements, he said: "To sum it all
up, I want a man who is thoroughly
qualified — one who knows all the tricks
of the trade." At first, I was inclined
to resent the imputation that there
were any tricks in our trade, but sub-
sequent reflection and observation have
convinced me that we cannot, with
truth, say "there are tricks in all trades
but ours."
WHAT "tricks of THE TRADE*'
MEANS
The phrase is not used in a derogatory
sense; in our profession it is usually
6o The Teaching of Shorthand
intended to convey the idea of adapta-
bility, tact, experience, etc. In every
line of human endeavor, the man who
is valuable to his employer is the man
who knows the tricks of his trade. It
is just as true in our profession as it is
of the shoe clerk who sells you a pair
of shoes for seven dollars when you
intended to purchase a pair for half
that amount on entering the store.
And by that it is not meant the man
who is familiar with all the sharp
practices and underhanded tricks of a
trade, but the man who makes friends
because of his knowledge of his business
and >of human nature, and who, by his
industry, foresight, and adaptability to
different personalities, is able to make
the best use of his knowledge. Such is
the man who is familiar with the legiti-
mate "tricks" of his trade. It is he
who reaches the highest success in any
line, whose force is felt not only in his
own particular profession, but carries
The Teaching of Shorthand 6i
the influence of his forcefulness into
all branches of human activity. But,
back of this familiarity with human
nature, there must be a wider and deeper
knowledge — knowledge of the thou-
sands of details, small in themselves,
but which go to make up the whole.
It is the faculty for going into the very
heart of a thing and studying it analyt-
ically, the faculty that enables a Kipling
to write with equally profound knowl-
edge of the freaks of a locomotive, or
still greater freaks of human sentiment;
that enables a J. Pierpont Morgan to
so arrange his forces as to bring about
financial combinations that are stag-
gering in their magnitude; that enables
a Marconi to send electric impulses
across the sea by methods hitherto
undreamt of.
The shorthand teacher usually has
but little to do with the business man-
agement of the school with which he is
associated; but whether he has any
62 The Teaching of Shorthand
word in the business management or
not, he can make himself of more value
to his employer by familiarizing him-
self with all the phases of the school
management, in order that he may be
able to understand the school's policy
and become an effective factor in its
success.
MASTERY OF THE SUBJECT
First of all, it goes without saying,
he should be master of the theory and
technique of the art which he teaches.
This is an indispensable trick. Noth-
ing carries conviction so quickly, or
is the source of greater inspiration to
his students, than evidence that the
teacher can do what he teaches.
The teacher who gives a practical
demonstration of his ability to perform
the feats which he asks of his pupils, has
done more perhaps to gain the confidence
of his students than he could by any
other means. There is such a wide
The Teaching of Shorthand 63
difference between the theory of any-
art and the appHcation of the theory to
practical work that it seems to me this
is a point that should receive a great
deal of earnest attention from the
teacher. Methods of execution in
writing can only be taught by practical
illustration. One may have an almost
perfect conception of how a thing
should be done, and yet not be able to
do it until he has seen it done. Such
knowledge does not come from a mere
conception that this or that thing can
be done; it comes only after infinitely
patient toil.
But, in illustrating a point, the teacher
should not allow his own expertness
in execution to become so apparent
as to discourage his students. He
should endeavor to keep his execution
within the bounds of the capacity of
his students; it should be an illustration
of the methods of movements rather
than a demonstration of the speed at
64 The Teaching of Shorthand
which such movements may be made,
otherwise the effect may be opposite
from that which he desires. If he can
create the impression upon the students
that it is all very simple, and that by a
little extra effort they can do as well,
he will unconsciously develop in them
a feeling of power that will have the
most beneficial effect.
RESOURCEFULNESS NECESSARY AT
TIMES
While all this is true, it sometimes
happens that through circumstances a
teacher is thrown into new surroundings
and finds himself in a position where
his only salvation is his ingenuity and
ability to adapt himself to the new
conditions. In such circumstances, I
believe it is perfectly justifiable to take
advantage of whatever tricks he may
be able to devise in order to carry out
his work successfully. To illustrate:
I recently visited a school where the
The Teaching of Shorthand 65
teacher had been obliged to make a
change of systems a few weeks pre-
viously. As I entered the classroom
he was placing a shorthand exercise
on the board for transcription. He
held the text-book in his hand, and
appeared to be composing the exercise
as he wrote. I was very much im-
pressed with the ease with which he
executed the outlines, considering the
time he had devoted to the system he
was using. The only pauses appeared
to be those caused by hesitancy in com-
posing the sentences, but which were
in reality caused by his efforts to grasp
fully the import of the outlines. Upon
investigation, I found that he had col-
lected exercises bearing on each lesson
from another teacher and pasted them
in his book following the lessons. This
man possessed resourcefulness, and to
my mind he was perfectly justified in
employing such an expedient. His pre-
vious experience made him capable of
66 The Teaching of Shorthand
imparting instruction; the fact that
he reaUzed his somewhat imperfect
knowledge of the instrument he was
using, aroused him to use all his re-
sourcefulness to make his instruction
eflFective, and that it was effective was
attested by the interest and confidence
of his students. If the teacher had
not used this "trick," his students
would very quickly have detected his
weakness, lost confidence in his ability,
and become discouraged.
