Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1882-03-16
SliOOl Punish Ements.

A Paper by Prof. Geo. w. Register, and read
before the Teachers Association at Pilot
Knob, March 4th, 1882
In the examination Of this subject it
will be necessary that / take a block
out of the general superstructure,
school management.
The teachers relation to his pupils
is that of parent and child; he stands IN
loco parents. During his term of en-
ployment, he posses legislative, JUDI
| cial, and executive authority, delegated
to him by the community employing
him. Out OF these relations to his
school grows his authority to inf1ict
punishment for the violation of law.
The necessity for punishment is the
result of disordered MOI al condition.
A disordered organism is a diseased
one; and these diseases may arise from
various causes, assume different types,
and they not infrequently require a
very careful study of their nature and
| history to arrive at correct diagnosis.
| A rational conclusion is not likely to
be reached without clear knowledge,
on the part of the teacher, of the philOs-
ophy of mind and of its tlons;
| for in these We must look tor the symp-
toms. The teacher must, therefore,
know his pupils. And may not say
that one of his most difficult tasks on
| assuming control of a school is to learn
his pupils? He must learn them be-
fore he can either govern them or
teach them successfully.
The object to be attained by punish
ment is two-fold in it's nature. No
matter what it's character may be, il
must be both remedial and preventive.
1t must eradicate the existing disorder
and prevent its recurrence, or it has,
in some degree, fallen short of its pur-
pose.
But have alluded to the history OF
the case. By this, / mean the causes
which combined to induce the pupil to
do wrong. This feature extends as far
back as home treatment of the child.
1t is often said of a child that it is nat
urally inclined to rudeness. This l
very much doubt. l have thought
that the natural inclination of children
is to do right. And ME must not for
get that the strongest impression is the
one that leads to the inclination
"As the twig is bent, the tree inclines."
AS the mind is impressed by example
and precept, the habits are inclined
and the character formed; for charac-
ter is the sum total of out habits. A
knowledge of the causes of these ha bits
is necessary that the teacher be able to
administer rational treatment. This
knowledge is readily obtained by study
ing the pupil. The treatment that
produced disordered moral condition
will never cure it. If, therefore, the
child has received harsh treatment al
home, the teacher should at once adopt
the opposite; for, if the harsh treatmsn
did not check the tendency to rude
ness, it is l)riDaa }acin evidence that il
was wrong.
We must not overlook the spirit o.
the teacher in exercising this autheri
ty to punish. 1t should not be exer
cised when either teacher or pupil is
liabl,. to he influenced by passion. /
the teachers passions be aroused, the
pupil is likely to conclude that he wa.
punished to crafty that passion, wher
old Human Nature arises in is migh
and says. defy your force" In such
a case the teacher compromises his
! manhood, and the pupils obslinauc,
is increased. Reason and judgmen
must control, or the desired ends car
not be secured. Good judgmea ,alpne
can determine the kind, the degree, tuC
the time of punishment. Whcn ii does
become necessary to chaStse, tim
should be taken, that passlyu ma,
subside and for reflection that the uus
may be prepared to administer it aa4
the other to receive it. Nor shou &
any punishment be inflicted except j.
the presence of the school. The req
sons for this are obvious. The teacher
should protect himself az Ainst pDssibly
false reports of private Punishment
and the school should profit by the eX
ample. AS to the degree oI puuish.Dent
ii should always be sufficient tp meet
all demands of the case and NJ more
ami the pupil should clearly under
stand why he was Chastised, and u
mode should be adopted whereby liz
may be liable to sustain any permanent
physical or mental injury thereffon.
1t is also necessary i'll tbs eXerC Sc O.
this authority that the teacher carry
with him the popular sentioent Of tbs
school. All may agrne thai a. deserves
punishment; but ii the teacher adopt
an unusal mode, or apply an usual one
to excess, the sympathy of the school
will at once be awakened in AS be-
half, and the teachers influence will
be correspondingly lessened.
But it will be expected, in a paper on
this subject, that ,me of the particular
kinds of punishment common in our
public schools shall be noticed. Shall
we head the list with that venerable
parsonage, Mr.. Birch, with whom we
earlier school days-sometimes even to
familiarity? The rememb brance of him,
when taking retrospective view Of our
boyhood days, is often recalled with
tingling emotions. But all honor to his
good judgment; for, during the decade
or two last past, he bas been asking to
be relieved from active service, and be
permitted to seek seclusion in hauuts
only known to retired life. A new
order of things demands new methods
or arbitration. Let us cherish what
ever of good he may have accomplished
in the past. and "over his foibles spread
the mantle of charity AS we are
dealing with rational beings, let reason
and judgment control.
A very common punishment for a
lack of preparation of lessons. is the
imposing of extra hours. This would
not do. If pupil habitualiy fail in "a
certain study, one of two things must
be apparent; be is either unprepared To