The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1882-04-19

board is cleansed for work; "write,"
attention r. the class at once, with
out waiting to finish a figure, face
the teacher; s'seats!' is the COM
mand to send them from the board
to the recitation seat. Bear in
mind, at the word "attentionw you
want attention, and you must insist
on having it then, not in few sec
onds after. It will take some days
to get your pupils drilled into this
work, but you will find it pays.
Allow no tagging! Require all to
move promptly. Some teachers re-
quire their pupils to march to count
ing. l prefer the method / have
given. 1t can be applied in our
country schools as they exist to-day,
and when carefully followed, will,
/ think, answer every purpose.
Other methods might be given, but
as / deem thissall. sufficient, ! refrain.
When your pupils are Ia class, per
nit nothing to be attended to but
the recitation. If you have not suf-
| ficiently interested your class to en-
able you hold their attention, strive
to do SO. Ifyou cannot do so at all
make way for some one who can.
Pupils answer only when called.
This is imperative You must
reach every pupil in the class dur
ing each recitation, and should
reach each more than once. If you
cannot do so your class is too large.
you must divide it at once. use
concert recitation sparingly, very
seldom / should say. Concert reci-
tation in general is merely cloak
to cover ths defective knowledge Of
a portion of the class.
When you read a question. call
on someone to answer; should he
fail, "hands up! how many can an
swer?" call another; call frequent,
ly on those who do not raise their
hands. The reason is, you wish to
| find out how much work has been
done; one who raises no ohands indi-
Gates that he has failed to do work
Why has he so failed? This is a
matter for your inquiry. Allow no
prompting. Show the pupil that
this is dishonest practice; if they
deceive you, they have been guilty
of falsehood. Ask how many of
them would not be insulted if any
one should tell him, "You are liar"
and show that the prompter and the
one who consents to be prompted are
both really truly and liars, and moth
ing less. The first wish is to con-
vey the impression that his friend
knows the lesson, and the one WHO
submits to be prompted thus to
convey the same impression. Peep
ing on the book comes in the same
category. Communications must
be made, it seems, and how to make
them with the least amount of trou-
bic has engaged the attention of
every writer on education, so far as
I know. MY idea is that during
study hours there should be no COM
IaEnicatiois about anything what
ever. No whispering. If COM
munieaticp must be made let it.
come first,to. you, and from you to
the other party. For instance, a
boy wishes for something which is
in another's possession; he comes
TO you, Teacher, will you ask
James Blank to return me my pen
eilY you go to James gel. the pen
Gil and hand it to the applicant.
All is done quietly, no one is dis
txlrbed. / merely use this as ,aa j.
iustration. I have also used the
plan of giving three minutes at the
end Of each hour for snch things,
They can then be attended to, and
at no other time. Ifa boy neglects
to attend to the matter, then let him
wait, it will not hurt him, besides
if he suffers Inconvenience to-day
he will "mind his business" better
tD-morrow. Be firm In this matter
of Communication. Be firm every
where.
You must have a plan when you
enter the school room. / have en-
deavored to aid you in forming a
good one. Should your plan differ
from mine, no matter. Only make
your plan a good one, and follow it.
Do everything with a purpose.
Seat your school with purpose;
tie purpose of preventing disorder
and idleness. Just here is where
the advantage of the temporary Or
ganization is seen. If you are a
stranger, especially, you can find
out the peculiarities of each pu-
Z il and seat SO as to counteract the
E, il. Use punishments enough I
ba We no sympathy with sentiment
ais N which would tend to the con-
trar,-. Notice, say punishments.
Do n ot punish every offence in the
same way, variety isthe spice oflife.s =
Strive to make your punishments
loriezI consequences of actions COM
mitted- If a boy breaks window,
a los5czAi consequence is-he gets n
new one If a boy is disposed to
cause disa urbaDce, a logical conse-
quence ~ he is placed where he
cannot do So
Truancy j do not punish at all, l
do not deem it my affair. Truancy
IS an ofi,.nce against the domestic
l report it to the parent
and he uses his own pleasure
Generally speaking, when persistent
truancy oc curs, there is something
about the SC hool which excites dis
like. Find vat what it is, remedy it
if YOU can. Can you expect to
make a boy 10 We place, which he
already dislike by furnishing him
for manifesting that dislike? An
swer the questio. 4. and let your an
swer govern your Aefsons-
Being asked co. ,cerning the CD,