Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-11-15
SCHOOL PUNISHMENT AND SCH00 .
CONVENIENT.
Meeting of the Teachers.
Views Of Superintendent Richards.


I will state here, in order that the teachers
NAV understand hereafter, when have these
regular meetings, that at the next meeting we
will call the roll of teachers, and make il a Jout
20 commence our exercises punctually at the
time fixed. and not ten minutes afterwards
The subject to which wish to call your atten-
zion to-day Is that which YOU have seen an
nounced IN the papers:-'Governmenta and pun
i>hme MT in the schools / hardly know where
To begin in treating upon this subject It's inn
Poitance We are Of course all ready To acknowl
edge It's magnitude is 50 great and the field 50
large, that scarcely know what points to touch
upon in the shOrtSime which we have Ia give to
" on this occasion. The remarks which shall
make are based upon that well-known maxim,
"OTder Is Heavens first law" ] suppose we will
AL agree Upnn that pOins. that order is necessary:
necessary III the SchcOl-room as wei a. IN the
community, OF IN the church, or in any deliber-
ate body.
ORDER ~ sHooL.
>hali speak cf order under three heads.
First. a. les Time; second. as to Place aud third,
a. To- Manner. j think that We shall see that "A
wen ordered schooi-roOm. viii be conducted
upon one of these three PRINCIPLES.
To TINE.
First. as to time. We should always have This
for our maxim: "A time for everything. and
everything in it's time" PUnctuality, regular
II. and COnSfaucY should characterize all orr
engagements. II a teacher is not punctual. is
ct regular IN his general OF in his particular
Engagements. the scholars will perceive Il very
rs"dily. You should not simply be punctual in
ne morning. although that is an essential
requisite. but YOU should be punctua az the
opening 0f every session. Teachers endeavOr to
h' lunctuGi Of course. at least ut the opening OF
the sessions. am afraid, however, that there
are some exceptions. | rccollect. on ONE Occa-
SION at least. cf being in the neighbOrhood OF one
OF the public schools, when it was - minutes
past O'Clock before il was called in. l do not
Cail that Vunctuality. Punctualitv is also i'm
p1Ttau; in little things in the school room. II
sOt have an hour for recitation. or a recess or
any set Of general exercises Tor the school Won
Ought to- have such exercises take place runctu-
ally at the time named. The scholars ought to
be- made to understand that when Won have an
n"unced a certain exercise Ia commence at a
certain hour or minute. YOU intend tn have il
commerce AT that time. In you fail To be punc-
tual, YOU have given them liberty to take adyan-
tage OF your failure.
A. To PLACE.
Then as to place. IL is very important that
the teachers sEoul,i have order in reference 10
Ptace. They should have "a place Tor ever thing,
and every thing in its place In some of the
schcol-ro"m> | find that the teacher, are
very particular III regard to this matter;-as To
the Position Of The scholars the POSITION If the
books and papers they NAV have al,out their
i ind little diligence. Now. teachers, if YOU
are not careful in regard To this matter. your
scholars viii not be. You ought To insist upOn il
IN yOur scholars. and il will help the order of
Your schools. Now. IL is not simply necessary
that YOU should have place for everything In
the school room for the time being. hut This
should I've habitual. The teachers must reca!-
l'ct that they are helping their scholars "a form
habits. and teachers should make the impress
sion upon heir scholars that they must I,, or
dCIly a. to everything they have about their
docks a well a. punctual in their duties The
habit II worth a vast deal more than the single
act Itself. for the time being. and il >hOuli i.
bolHe Ia miI;d 10y every teacher that while he il
nj worn IN - >choo-ro0m he is fixing the habits
of his scholars,
IS TO MANNER.
ana then a. to H3GBH"r-the mGaPsTO Of securing |
Td'r. 1hl> y important. and at course opens a |
ser! troa'! field; and upon this point shall beg |
Il cal Your attention more particularly. IL j. 1
l6 &C. >aTy that the teacher should feel in the |
'Ist place that he has right to exercise his own |
Judgment a. tn the mode of securing order.
Now, this may he n pretty broad proposition.
Perhaps some will take exception Ia it. but I |
aBn"t modify IL. think. except i'll the follow
Hg WAYS Il 60 believe that the teacher j. ~
fave the privilege at exercising his or her own
uds ment. We have put them in school for that
,uiIUSe, and we must allow them 10 exercise
heir ov u Judgment in the schoOl-r"Om.
