Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1884-05-01
Organizing a Country School.

mouse, scholars and neighborhood in
majority OF cases. With what timidi
ty the new teacher steps into the schoo
house on the first morning of school
and fortunate it will he for him il h,
Is there IN good season, always in ad
vance of the scholars il possible; b,
will gain much useful information by
watching closely the movements o
pupils as they come together; som,
will be timid, others bold, and perhap.
others may be bad and vicious. AL
these temperaments may crop ont he
fore the bell rings announcing books
and order: so the Importance of the
teacher being early at his post on the
first morning is almost if not quite q
necessity. The scholars in their seats
the Board of Directors also, the teach.
er at his desk, the critical moment has
come, the time has now arrived when
the teacher must act, if he be young
and inexperienced and perhaps little
tImid too, he will experience a sense
of fulness about the throat, choking
sensation as if his breathing apparatus
and organs of articulation we're all jun
bled up together about the base of the
mouth. you are expected to saw some
thing and you must say it; what shall
it be? We would suggest very few
common place remarks will in nearly
every case suffice.-Once started you
will have very little trouble; but above
all things guard against long speeches,
not only on the first morning but ever
afterward, We are confident that a
great many teachers spend too much
time lecturine and talking; guard
against superfuitv o. words in your
school. The first thing required on
the first morning of school is to have
tho Board of Directors present or a
majority of them. This can in most
instances be secured by proper and
judicious management on the part of
the teacher. Let all your acts on the
first day Of school be backed up bv
official authority; the influence and
and effect of the first day, rest
assured will permeste through the en-
tire term. A temporary organization
is about all YOU should attempt at first
in strange school. One regulation
you may adopt permanently, that the
exercises of the school will commence
at precisely 9 o'clock, no matter how
few pupils are present One thing
furthe" we would suggest; while the
pupils are coming in preparatory to
taking their seats, notice critically the
manner in which the boys take hold of
their hats behind, pulling them for
ward and down over their forehead
will hear watching, of this rest assured
Next In order will come the rules by
which the school is to be governed.
Some teachers adopt but single rule,
"Do Right"-this of course embodies
ali regulations, but is rather vague and
indefinite; if all scholars had clear
conception of the right" this single
rule might answer, but we would pre-.
fer simple rules we'll worded, plain
and to the point, and al wavs read your
rules from manuscript, and by doing
this your pupils will know that the
rules of the school will be ready for
reference in any emergency; a good
plan will be to let the pupils see that
they are written in your register. We
will not venture complete list of
rules; this we leave to the good judg-
ment of the intelligent teacher, but
will name few that we regard as in
in nearly all scholars; have
a few rules that apply to school rooms,
and few that apply to the play
ground; Tor school room say to the
pupils that no whispering even by per-
mission will be permitted; Just so sure
as you permit whispering in this way,
just so sure the privilege will be
abused. Some teachers may think
this rule little severe for small chill.
dren. In answer to this objection we
would say the good of the school asks
and demands this regulation be OBJ
served to the letter; in this matter we
occupy this position that the child
who is two young to keep from whis-
pering one hour and a half at one
time has not reached the age when he
should be admitted to our schools.
Let US have a strict observance of this
rule in our schools, and we firmly
think that fifty per cent. more might
be accomplished than under present
No changing of seats
without consent of teacher should be
permitted; the Importance of this can
not be overestimated; each pupil
should occupy particular seat, except
his place gets too hot from being
too near FIRE or too cold, or
when the pupils comfort demands
of all rules. On the first
morning of school, pupils are apt to Sc
lect their seats The privilege of seat
ing school properly is one that be-
longs exclusively to the teacher, and
he should impress this fact forcibly
upon his pupils. D.
!I don't feel Wellp' The stomach is