PERSONAL INTEREST IN STUDENTS
A very important point is for the
teacher to take a personal interest in
the progress of each student, but this
must be done without creating any
suspicion of partiality. Only by a con-
stant study of the peculiarities of each
student, in order that he may give
him such encouragement as he needs
and point out tactfully the errors of
his ways in such a manner as not to
The Teaching of Shorthand 6j
antagonize him, can the teacher hope
to attain this end. The element of
personal interest in his students is a
potent one in influencing the success
of the teacher as well as that of the
student. It is a "trick" that can be
acquired only by painstaking care,
and requires the exercise of rare dis-
crimination, self-control, and a strong
sense of justice. It is an art that
should be cultivated assiduously. The
school proprietor can get students to
the school. The success of the stu-
dent is then practically in the teacher's
hands, and the fitness of the teacher
for the position which he holds will
depend upon how well the pupil accom-
plishes his task. The teacher should
bring every influence to bear to make
the progress of the student so sure and
thorough that when he leaves, whether
it be in six months or a year, he will be
quaHfied to discharge his duties cred-
itably to himself and to the institution
68 The Teaching of Shorthand
where he received his training. While
the teacher is employed primarily to
"teach," there is much more to be
taught than the mere art of shorthand
writing. He should make a study of
the defects in the training of his stu-
dents, and try as far as possible to
correct them. Anything that would
tend to lessen the student's chances
for success, such as lack of taste in
dress, untidiness, pecuHar mannerisms,
etc., may be corrected by occasional
general talks on such subjects, and in
extreme cases by tactful confidential
talks. It is manifestly impossible for
teachers handling large classes to re-
member the name of each student at
all times — although it will be surprising
to those who have not tried it how
quickly the faculty can be acquired —
but it is a habit that the teacher should
acquire as early in his experience as
possible. There is hardly anything
more displeasing to the student than
The Teaching of Shorthand 69
for his teacher to neglect to address
him by name.
SECURING THE ATTENTION OF STUDENTS
The art of holding the attention of
the student while presenting the lesson;
of repeating the explanations, if need
be, in different language, until they
have been thoroughly impressed on the
mind of the student, is a subject that
will require much earnest study on the
part of the teacher.
At this point the teacher will have
full opportunity to exercise whatever
ingenuity and resourcefulness he may
possess, because methods of presenta-
tion that would appeal quickly and
effectively to one class of students,
might have exactly the opposite effect
on others. The teacher should make
a careful study of the personnel of his
classes, and adopt methods that will
comprehend the various mental capa-
bili'ties of his students, if possible. A
70 The Teaching of Shorthand
mistake many inexperienced teachers
make is to adapt their methods to a
few of the bright pupils of one class,
to the utter confusion of the less intel-
lectual students.
THE TEACHER SHOULD BE SUPERIOR
TO THE TEXT-BOOK
Another point at which many teachers
fail is in making their own instruction
subordinate to that of the text-book.
The difference between such instruc-
tion and real instruction is just the
difference that distinguishes the written
play from the acted play. In the
former the whole mass of words is life-
less, except to the highly imaginative;
in the latter art, environment, and the
living words of the actors make a
lasting impression.
THE USE OF THE BLACKBOARD
Perhaps nothing marks the differ-
ence between the experienced teacher
The Teaching of Shorthand 71
and the novice more than the method
of using the blackboard, and I would
name the intelHgent use of the black-
board as one of the greatest tricks in
our trade. From the position that he
assumes before the board, the inex-
perienced teacher often appears to be-
lieve that his pupils can see through
him, I mean in the literal sense. But
in our profession the art of "side-
stepping'' is just as important as it is
in the noble art of self-defense. The
experienced teacher after writing the
outlines on the board will step aside
in an easy, natural manner so that
students in all parts of the room may
have a clear view of the board. The
young teacher is very apt to write his
outlines so small and faint that they
cannot be seen by any except those who
are close at hand. The knack of re-
taining proportion of outline while writ-
ing large on the board is a trick that
requires considerable practice.
72 The Teaching of Shorthand
KEEPING "just AHEAD " OF STUDENTS
The inexperienced teacher is fre-
quently inclined to "show off" by
writing very rapidly on the board, to
the utter bewilderment of his students.
This may impress them with a due
appreciation of his ability as a writer
of shorthand, but it has a most dis-
couraging effect on the student who
contrasts his snail-like execution with
that of the teacher. On the other hand,
the teacher who has, through long
training and experience, mastered the
method of handling blackboard work,
will write just a little ahead of his pupils
— enough to make them feel that with
a little effort they could do as well —
but he will always be just ahead of his
pupils.
