The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1891-01-29
TEACHERS COLUMN.
Order in the School.

Any school that does not teach the pu
pills what obedience and order are is {
failure.
How many realize this truth. I once
heard one who had taught say that he
did not care how disorderly the pupils
were if they only knew their lessons.
This might be satisfactory to some teach
ers, but it certainly cannot be to those
who know the meaning Of the word edu-
cation. TO educate in our common
schools certainly does not mean simply to
train pupils in the branches named by the
Board of Examiners.
II that is all, then the mission of the
teacher is not SO grand, elevating. and
ennobling as we have been led to believe
But to return to our subject The
! teacher will say, II know my school is
not so orderly as it should be, but I can't
help it." TO such teacher we would
: say:
1st. Do what you say you will do.
Don't make threats and fail to carry them
out. The better way would be not to make
any threats at all. We often hear teaches
tell pupils that if certain things are done
or not done, certain punishment will
! follow. There is no use for making any
such promise because something may
arise to prevent its being fulfilled A
teacher once told child that he would
punish him if be did not know certain
lesson. The child could not learn it.
What was to be done? Punish the child?
Certainly not. It could not accomplish
the impossible to him.
End. Don't use the switch too often or
| too hastily. The switch is a very good
thing in its place, but its place is gene
| rally in the woods where nature has put
it that it might grow up to be a tree, when
it becomes useful. The switch. it is true,
may sometimes do good in the school
room, but it often does harm. The
teacher who would use it when angry
had better not use it at all. It is mis-
take, then. to suppose that corporal pun
ishment is the way and only way to en-
force order. If this kind of punishment
is often to be resorted to with child we
had better stay at home
Sd. Have few rules for the school, but
enforce them. A rule should not be laid
down for the government of a school
when the teacher is in doubt as to its pro-
priety. If a rule cannot be carried out to
the letter, abolish it.
4th. A teacher should not himself laugh
at a child that makes a mistake, nor
should he permit the other children to
laugh at him. If there is anything that
takes the manhood out of 4 child, or stirs
up all the hatred within him, it is to be
laughed at. His nature cannot endure
it, He becomes an open rebel, and will
give his teacher trouble. The above mis-
take is too often made by teachers who
complain that they cannot keep order
Whose fault is it? Let the teacher an
swer.
5th. Don't inhict such punishment on
child as will make him an object of
ridicule. We once read OF a hapless boy
who was ordered to stand in the CRATE
with his head up the chimney, while his
companions in crime we're invited to laugh
at him. Could such treatment as this
make pupil lover of order and obedi-
ence? Would it make him admire or re-
spect his teacher? No. It would only
cause him to be disobedient and disor-
derly.
Ifteachers could only be made to think,
to give the subject proper attention. they
would not have to complain of unruly
schools.