The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1875-12-03
Educational.
For the Jeffersuniau
PREVENTING COMMUNICATION IN
SCHOOL.

| On this subject we would suggest the
propriety of ,,ia.l, ,:ue advantage of the
situation at the onset We vii, suppose
you are taking charge of school with
which you are acquainted. Children
usually look cheerful and expectant
on the first morning OF school. You
may say, "YQu all seem pleased and
cheerful this morning, and am glad to
see you so, for like to teach scholars
who are kind and civil" You may say
r.irther, ''As many as wish 10 have a
pleasant and profitable term Of school
may raise their right hand" Perhaps
every hand will be raised. Say, That
we may use the time advantageously We
must have "a quiet and orderly school.
How many think they can remain
quietly seated for one hour and a half
and not whisper or communicate in any
form All hands up again. ''Now,
how many will try 10 refrain entirely
from communication III any manner du-
ring school hoursE] Nearly all hands
will be up again. You say, But what
shall we do with those who are so care
less or thoughtless as to commence whis-
pering or writing communications on the
slate! Suppose we make this a rule:
That all who communicate before recess
shall forfeit all their recess but three
minutes, and if after recess, forfeit
twelve minutes of the hour at noon, or
the same after school is dismissed in the
evening. All who think this fair and
reasonable may rise TO their feet" Ii is
not likely that every one will rise, but
nearly all, or at least a goodly majority,
will rise heartily. Seek the acquiescence-
of your pupils in this, as well as in all
matters pertaining to school govern
ment.
II will mol be long before you Will
have occasion to enforce your rule, and
this Wu. st be done promptly. You may
say to the transgresaorS: james and
Thomas, ! am sorry that | will have to
detain you for violation of our rule in
regard TO communication" When the
Others have gone out, say to those de
tained; 1--WE have decided to keep II
record of all misdemeanors, and your
names are the first We have to record
This record will go into the hands of
your next teacher. and may cause him
to form an unfavorable opinion of you.
The fewer misdAmeanors you have at
tached to your name the better regard
your teacher will have for you." This
we have known to have very s8iutary
effect. Never express qualification at ali
opportunity to punish or detain pupil
for whispering or any other misdemean-
or. Regret that duty ooinpels you to iJ.
The time which pupils are detained
may be employed in reading or writing,
or you may select few of the most diff
iicult words in the spelling lesson, pro-
nouHce them, and then let each spell
from his slate; then 20 over and mark
missed words, calling attention to each
one separately. Or, you may Use the
time TO explain some problem, or any
other exercise saited to thn'pupil'. nsi
vdncement.
We have fried ''snlf-repo~iing," and
aud the grade record plan but He'd
them less effectual than the one We have
suggested. ''Self-repol ting we object
20 from the fact that it eAgenders false
hood; and the grade recoId' method is
frausht with the same evil, and consumes
too much time.
Vigilance on the part of the teacher is
n great restrainer of communication.
See every scholar alike and have no
privileged characters. To fail to see and
reprove Mr.. So and Sos son or daugh-
ter, when they violate your rule with I'M
punity, because Mr.. So aud So is one of
the directors, or is Il very rich man, and
must be reverenced, Is sure TO bring
down the Indignation of the rest of the
school on ihe head OF the teacher, which
he justly merits.
At the end of one month yon may say
to those who have misdeineanOr marks,
''If you shall have perfect record fer
the next month we viii erase your mis-
daineanois from the record" As a gen
eral rule scholars will be very careful
during that month for the sake of get
tin. clear record, and by that time
they have so completely mastered their
habits that they can refrain from COIN
munication without difficulty.
.TXO. WARD.