GENIALITY — AND DISCIPLINE
The teacher should possess a genial
and amiable disposition, but he should
The Teaching of Shorthand 73
not allow the discipline of his room to
become lax in his efforts to be good
natured, nor should he allow students
to get the idea that the acquisition of
a business education is anything but a
serious matter. He should glow with
such a warmth of good-will as to be a
constant incentive to his students to
emulate his example. He must put
vim and enthusiasm into his work;
all his acts must be so businesslike that
his students will unconsciously acquire
the habit. He must cultivate his mem-
ory so that he will be relentless in getting
the work he requires of his students.
He should be very careful, however,
in deciding upon a policy, to be sure
that he can carry it out. Work started
by a teacher, and afterwards abandoned,
will create a feeling of distrust in his
ability.
A moderate amount of work thor-
oughly accomplished each day will be
far more effective than a large amount
74 ^^^ Teaching of Shorthand
imperfectly gone over. Students are
very quick to detect imperfections in
a teacher's character, and weak points
in his methods, and he must therefore
constantly strive to make his work as
strong as possible. The teacher should
impress upon his pupils the advantage
of thorough preparation, and show them
the folly of leaving school before they
are competent to fill the best positions.
I beHeve that the teacher in advocating
a long course is rendering the student
the greatest possible service, as well
as doing his full duty by his employers
and to the commercial community.
Business men nowadays make such
exacting requirements of stenographers
that it is imperative that the school
expecting to keep in the front rank
should so qualify its students that they
can enter upon their duties without
having to go through a long course of
"breaking in."
It will require rare judgment on the
The Teaching of Shorthand 75
part of the teacher to effect this result
without creating the suspicion that he
is working solely for his employer's
interests.
KEEPING UP-TO-DATE
The wide-awake teacher will keep
fully alive to the methods pursued by
business houses in the handling of
correspondence. Methods change con-
stantly, and the teacher who would
attain the great success, and enlarge
his influence in his profession, must
keep up-to-date in his methods. He
can do this by keeping in close touch
with his former students who have gone
out into the business world, and by
reading the shorthand magazines. And
while he is making a study of these
methods, he should not forget the hun-
dreds of ambitious teachers who, per-
haps, may not be so fortunately situated
for studying methods, and give them
the benefit of his experience through
^S The Teaching of Shorthand
this Association and the shorthand
magazines.
DIFFERENCES IN SCHOOL CONDITIONS
It has often occurred to me that in
all the meetings of this Association
which I have attended, there has never
been any reference made to the differ-
ences existing between the methods
of conducting a day school and a night
school in a large city. These are im-
portant considerations, and personally
I should like to hear them discussed.
When I visit a school in a small town,
I always envy the shorthand teacher
the class of students he has under his
charge. They are generally earnest and
ambitious, and are willing to devote con-
siderable time to practice outside school
hours. The city student, as a rule, is
not so thorough in his work, and it is a
severe drain upon the teacher's energies
to keep him sufficiently interested to
perform the work assigned to him.
The Teaching of Shorthand 77
DAY SCHOOL AND NIGHT SCHOOL
The same difference exists between
the day school and the night school in
a large city. In the day school the
students are usually very young, and
as they have no idea of the value of
time, it is imperative that the teacher
should be constantly on the alert. In
the night school the students are older,
and as they are employed during the
day, they are accustomed to strict dis-
cipline and continuous labor. As they
have taken up the study of choice, and
have not been sent by their parents,
they are liable to discontinue the study
at any time unless they are kept in-
terested and believe they are making
satisfactory progress.
Night school work has always had a
fascination for me, perhaps because of
my desire to help those who are trying
to help themselves. I believe that the
methods employed in the night school
78 The Teaching of Shorthand
should differ materially from those of
the day school. As the night school
students are employed in the business
hours, they know a great deal about
office routine, business terms and forms,
and consequently they require less in-
struction in these things. They can
apply their shorthand and typewriting
more readily on that account, but as
they are at work all day, it is abso-
lutely essential that they should be
kept interested and wide-awake. Less
copying work should therefore be as-
signed to them, and they should be
given a great deal more blackboard
and dictation work. As they have
already acquired businesslike habits of
deportment, the teacher can assume
toward them a more genial attitude
than is possible in the day school. This
adaptability to the varying needs of
the day and night school is one of the
tricks I would require above all others
in a teacher in my employ.
The Teaching of Shorthand 79
THE ELEMENT OF HUMOR
At the convention of this Associa-
tion last year, we had with us a teacher
who was unquestionably a master of
his profession, but who has now passed
away — Mr. Benjamin Stanley Banks.
I believe that his death has been a
distinct loss to our profession, and that
his place cannot be adequately filled.
