The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1886-01-08
EDUCATIONAL.
Some Pertinent suggestions by % Practical
Teacher on School Government.

SOME Pertinent suggestions by % Practical
Teacher on School Government.
The end of school government is
self-government. How shall we govern
our schools that our pupils may learn
to govern themselvesp
i. The pupil must not be fettered By
too many rules.
When God created man He gave him
but one law-the law of perfect ODE
dience. After the fall. ten command
ments and restrictions, many and vari-
Gus, were given. Mar had made them
necessary. Give to the pupil one rule,
DO right! Allow him to Judge for
himself and choose n course of action.
If his course is right and is commend.
ed. the child gathers confidence in his
own moral perceptions.
Character is formed by reiterated
choices. How can the child who il fet-
tered by rules and restrictions at every
turn be anything but an automatonp
But suppose that the child chooses
wrong instead of right? Then he must
learn by experience that right is better
than wrong. If the teacher can enforce
this lesson without hurting the child's
self-respect, or discouraging him in the
effort TO govern himself, she has great
reasons to be thankful.
How shall we treat offenders so that
they may be led voluntarily to avoid
oflensep There are a few principles
which must be sharply defined in the
teachers mind if she would secure the
best results.
|. The good of the child demands
that he shall have u clear understand.
ing of the distinction between right
and wrong. Therefore. when he is at
fault, make sure that he sees, before
You leave the subject, just where he
first went wrong. II will do him good
to learn rs a child what he will learn
later on, that right and wrong are rela-
tive terms. He can readily see that
taking an apple from his mothers side
board, when the apples are put there
for family Use, is quite a different thing
from taking an apple at the grocery
store where the apples are for sale.
Teach the child to discern right and
wrong under varying circumstances.
2. Never lower u child's estimate OF
wrong doing by teaching him that It is
q matter of indifference whether he
does right or wrong. What is that
teacher doing for the soul of the pupil
who said, with q despairing tone. at
doesn't make any difference whether !
do right or wrong. If | am bad. teacher
scolds; and, i'll am good, she scolds, or
else looks as if she didn't believe il
would last?" Why should it last under
such circumstances?
3. BE very careful TO have your pu.
pills learn that nothing BAT sin can sep
arate from ioce. II You have taught
your pupils this one lesson SO that il
remains with them through life, and
interprets TO them their own relation to
God, your teaching is Il grand success.
1t is the lesson God has been trying to
teach the world from creation till now.
and our faulty ideas of home and school
government have kept many souls from
understanding il. How can we under.
stand what We have never experienced
The fathcrhood which we have seen and
known is II only guide to the interpre'
tation of the fatEcrhood of God.
4. Increase the child's idea of the
majesty Of law by invariably infiictins
some penalty for its violation. Suit the
penalty to the oflense. If suffering in.
variably follows wrong-doing, the child
will learn for himself that il il better tt
do right. Half the evils of this world
would be avoided if the wrong-doers,
instead of their victims, bore the pen.
atty of the offtnse.
3. Never shield a child from the
consequences Of his own act. Sympa
thize with his suffering. but do not nit
igate it. In no other way will the child
learn so quickly or SO well the lesson OF
personal responsibility. The best good
of the child must stand as the one prom.
inent thought before the teachers mind,
to which all things must be made sub.
servient. This brings us to-
LII. Let The loss of pricilege, or q neu
restriction, con as The result of M<
pupils 10 actions.
This does away with the idea tina,
Teacher makes rs mind just because
she wants to be hateful" Let the max.
i'm be clearly understood-'You shall
have all the freedom which you can use
without abusing,"-and the "antagon.
ism existing between teacher and pu-
pills" will soon vanish. How can Il
last when the teacher says, and keeps
her word, you shall have only
such rules as goa render necessary"
III. Let The children see The meaning OF
your rules.
Take, for instance, the rule against
whispering and communication. Dc
you see the moral side of this rule,
teachersp Is whispering to be forbidden
simply on the plea that it disturbs 9TH
ers who desire to study, or interrupts
the order of the roomP BY no means.
The real value of such rules is that they
give the pupil the opportunity to exer-
else self control. Illustrate by many
instances from all departments of life
the need of self-control. Show that il
must be learned by its constant practice
from childhood. Let the child see
that it is a real regard for his welfare
for years after he leaves you, that
prompts you to help him to the utmost
of your power to make a man of him.
self. My scholars know that / care
nothing about communication in itself,
for it is never carried far enough to dis
turb the order of the room. l do not
forbid it. l explain why l wish it avoid
ed and leave it to the pupils. More than
once when have approached a pupils
desk, saying in a grave voice, "You
failed in controlling yourself just now,"
l have found the pupil with tears in her
eyes as she said penitently. II know
it, and l am so sorry! See, l wrote this
to keep me from forgetting again." and
a sheet OF paper, laid in a conspicuous
place on her desk, bore the legend,
"Beware!!!'
Twenty years of experience with pu-
pills of all grades and classes have
taught me that the pupils who are treat
ed as co-workers with the teacher learn
to govern themselves more rapidly than
those who are held TO a simple, blind
Ohadiance II M GordOa. an .Lo,~,nJ