Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1860-07-20
For the Standard.
EXPERIENCES AND OBSERVATIONS or SCHOOL
KEEPING.
CHAP. v.-FIRsr DAYS OF SCHOOL

Success depends upon starting right
Blunders ia the outset are oflen IRE
trieUa5te and The cause Of fail,tre-
Feels anxious about first oppearancc-
School house descri6ed-Stumbies and
PITCHES head foremost into the g bor"-
d roar Of ioughter-A neW explosion,
nth side-shaxing fts-That full a
cause of after tronbte-A mistake
nidde-A teacher Nth {" krock-doaCR
argument" still schools, but no
loUe-No ambition for study-F'frst
mornings savage speech-Ercires ha-
tired an the first hal -hour-7 The pr,bsr
course is medium of the tpo-Not a
lord and master, but friend and teacher
-Firmness and decision necessary
Thus the first day.
Success in any enterprise depends very
much upon the mode of starting. This
is emphatically true of school-keeping.
Not unfrequently blunders, made by a
teacher during the first day or week, will
give character to the entire term and re-
salt in failure of the school, even when
the blenders are early discovered and the
teacher tries assidaeusly to retrieve them.
Teachers have often failed to secure good
order in school and diligence of appli-
cation on the part of pupils, for no other
reason than that they thought it unim-
portant to insist upon these during the
first week of the term. They have often
failed to awaken an interest in study and
a feeling of respect and sympathy to-
wards themselves on the part of pupils,
because, during the first week, they did
not put forth exertions to this end, but
waited till they became acquainted before
manilesting an interest in their pupils.
On Monday morning, arose, feeling
no little anxiety about my first appear
ance in the school room. thought it
would be important to impress my pupils
favorably in the outset, but feared that |
should not succeed. The school house
of Buckstown village was "square, low
rooted and red" like most in our country
villages at that time. A high box-lke
desk for the teacher stood at the right of
the door of entrance, elevated about
eighteen inches above the main floor, and
entered by means of two steps. In at
tempting to ascend to that "post of
honor" on that first morning carelessly
slipped and pitched head foremost into
the " box" A roar of laughter from
forty pupils greeted my ears as 8cram-
bled to an upright position, with face
intensely red from mortified pride. A
keen sense of the righteousness of my
position led me to join in the laugh
This encouraged the laughing pupils,
they exploded anew and we all went into
Iside-shaking fits. Soon the excitement
subsidized and the school exercises COM
menced with the usual devotions. That
ludicrous fall caused me great trouble az
forwards. might have checked its in
duence at first, if | had only known how
to do it, but did not, and so the school
suffered. During the whole of that first
day the pupils seemed full of mischieyous
witchery and |, knowing that they were
melted to it by my fall, did not feel it so
important to check it. / said to myself
8 1t will not do TO be very stricl the first
day; after we get started l will insist
upon better order" But 1 thus lost a
golden opportunity, made blunder which
| could not afterwards retrieve. / tried
hard to have good order after this first
day, but met with only toIerable success.
Had | insisted upon it, at first, might
have succeeded afterwards with half the
exertion.
l once knew teacher who was
famous for managing hard schools with
knock-down arguments" as he called
them. He was one of those who are
g born to rule" and make everybody
stand round" with mortal fear of his
brawny fists. He had only passable
common education, and never was fit tc
be entrusted with the care of a school
yet, for many years, be kept school every
winter, and was thought by many to be
successful teacher. He did have sttA
schools, but no sympathy existed between
him and his pupils, they never kept ir
subordination through fear, and at hear
nursed bitter hatred towards him.
They had no ambition for study, never
asked his assistance and cared only tc
get from under his rule. This resulted
more from his mode of starting schoo
than from anything else. After opening
school the first morning, he would say
3 Boys and girls, order is heavens frs
law, and you've got to toe the mark
LII have no whispering, no moving
about, no disorder of any kind. I'll have
order, if / have to knock you all down
You needn't think you can cheat m,
either, for can see from the back of my
head, and the first one catch idle or dis
orderly I'll lick him, and make hi
nerves Jingle all over" This speech wa
usually delivered with savage look
which showed that he meant it. AL
thong b this awed the pupils to silence
they hated him and his power over them
! for good was nf IN end heGnre he ha4