Recently one of his pupils, who is now
in charge of the shorthand department
of a large commercial school, told me
that Mr. Banks was fully alive to the
importance of keeping his students
interested in their work by novel meth-
ods of instruction. He said that in
dictation work he frequently relieved
the monotony by the introduction of
impromptu talks on various subjects
to be reported by the students, and he
made it an invariable rule to dictate
an extract from Mark Twain, Max
Adler, or some other humorist as the
8o The Teaching of Shorthand
last exercise of the day. In order that
the students might go away laughing
and in good spirits. While this method
would not at all times be advisable,
it seems to me that a good feeling in-
spired by such a course, would occasion-
ally be very beneficial in relieving the
monotony of a hard day's work.
IMPORTANCE OF WELL-DIRECTED
ENERGY
In closing I desire to mention that
which in any line of business counts
for more, perhaps, with one exception
— brains — than any other, and that
is, well-directed energy. To a teacher,
energy is as indispensable as a mastery
of the subject he teaches. A teacher
using mediocre or even inferior meth-
ods, who backs up his work with snap
and energy, will accomplish creditable
results where a more brilliant man with
less energy would prove a failure. The
successful teacher must be able to create
'^:.
The Teaching of Shorthand 8 1
an atmosphere of energetic action that
will arouse his pupils to put forth
their best efforts. But he must learn
to judge between apparent energy and
actual energy. Nothing is more absurd
than a man rushing hither and thither,
sputtering and fuming, in the belief
that he is accomplishing something.
It is the escaping steam that makes
the noise. A teacher may possess a
vast storehouse of energy and yet fail
to accomplish results because of his
inability to direct his energy in the
proper channels.
The teacher must be the adviser and
guardian spirit of his pupil, and it
should be his constant care to see that
each day marks a distinct step on
Hfe's road, and that, above all, the stu-
dent can never say, "I came out by the
same door wherein I entered."
EFFICIENT STENOGRAPHERS
WHAT SHOULD THEIR ATTAINMENTS
AND QUALIFICATIONS BE WHEN
THEY GRADUATE FROM
THE SCHOOL
Read before the New England
Business College Association
WooNsocKET, Rhode Island
1910
EFFICIENT STENOGRAPHERS
THE word "efficient," as commonly
used, is such an elastic term that
perhaps Webster's view of it may help
us in formulating a standard of com-
parison in the present discussion. His
definition of "efficient'* is: "Causing
effects; producing results; not inac-
tive, slack or incapable; characterized
by energetic and useful activity."
In order to understand fully the con-
ditions which confront the stenographer
who would be classed among the "effi-
cient," let us consider for a moment
the present-day demands.
DEMAND CONSTANTLY INCREASING
As American business has grown in
complexity, under the influence of ex-
pansion, from trade of a purely local
nature to that of world-wide extent,
86 The Teaching of Shorthand
the demands laid upon stenographers
have also increased in complexity, and
the efficient stenographer of to-day
must include in his equipment far
more than was required ten or even
five years ago. And it may be men-
tioned in passing that while expan-
sion of trade was inevitable to a people
imbued with the spirit of enterprise
as Americans are, yet it has been
greatly facilitated and hastened through
the instrumentality of modern short-
hand and the typewriter. Business
men of executive ability and imagina-
tion have been able to multiply them-
selves through the aid of these twin
arts, and to handle to-day a volume of
business that would have been impos-
sible with the old-time methods.
THE STENOGRAPHER NO LONGER
A FAD
Business men were quick to appre-
ciate the value of the stenographer,
The Teaching of Shorthand 87
and have been responsible for his de-
velopment from a sort of ** luxury'* or
"fad" into one of the most efficient
aids in a modern business organization.
The stenographer of to-day is not occu-
pied wholly with typing out the letters
which the firm sends to the outside
world, though of course this comprises
a large part of his daily work, but the
inter-house correspondence, in which
the heads of this business dictate orders
and instructions to its various branches,
and to its traveling sales force, calls
for a technical knowledge of the busi-
ness that goes far outside the mere
business of writing shorthand and typing
it on the machine. A large part of
these instructions are made up from
form books; they require a checking
and following up and a collecting of
material that lays upon the stenog-
rapher duties calling for ability of a
different kind from that of merely
following orders. As the stenographer's
88 The Teaching of Shorthand
ability to grasp details from a few
meager instructions increases, his im-
portance and value to the firm also
increases.
THE EFFICIENT STENOGRAPHER ALSO
A CORRESPONDENT
The really efficient stenographer in
modern business to-day can handle a
great deal of the correspondence from a
few directions from his employer. He
becomes acquainted with the policy of
the house, studies his employer's way
of handling problems through corre-
spondence, is able to give the personal
touch to the firm's correspondence that
the head of the firm himself would give.
His work becomes truly "character-
ized by energetic and useful activity."
