Martinsburg weekly independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1873-1875, 1874-12-05
What we Know about school
ing.
Messrs. Editors :

IUeSSTS. EIttOfS:
The brief communication in
your issue fthe Dist. signed A
Young Teacher makes the que
ry "What is the best mode of pun
ishment for children, outside of
corporeal punishment" an ounce
of preventative is worth pound
Of cure, then efore we say be kind
and set good examplesf0r the lit
tie ones There is more in exam
pie than in precept. To obviate
punishment, set a good example
for the older ones. But the qEerist,
as matter of course, thinks it ne
cessary III some cases 10 pul ish in
some mild form, and what thai
form must be.
We cannot give a definite an
swe~ to this, Tor the punishment
should always conform TO sur
rounding circumsta We pre-
sumo the Young Teacher wishes to
know, or get some rules that may
enable him and others to meet with
success teachers. This is lauda-
bic. aud should be encouraged aud
If what We know about school
teaching will be o. any avail, they
can have it in few remarks. We
are not old in the school business,
but you know as well as every one
else that it is not the person that
follows the business the longest
who knows the most about it.
In school business as in any
other business, person must have
a peculiar tact and taste for the
employment, to arrive at any res
pecIable standard, or recognized
degree of excellence. 1t has been
said that it always takes good
scholar to make a good school
teacher but a good scholar does
not always make good tea eher.
A teacher must like the business,
be of a pleasant temperament,
firm, steady nerve, plenty Of sand,
like young company, and have an
honest purpose, be industrious, &c.
These ingredients are few that
will do TO start with. The teacher
should be of fine address, courteous
among and to his scholars. as he
would be to the most fastidious
lady or gentleman of his acquain-
lance, for like begets like a
teacher should not drink liquor,
chew tobacco, smoke, tell untruths,
use bad language, or be slOVen in
dress. These are poor examples,
which the scholar Is apt to follow,
and no punishment can prevent IL.
Now, we wish to have good sch0l-
airs, and the query is, how are we
TO have them? The first essential
i good order, method, system de.
We see the necessi Y of this in all
the business and departments OF
life, and the worst failures are at
tributable to the lack of these, from
the great movements of armies
down to cur everyday domestic
duties. The question arises, how
are we to have good order and
impart instruction F.? By having a
book in one hand and Il seven foot
switch in the other. THE switch
in the right This was the old
system. Teacher and parent
though it was necessary for the
growth Of the rising generation.
Having been under and subject to
this peculiar bringing up, we have
adopted much milder form, and
find it works admirably. Always
be pleasant in IA school room, have
a good set Ofrules and enforce them
to the letter, for it is not the severi-
ty of the punishment, as much as
the certainty, that has the good
effect. When taking a new scholar
do not make many rules at first,
but extend them as the necessity
of the case may require, 50 that
they may cover all improprieties,
of whatsoever nature. Some
youths are harder TO govern than
others, owing to associations, ma
ture and parental trainings; there
fore differ Mt modes of discipline
in different places. Th3 reason
we oppose corporal unishment,
except in extreme cases, is, that
whispering, not knowing lessons,
and all the minor offences, do not
demand such punishment; it irri-
tates the teacher and renders him
unfit for his duties, and makes the
scholar viscious; moreover the
parent is the legitimate source
whence such punishment shOulI
come, but the teacher should be
master of the situation at all haZ-
ards.
What is necessary TO command
proper order ? First,win the con-
fidence and affection OF your school
this is half the battle. How are
you to do this =? BY showing your
self equal to all demands. Children