Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1871-08-31
How to Control Pupils.
BY d. C.. LOOMS, OF ALA.


BY d. c. LOOMS, OF ALA,
In the mind of every earnest teacher
the question will often arise, What is the
best method of controlling my pupils?-
How can l exert the greatest influence OIL
them for good? These are indeed impor
tant questions, and the teachers success
will depend very much upon the answer
Should he content himself with telling his
pupils what he expects of them, and pun
ishing them if they fail to comply with his
regulations? or should he, in order to Sc.
cure a willing obedience, try to show them
that he requires only what is for their
good? The former plan will secure ply
steal labor better than mental effort but
even in the days of slavery the most sue
cessful farmers stimulated their laborers
by something besides the fear of punish
ment. The teacher should aim, not simp-
ly to see that his pupil learn what is in
the books which they study, but also to
prepare them for the duties of life. Will
not this object be better attained if they
are Influenced to discharge their duties in
the school-room by tire same class of mo-
tives that must be relied upon to make
them good when grown? The man who
discharges no duty toward others except
those for the neglect of which the civil
law prescribesa penalty, or who is not
deferred from doing whatever his passions
or prejudices may suggest, provided he
can escape the heavy hand of the law, is
a dangerous man. Something more than
punishment is needed to make either the
young or old discharge their duties pro-
perly. The teacher will fail to benefit
his pupils as much as he might, if he does
not, in some way, awaken in the minds of
the majority a feeling that his require
ments are reasonable, and ought to be
carried out. All men will not be equal
ly successful in accomplishing this, but
all can, to a considerable extent, excite
this feeling in the breasts of most of their
pupils. and their work will be proportion
ally lightened. Undoubtedly the teach
err will still have trouble enough, in spite
of all his efforts in this direction, for hui
man nature is not perfect; but he who
treats his pupils as reasonable beings, ca
pable of approaching and reciprocating
kind feelings and kind treatment, and of
being influenced BY a desire to do that
which they feel to be for their own good,
will have less trouble than he who ap-
peals only to their fears. 1t will doubt
less occur to many, particularly to those
who are the advocates of n rigorous dis
cipline, that young persons are so thought
less that very little can be accomplished
bytalklng to them. 1t is true that the
younger pupils cannot be expected to be
as thoughtful as older persons; but even
the youngest can be Influenced by moral
suasion, to some extent. and it is not the
youngest popils who give the most trou-
BILE in school. The half-grown pupils, or
those who are still older. are most trouble
some and no one can doubt that these
ought to be capable of reflection, that they
ought at least to begin to govern their
actions by their own convictions of what
is right, and their treatment ought to be
such as to furnish them all possible in
/ do not maintain that the teacher can
safely rely upon this alone: the pupil
must also be convinced that, if he does
what is wrong, he will be punished for it
but ninety-nine times out of a hundred,
if you convince him that you require only
what is for his good, or what you are sat
isfied is for his good, even though he may
not be altogether satisfied that it is abso-
lutely essential to his own advancement,
that the rule should be strictly enforced.
if he feels that his coed. not yours, is
what you are looking after, he will neither
exhibit nor feel one-tenth part of the I'M
willingness tc do what you wish that he
will if he believes that you require certain
things solely from a regard to your own
convenience. .Men are but children of
the larger growth" and we all know that
men will work more readily for them
selves than for others, and that when
working for others they will conform to
certain prescribed regulations more readi-
ly, if they see the necessity for them, and
the same is true of children. Doubtless
some will not do right without punish
ment, but kind vet firm treatment will
make this number quite small. Make
these. as we'll as others, do right; be as
mild as you can, but be sure they do right.
Punishment, however, at least for poor
lessons. to be efe ctive, must not be a re-
gular thing.
A pupil who is whipped day after day
for the same thing, soon becomes harden
ed. and ceases to care anything for it; he
regards it as a matter of course, and feels
that he cannot act in such a way as to a.
void his regular whipping. If pupil is
habitually dull IN his studies, my expert
ence is that it is best to depend mostly
upon trping to make him ashamed by
comparing his hesitation with that of 9TH
ers in the class. Depend upon it. the
majority in any class can be stirred up IN
this way more effectually than by punish
ing them for not knowing their Lessons
Occasionally, when one who you know
does not study, comes up with several
very poor lessons in succession, it will
probably DO best to punish him. While
your pupils are satisfied that you have
their good at heart in all your actions. you
are sure of retaining their affections. and
YOU will thus be able to influence their
conduct in matters outside of the school
room, which do not come so directly with
in your sphere that you can properly re-
quire of them q certain course of conduct.
Besides, when a teacher knows that his
pupils regard him with affection, he is
wonderfully stimulated to the discharge of
his duties, and any one who realizes how
much patience, perseverance,. and atfec-
ton are needed, that he may do his whole
duty to all his pupils, will be ready to add
m it that he is a very remarkable man, if,
without this stimulus, he does for each
one all that he ought to do.-Atd. Ed.
III agazine.
DIR. Franklin recommends a young man,