He must be acquainted with the new
card records, filing systems, and office
practice generally, and this involves
a far more intricate knowledge than is
commonly supposed.
The Teaching of Shorthand 89
KEEPING STEP WITH PROGRESS
Recent economic influences have
brought about also vast changes in
the methods of record keeping and in
handHng the transactions of business,
with which the efficient stenographer
must be thoroughly familiar, because
they require his services.
Typewriter companies have added
new attachments to their machines
which make them far more useful, but
which also make necessary more knowl-
edge and greater technical skill on the
part of the stenographer. Brief as
are these references, they give an idea
of the complexity of the commercial
stenographer's need for special knowl-
edge to enable him to render efficient
service.
THE GENERAL STENOGRAPHER
The problem is far more complex
and difficult in the case of the general
90 The Teaching of Shorthand
stenographer, who in addition to these
qualifications must also have a knowl-
edge of a very wide variety of topics
outside, and I might say what would
be considered almost foreign to his
profession by those not understanding
the varied nature of his work. For
example, the general stenographer is
called upon to do work for the manu-
facturer, the attorney, the chemist, the
physicist, the college professor, the pro-
moter, the physician, the litterateur,
the playwright, the mining engineer,
and a multitude of other professional
men. To perform this service effi-
ciently, he must have a knowledge of
the terms and phrases used in these
various professions, and his knowledge
must be more than superficial.
THE QUALIFICATIONS OF THE BEGINNER
What should the stenographer's at-
tainments and quaHfications be when
he is graduated from the school.? The
The Teaching of Shorthand 91
work of the stenographer is distinctly-
technical, and therefore in order that
his work may produce results, that he
may be efficient, the first in importance
of his qualifications should be a thor-
ough training in his technical subjects
— shorthand, typewriting, and English.
THE IMPORTANCE OF ENGLISH
Before the student of stenography
can become really efficient in his tech-
\nical subjects he must have a solid
educational foundation upon which to
build. His efficiency as a stenographer
is based upon a good working knowledge
of the English language. The writer
of shorthand merely takes "notes,"
and does not attempt to take dicta-
tion as it appears in print. Necessarily
the punctuation, the capitalization, the
spelling, the paragraphing, the sub-
heads must be supplied from the ste-
nographer's knowledge of language, and
his grasp of the subject; and his effi-
92 The Teaching of Shorthand
ciency is increased exactly in propor-
tion to the accuracy of his knowledge
along these lines. Hence it can be
seen that a thorough understanding of
grammar and English composition is
an indispensable factor in the stenog-
rapher's equipment. The student of
stenography, however, will find that
the work in stenography can be made a
great help in learning English.
WORD STUDY
Along with the English, the stenog-
rapher must have a thorough training
in spelling, and particularly in the
meaning and use of words. This is
generally a weak point in the average
stenographer's education — a lack of
knowledge of the use of words. To be
efficient, the stenographer needs a high
school education, and if he has more
than this all the better. Naturally
such a stenographer can be entrusted
with a great deal of the detail work of
The Teaching of Shorthand 93
the correspondence and will be accord-
ingly more valuable.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE INVALUABLE
He should know commercial arith-
metic, commercial law, have a general
knowledge of history and of literature,
and be a reader of good current liter-
ature, in addition to the education
already mentioned. In fact, no knowl-
edge that an ordinarily well-educated
person possesses can very well be dis-
pensed with in the stenographer's equip-
ment. Since perhaps nine out of ten
stenographers are engaged in busi-
ness, it is evident that the more he
knows about business, its methods,
its phraseology, the more efficient he
becomes.
ACCURACY MORE IMPORTANT THAN
SPEED
When we come to the technical sub-
jects of shorthand and typewriting.
94 'T'he Teaching of Shorthand
nothing less than a very high degree
of proficiency will meet present-day
demands. In shorthand great speed
is not so much needed as accuracy.
A speed of one hundred words a minute
on matter of ordinary difficulty is suffi-
cient for the average office position.
But the notes taken at this rate should
be so legible that the stenographer can
utilize his full typewriting speed in
transcribing. He cannot be called an
efficient stenographer until he can ac-
complish this. Great stress should
therefore be laid upon reading abiHty.
THE INFLUENCE OF TOUCH
TYPEWRITING
The development of typewriting dur-
ing the last few years has been ex-
traordinary. Since the introduction
of touch typewriting both speed and
accuracy have been increased in a
wonderful degree. An accurate knowl-
edge of what a really capable type-
The Teaching of Shorthand 95
writer operator can accomplish has
set the typewriting standard higher
every year, and the operator to be
really efficient nowadays has to pro-
duce a very high class of work. The
typewritten page is what the employer
sees; it must be accurate. He also
takes note of time; the typewriting
must be done with speed. The operator
to fulfill these requirements must stay
in school long enough and get the
necessary training to meet the new
demand. The variety of the type-
writer operator's work also is constantly
enlarging. He must show skill in every
branch of his work. He must be
familiar with tabulating devices, the
adding machine typewriter, and the
various other devices which have re-
cently been added to the machine.
