The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1870-04-28

Discipline i'm the schOOIrOOm
CONTINUED.

some, in the way Of discipline, and tina
is What, for want ola Better appellation,
we shall term the democratic element, the
Unborn independence of spirit felt by
every genuine specimen Of Young Amer
icaS--a disposition to exercise self-govern
N Mt, instead of,bowing subsequently, t.
to the arbri ration Of anotherIs will. s 80
The young scion offree-born America
Aristocracy--a few there be of native
b nth who consider themselves nnentltled
to the rank-5rsath hes in the elements OF
freedom almost with the first breath he
draws he drinks it in with the ais
ment ofinfancY and grows up claiming,
and exercising his inalienable preroga-
tives as free man. He brings the same
selfthinking, self-judging, .self-choosing
spirit with him into the schoolsroom:
and no sooner does the will of the peda
@ cue begin to assume its sovereignty III
lis little monarchy, the school room, than
Young America, like old Americains days
o. yore, rebels He viii not submit to
be dictated to. Each member of the lit
tie constituency is miniature democrat
in its legitimate sense, conscious of rights
and a will and conscious moreover OF at
least some strength, and not a little in
dependence often, in defending thes
rights and in welding that will.
We once heard teacher, after having
most Intellectually belahored himself in
beating, or endeavoring to beat the prlns
ciple Of absolute obedience into an incor7
rigible representative of the genuine
natve-born, lament in most dolorous
strains that this was not a monarchy, or
an absolute despotlsm, There is nc
such thing said he, GAS teaching these
American children to obey will You see
no such obstinacy in Prussia, or Russia
nor even in France and England. What
have such young brats 1--WE use his own
expression to do with thinking for them
selves They ought to spe made to mind
without q reason, just because | say so );
and if had them ut my own control, |
would teach them to respect authority
to bow to their superiorsP We need
hardly add tnat he was not an American
But he nevertheless spoke, out what
many teachers have felt, but would not
express This independence of spirit
this inherent Iestiveness under restraint
gives world OF trouble to many an
inexperienced pedagogue, and not q lit
tie to many a judicious, Intelligent, and
it may be successful disciplinarian II
pupils could only be made to yield an
unconditional submission, we should hear
far less complaint, we opine, concerning
the difficulties Of thorough discipline in
our district and other schools.
But to this point we shall have occa,
sion to recur, when we come to speak OF
the remedies of defective government In
the school room. We pass, therefore, to
notice a third embarrassing cause, viz:
III. Innate mischcivousness, or an in
vetera'e propensity In some pupils to vex
and annoy the teacher. &&eFss a@t
There is not perhaps a teacher any
whare, be his experience limited even to
q single day in the school room, but has
had to encounter this, at times, exceed
lngly harassing and perpleXlng source OF
annoyance Few are the teachers who
have not time and again g groaned In
spirit as they have sat and looked over
their school, watching the general move
ments of things both upon and beneath
the surface, marking the many sly, and
some exceedingly shrewd, methods of
communication between pupil and pupil
and noting the varied devices in which
mischief making seemed to possess such
versatility of skill in. inventing, and
s1ch dexterity in bringing into play II
some to divert, and Others 1t may be de.
slgnedly to attract the teachers attention
to an already consumated trick d
We have sometimes thought that it re-
CURED a patience even SURPRISING that
whic h Job is represented to have posses
sed, to be at once a successful instructor
and disciplinarian. For that afflicted and
vexed patriarch found his three friends
miserable comforters," annoying HIM in 1
the extreme when they verify thought
they were doing right but these school
room comforters annoy when they verify
know they are doing wrong; do it, too
with malice aforethought, on purposel
TO torment the teacher This, however
10 their credit be it said, is usally done.
before they discover that the teacher isl
consulting their comfort and best inter
ests. They find the opportunity, audi
they improve it. They see that they can
Vex the master, and they do it unscru-
puIously, Fenturing often beyond what
they really at first mean to do; for they
certainly did not mean to be caught--o
be exposed to be punished.
There Is, at times, ashrewdness in PLAN
ming and perfecting a mischievous plot or
act seen In the immature statesman or
diplomatist, worthy better object.
There is tact, ingenuity Judgment, and
often real wit displayed so much so that
even the best disciplinarian is put to
stand to know exactly how to treat the
case. That it needs correction in some
form or other IS plain; but just how to
apply the corrective machinery, he scarce
ly knows. To inf1ict the ferule treat
ment may, for some reasons, seem the
most feasible, and possibly the only avail
able ~ thod. Perhaps it is so, and it