The Newtown bee., 1888-12-21

l
and her face covered with sunshine, while
tomorrow, suffering from indigestion or
loss of sleep, thunder storm may hover
about her brow, ready to burst on the
first offender. 1t may be difficult thing
to do, bat teacher must try to seem, if
not to be, alike at all times.
She should try to make her govern
ment equal, the same to all the school,
the younger as well as the older ones,
the girls as well as the boys. Do not
whip the older ones by doing it over the
shoulders of the younger ones. Have
manliness, have justice enough to begin
with the older ones. When they are UNI
der control, the younger ones will not re-
sist.
Make your government impartial in
every particular. Have no favorite, no
preferences based on the outward APP
pearance or personal attractions Of any
scholar. The rich and the poor should
be treated alike. The richest gem may
be concealed under rough exterior.
The teacher should be possessed of a
ready decision and be able to decide read
| lily upon any action. Do not, however,
decide too hastily. Better to take lit
tie time than to pronounce rash judg-
ment; indecision on the part of teach
err will be noticed by her pupils and it
will weaken their respect for her. When
the decision is once made, then stick to
| it. Here is where the all important firm
ness comes in. How many schools suf-
| fer for the want of firmness in the teach
err! Do not make a rash decision, if pos
sible, but, if once made, unless it is very
wrong, better carry it out without wa
vering and be more carefuf in the future.
will give an illustration. The teach.
err is busy with a recitation. John says,
"May get drink" no." says the
teacher, thoughtlessly, without stopping
to think whether John has any cause for
being thirsty or not. John sits awhile,
evidently thinking he will try again soon
and, watching his opportunity, soon says
again, SHAY | go and drink?' sNo,
study your lesson.'' John is not quite
satisfied. He pretends to study awhile
and soon, perhaps taking the teacher in
the midst of a knotty explanation. says,
''May | 60 and drink?' s'Yes, yes, yes,
do 60 and drink. suppose you will
keep asking till you do.''
Now what would the effect of such
procedure be on the school? Why, it
would just teach the scholars to keep
asking and asking for this and that thing
until the teacher was nearly worried to
pieces. The teacher should have taken
time TO think whether John had good
reason for asking to drink or not and, af-
ter deciding her reply, should not have
given way to Johns Importantly.
On entering anew school, be careful as
to the first impression you make. stWhat
is well begun is half done.'' Be frank.
be true, be honest, be firm and, above
all, be pleasant to your scholars. Ifyou
wish to gain the love of your scholars,
you must first gain their respect. Al
ways make request before a command
If the request fails, let the command be
given thoughtfully, pleasantly, but firm
| ".
Do not beFuspicious Of your scholars.
Every one issupposed to be innocent I'M
til he is proved guilty. Let your pupils
feel that you place confidence iii them
and they are likely to try and make them
selves worthy of that confidence. If a
boy feels that he has lost your good opin-
ion Of him, he is very apt to think hehas
nothing more to lose and give up trying
to be obedient. 1t is q good point to let
a scholar know that you see something
good in him. A little praise is worth
| a great deal of censure. lit is said that
DIR Franklin, when he would gain his en-
envy, would ask him to do a favor.
Asking an unruly boy to do some favor,
in the way of rendering you some assist
ance, may be the means of securing his
good WILL
In the ordering of a well regulated
school, one of the requisites is a suitable
and well equipped school room. These
we all know are very apt to be faulty,
but the teacher is called upon to make
the best of what she has. Children are
not likely to be very orderly or keep in
very good humor, if the temperature of
| the room is lowering around the freezing
point and they are apt to be listless and
uneasy if the temperature is much above
20 degrees. Every teacher should regu-
late the temperature of the room by q
thermometer and try to keep it from G5
| to 40, depending somewhat on the loca-
tiOn of the thermometer. IL the district
will not furnish the thermometer, let the
teacher own one. | suppose these teach
ers heard Mr. SOmes at our last meeting,
on ventilation, so that it will not be nee
essary for me, in this paper, to enter on
that subject, more than to say that good
ventilation, also, is essential in helping
to keep the scholars in good working con-
diti0n and, when in that condition, they
are less likely to be led into mischief.
| Do not allow the floor to be Uttered
with waste papers, etc., as that tends
toward carelessness on the part of the
| pupils. Insist on neatness of person. as
well. boy with smutty face, touselled
hair and ink-stained fingers is not in
good condition for keeping in the traces.
AS soon as possible, give regular and
full employment. An old proverb says,
s'Idlencss Is the mother of mischief A
healthy child must be active. If his
mind and hands are not turned toward
some interesting employment, they will
soon turn to play. Let the teacher think
of and plan out this work beforehand and
insist on its being done. 1t is easier to
insist on performing duty, than on alb
staining from mischief.
Make but few rules, but, whatever
rules you make, see that they are COM
piled with at all times. / would have ii
an understood rule that no scholar should
leave his seat without permission and, on
general principles, 1 would not have
scholars help each other by so-called
studying together. That generally means
that the bright and Industrious scholar il
doing the work for the lazy one and,
when it is done, the lazy one will know
very little about it and receive very little
benefit therefrom. If a scholar needs as
sistance, let it come from the teacher
This studying together creates much dis
lturbance and is apt to lead to mischief
making.
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