THE INFLUENCE OF LOCAL CONDITIONS
The locaHty in which the stenog-
rapher is to work should also be con-
96 The Teaching of Shorthand
sidered in the problem of efficiency.
His knowledge should be adapted to
local conditions. For example, the city
of Schenectady is an electrical center,
and the stenographer working there,
of necessity, must be familiar with the
terms and phrases used in the electrical
industry if he comes in contact with
correspondence of this nature. Chicago
is a big railroad and packing-house
center, requiring a knowledge of these
two industries; and in Washington,
civil service and governmental terms
are common. The stenographer in
these places must be familiar with these
lines.
PLAIN COMMON SENSE NEEDED
There are various other qualities
that need to be emphasized. One of
the rarest of qualities among both
young men and women entering busi-
ness is plain common sense. Business
is an occupation in which the ability to
The Teaching of Shorthand 97
think, and to put two and two together,
is more valuable than any other trait.
And yet this ability is the rarest to
find. As Elbert Hubbard said:
We are all down on the time book for
eight dollars a day, but one reason why
some receive less in their pay envelopes is
because the cash is held back to pay some-
one else for looking after them, laying out
the work, and holding them to their tasks.
I know lots of men who pay seven dollars
a day for supervision. The less super-
vision, the more pay; the more supervision,
the less pay.
There should be a new study added
to the curriculum of all schools pre-
paring young men and women for
business — a study that will develop
common sense.
GRADUATION TESTS DELUSIVE
Considerable diversity of opinion ex-
ists as to what the graduation test
in the technical subjects of a steno-
98 The Teaching of Shorthand
graphic course should be. Gradua-
tion tests at best are delusive. Some
of the poorest stenographers I know
could pass the average graduation test
without the slightest difficulty when it
comes to speed in typewriting and in
shorthand. The average school holds
the student to, say, one hundred words
a minute in shorthand and thirty-five
words a minute transcribing speed.
Generally the matter selected is from
business letters, and the ordinary busi-
ness letter, as we know, is not difficult.
A fairer test would be the above figures
applied to a newspaper article or an
editorial article from a newspaper or
magazine, for the reason that the
stenographer never knows what line
of business he may be engaged in,
and his shorthand examination should
be on all-round matter which will test
his ability to write ordinarily hard new
matter.
The Teaching of Shorthand 99
Summary
To sum up the technical qualifica-
tions the efficient stenographer should
have:
1. A thorough knowledge of English —
an ability to write a businesslike letter in
businesslike English.
2. A knowledge of words which will
enable him to substitute the right word
when the wrong one is used by his employer.
3. A working knowledge of spelling, punc-
tuation, paragraphing, and good style in
iirrangement.
4. A shorthand speed of not less than
100 words a minute on ordinarily difficult
matter.
5. An ability to read his notes fluently
and accurately.
6. A transcribing speed of at least thirty-
five words a minute in typewriting, and
a knowledge of the mechanics and mechan-
ical devices of his machine.
7. A working familiarity with the cul-
tural studies ordinarily included in a com-
mercial high school course.
loo The Teaching of Shorthand
Of the general qualifications the fol-
lowing are indispensable:
1. Common sense.
2. An ambition to give service instead
of merely to draw salary.
3. The ability to keep the affairs of the
business to himself.
4. A desire to climb higher; to make his
work merit promotion.
5. Faith in his work and a desire to learn
all there is to know about the business.
6. Honesty and loyalty.
When the stenographer possesses all
these qualities his work will "cause
effects" that will be eminently satis-
factory to him and to his employer;
his work will be "characterized by
energetic and useful activity"; and
he can truly call himself an "efficient"
stenographer.
THE APPLICATION OF MODERN
EFFICIENCY PRINCIPLES TO
THE TEACHING OF
SHORTHAND
An Address to the "Gregg
Shorthand Round Table,"
AT THE Eastern Commercial
Teachers' Association
April 21, 1916
THE APPLICATION OF MODERN
EFFICIENCY PRINCIPLES TO
THE TEACHING OF
SHORTHAND
IN the brief time allotted to me I
cannot do more than outline what
I beHeve to be the next step forward in
teaching our special subject. In order
to gain your attention I am going to
make a bold statement at the very
outset. It is this: I believe that the
efficiency of most shorthand depart-
ments could be increased from twenty-
five to fifty per cent by the adoption
of the methods I am about to suggest.
All I can hope to do within the time
limit is to give you a skeleton of the
plan, but I hope that what I have
to say will be sufficient to induce you
to reflect upon it, to investigate, and to
experiment with it.
