THE SEVEN LAWS OF TEACHING

John Milton Gregory
Superintendent of Public Instruction
1859-1865

1. The Law of the Teacher

	Teachers must be fully equipped with the knowledge they wish to communicate
	Fresh study and preparation are keys to enriched teaching.

2. The Law of the Learner

	Student interest and attention must be generated by the teacher.
	A teacher's enthusiasm is contagious with students.

3. The Law of the Lesson

	Lessons are best begun with common and familiar experiences.
	Excellent teachers understand the background of their pupils and use it as a starting point.

4. The Law of the Language

	The words used by teachers must be easily understood by students.
	Illustrations, natural objects, and visual aids are important to good communication.

5. The Law of the Teaching Process

	Expert teachers arouse and direct self-activities by their students, thus stimulating them to learn for themselves.
	Student skills grow with practical exercises involving their minds.

6. The Law of the Learning Process

	Excellent education helps learners to be investigative discoverers.
	Real and valuable learning is more than memorization.

7. The Law of Review and Application

	Review perfects knowledge, confirms knowledge, arid makes knowledge ready and useful.
	Practical reviews are characteristic of excellent teachers.