TEACHERS SHOULD CONTROL THEMSELVES.
In the tT>t place. however. Tie teachers should
~ sure that he or -hc has the requisite 'iuaiti-
atons for securing order. Now, what some
II those qualifications that belong 10 the teacher
n order Ia secure order? He should have. fret,
billy 10 govern himself. This is AN old saving
'iIi true ono; and there is a vast deal more
meaning III "a than great many teachers and
Z Oplc generally are willing to acknowledge. |
here are many people who can control them |
elves under certain circumstances, hut under
ihtT circumstances they are unable "a control
helc>@.ll.:S. IL j. "a peculiarly unfortunate cis-
INSTANCE ii teacher l. not able - control !
im-eif under all circumstances. ! know there
re IIoyOcatiOns, but hold this. that no teacher
vii succeed in school. in controlling. in gov
rniig. or in securing good order unl =, he Or
he can control binI,eIf or herself iclievc il
l.G>>ible. Yet believe it Is one of the most DIFF
cult things 10 accomplish; one al the greatest
cc0mI li-hne nt~ that we shall ever maxi in this
roIld-that I'll being able to control ourselves
~ govern our feelings.
TnECASEOF MAYOR SFAToS.
j will here rccur to the fact that related To !
on tvNn in ref tn lar
Mayor of this city, ina>much as some Of you
were not then present. Mr.. Scaton when Mayor !
If the city of Washington, and who. while hold |
rg that position, doubtless secured Ia himself |
mere friends than any. other Mayor has ever !
lore, asked on ont occasion by "a gentle |
man who had been present at an interview |
\ hich lie held with certain citizens who cam" iii !
reIv pttulantly and demanded of him certain |
priy ileccs. which he was not willing Ia grant, /
now it was that he could control himself under |
such insults and abuse. Said he, ..Sou do not |
Know what a struggle and "A contest was going on |
al the while inside here" placing his hand on
his breast. Well, now. that struggle Was the cf-
fort on his part 10 control himself He did do
i. What was the result: He succeeded. II"
succeeded III that case. and wonld succeed i'll
every case If he controlled himself.
TEACHERS HAVE PEovoCATIoNs.
80 with the teacher. | do do not think there
are Persons engaged in any employ rnent, what
ever, who have 20 many proVocatiOnS a. "A
teacher. ProyOcati0Es "a give way TO feeling,
passion, excitement, pctulancc. or any of what
] would say, ii teacher cannot
control herself; cannot govern her feelings uIi-
der the most difficult of circumstances, She had
better resign her position at once. The iniu-
cnCc Ot such a teacher over children is sad. The
result will as a matter Of coarse. he a loss of
dignity; loss OF influence, and, Of course.
dctriIHont To the school.
SHOULDN'T PUNISH WHEN ANGRY.
Now. sometimes teachers. and parents also.
are inclined 10 punish and punish severely ii
they angry; while if they are not angry. but
feel peculiarly good natured they are apt to bear
almost any Kind of insult or di>Obe,liencc. Eat
this j. not fault peculiar to teachers. think
parents arc just as guilty "a teachers. suppose
there are very few parents who do not punish
their children in anger. In nine cases out Of ten,
! presume. the punishments that inflicted
mon children in this city by parents are i'll
fiicted in anger. But this ought never tO be
.ne. II you find that YOU have feeling Of
anger rising in your bosom, whenever You have
been provoked 10y any in~Oiencc or disobedicncc
of the scholar, YOU had better set that case aside,
for a while at least. Wait until the close of the
>cEt oil, or until the close OF the exercises. and
tLCn think of il in the meantime, and see
whether YOU have got the mastery OF yourself
before You attempt TO bring the Child into sub
JcCt.on-
SHOULDN'T SHOW LIKES AND DIsLIKEs.
"A teacher j. very apt 10 have a great many
likes and dslikes. She D,ust control these.
hc teacher must not say II like to this, or
like TO zee that simply" His likes must lie based
uIOn principle, upon reason. And when YOU
say TO child Il do not like to have YOU do that
Won must be ready 20 give the reason. IL is
wrong or il IL right thar Won shold do ~ and So