I04 The Teaching of Shorthand
The plan is the application to the
teaching of shorthand of what is known
in business as scientific management,
or efficiency principles. It is well known
that the work of many of the great
industries and factories has been revo-
lutionized by the work of Frederick
Taylor, Frank Gilbreth, Harrington
Emerson, and other efficiency engineers.
I believe that a similar revolution
can be effected in teaching shorthand
through the adaptation of efficiency
principles to our classroom work.
Let me trace the steps taken by the
efficiency engineer in the study of any
problem. He first studies the material
to be handled by the workmen, and
the methods adopted in handling it.
Through "motion studies" and "time
studies" he sets a standard to be
attained, based upon the performance
of the best workman. He improves
even the performance of the best work-
man by suggestions based on his obser-
The Teaching of Shorthand 105
vations. He then proceeds to bring
all of the workmen up to that standard
by the elimination of unnecessary or
time-wasting motions in the perform-
ance of the workto be done. Let me
explain how this was applied to brick-
laying.
A Lesson from Bricklaying
Bricklaying is one of the oldest of trades.
Although practiced by millions of men,
there has been little or no change in the
materials or the manner of doing the
work in centuries. An efficiency engineer,
Mr. Frank Gilbreth, applied the principles
of scientific management to bricklaying
with remarkable results. His investigation
showed that in laying bricks under standard
conditions, the bricklayer made eighteen
motions. Applying scientific principles to
the problem, Mr. Gilbreth succeeded in
reducing the number of motions to five,
with the result that the average per man,
per hour, which had been 120 bricks, was
increased to 350 bricks.
Let us consider what the traditional way
of laying bricks is. The bricks are dumped
lo6 The Teaching of Shorthand
out in a pile, the bricklayer stoops down and
picks up a brick out of the pile, examines
it, taps it, and if it is a trimmed brick,
finds which end should be placed outward,
and proceeds to place it in position. Here
you have a number of complicated move-
ments. In applying scientific management,
Mr. Gilbreth studied the exact position
which each of the feet of the bricklayer
should occupy with relation to the wall,
the mortar box, and the pile of bricks, and
so made it unnecessary for him to take a
step or two toward the pile of bricks and
back again each time a brick was laid. He
studied the best height for the mortar box
and the brick pile, and then designed a
scaffold with a table, upon which all of the
materials are placed, so as to keep the bricks,
the mortar, the man, and the wall in their
proper relative positions. These scaflFolds
are adjusted for all of the bricklayers as
the wall grows in height, by a laborer espe-
cially detailed for this purpose. By this
means, the bricklayer is saved the effort of
stooping down to the level of his feet for
each brick and each trowel full of mortar,
and then straightening up again. Think
of the waste of effort that has gone on
The Teaching of Shorthand 107
through all these years with each brick-
layer lowering his body down and raising
it again every time a brick, weighing about
five pounds, is laid in the wall, and this
each bricklayer did about one thousand
times a day! The bricks, too, are care-
fully sorted by a laborer with their best
edge on a simple wooden frame, so as to
enable him to take hold of each brick in
the quickest time and in the most advan-
tageous position. In this way, the brick-
layer avoids having to turn the brick over
on end to examine it before laying it, and
saves, too, the time taken in deciding which
is the best edge and end to place upon the
outside of the wall. In most cases, he saves
the time taken in disentangling the brick
from a disorderly pile on the scaffold. We
have all seen bricklayers tap each brick
several times with the handle of the trowel
as it is pilaced on its bed of mortar so as to
secure the right thickness for the joint. Mr.
Gilbreth found that by tempering the mor-
tar just right, the bricks could be readily
bedded to the proper depth by a down-
ward pressure of the hand with which they
were laid.
This will give you an idea of how scien-
io8 The Teaching of Shorthand
tific management is arrived at and applied.
It is by intense analysis and study of each
movement of the workman and by elim-
inating one after another all unnecessary
movements, and substituting fast for slow
movements. It requires very close study
of every minute element which in any way
affects the speed of the workman.
Another important feature of scientific
management is this: that each workman
is treated as an individual, and his work is
carefully planned for him in advance. He
knows just what he has to do, and how much
he has to do per day.
Just as in the traditional method of
bricklaying, the increase in the height
of a wall being built was dependent
upon the slowest workman, so, under
the traditional methods of shorthand
instruction, the progress of the stu-
dents is regulated by that of the slowest
student in the class. This is true of
theory work and it is true of dictation
work, which must be governed by the
slowest student.
The Teaching of Shorthand 109
In the study of shorthand, what is
the object to be accomplished? It is
the recording of words as rapidly as
possible. The material, then, with
which the student deals is words; the
tools with which he handles that ma-
terial are shorthand characters.
The first point, then, to be considered
Is the nature of the material to be
handled — words. Unlike bricks, words
are not standardized as to size, appear-
ance or frequency of use. A recent
monograph issued by the Russell Sage
Foundation entitled "A Measuring Scale
for Ability in Spelling," by Leonard P.
Ay res, states that ten words {the, and,
of, tOy I, a, in, that, you, for), with
their repetitions, constitute more than
one-fourth of all the words we write;
and that fifty words, with their repeti-
tions, constitute about one-half of all
the words we write.
Recent investigations of various dic-
tation books made in our own office
no The Teaching of Shorthand
have shown that more than ninety per
cent of all the words used in ordinary-
dictation are written in accordance with
the first ten lessons of our shorthand
Manual. It follows from this that
much greater attention should be given
to these lessons than to the other lessons
because exceptional rapidity in doing
nine-tenths of the work to be done is
of the utmost importance. It has been
demonstrated, too, that if a student is
drilled systematically and intelligently
on the alphabetic characters and com-
binations in the early lessons, and then
given a great variety of actual dicta-
tion practice on words, sentences, letters,
and articles that may be written in
accordance with the principles of these
lessons, he is able to handle the less
frequent material, the long and un-
common words, with vastly increased
facility.
The Teaching of Shorthand iii
A Lesson from Typewriting
I have given you an illustration of the
application of these principles to bricklay-
ing. At this point I should like to direct
your attention to the remarkable results
that have been secured through the applica-
tion of these principles to a subject that is
closely allied to shorthand — typewriting.
You will remember that but a few years ago
the championship speed in typewriting was
around 80 words a minute; to-day it is about
130 words a minute. It stayed around 80
words a minute until the typewriter com-
panies became interested in the contests as
an advertising feature of their machines,
and placed experts in charge of the training
of their best operators. Then the speed
jumped to over 100 words a minute and
every year it goes higher, being now far
beyond what was believed humanly pos-
sible a few years ago.
Take the case of the girl who won the
Novice Championship in Typewriting last
November. Here was a girl who began the
study of typewriting in the regular course
at a high school thirteen months before the
contest. She made the remarkable record
112 The Teaching of Shorthand
of 114 words a minute, which is far in
excess of the championship speeds some
years ago. What is more striking about
this record is this: that when she went to
the office of the typewriter company in
February she was writing not more than
35 words a minute. Two months later she
wrote 78 words a minute in a contest at the
Business Show in Boston. I have been
assured by the gentleman under whose
direction she was trained that the increase
from 35 to 78 words a minute in less than
two months was accomplished simply
through the elimination of two bad habits
in operating which she had acquired in
school. Seven months later she won the
Novice Contest at 114 words a minute.
This was accomplished by the application
of the efficiency principles I have already
outlined, followed by intensive practice
under the direction of a man who had made
a special study of time studies and motion
studies. Apply these principles to the
study of shorthand and similar results will
be achieved.
We now come to the question of how
the plan may be applied, how the stu-
The Teaching of Shorthand 113
dent may be trained to the utmost
facility in dealing with the common
material, the frequent words and com-
binations. I believe that the only way
to do this is to give systematic short-
hand penmanship drill in connection
with the daily instruction on the theory.
This should be supplemented by a
drill in correct position, correct methods
of handling the pen, the notebook, and
the making of rapid transitions between
words or phrases, and in turning the
pages of the notebook. It is of the
very greatest importance that correct
habits be established at the beginning
of the work.
A Lesson from Penmanship
Here I should like to direct your atten-
tion to the great change that has taken
place in the teaching of penmanship. Many
of you will remember that a few years ago
the copybook method of teaching the sub-
ject was in almost universal use. To-day
in the best schools — the schools that are
114 '^^^ Teaching of Shorthand
getting the best results In teaching rapid
business writing — it is conspicuous by its
absence. The old copybook plan was to
set an engraved copy and require the stu-
dents to imitate it, writing the copy slowly
and painfully in a circumscribed space.
There was no freedom, no life to the work,
and when the student attempted to write
without a copy his penmanship became a
miserable scrawl.
It is a singular thing that while the copy-
book method is almost universally con-
demned by up-to-date teachers of ordinary
penmanship, the copybook method of teach-
ing shorthand is still being followed in most
schools.
I believe that as much of this train-
ing as possible should be given in the
form of dictation because this will
accustom the student to the way in
which he will apply his knowledge of
shorthand in actual work. It will stim-
ulate him to write quickly and unhes-
itatingly. It is by putting the student
under pressure that the best results
are accomplished.
The Teaching of Shorthand 115
In the early practice there is need of
much repetition work, as it is from
repetition that skill is acquired in any-
thing. To be valuable this repetition
work must be made interesting, and the
way to make it interesting is to give it
in the form of live, enthusiastic, inten-
sive penmanship drills, supplemented by
actual dictation.
There is only one thing needed to
effect this revolution in the teaching
of shorthand, and that is a real appre-
ciation of its value by teachers and
then the determination to carry it into
effect. Let me say that while there is
no more interesting subject to teach
than shorthand, the carrying out of
the plan I have outlined will enhance
the interest and pleasure of the work
tenfold.
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