Semi-weekly independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1895-1897, 1895-12-07
NOTES ON EDUCATION.
MATTERS OF INTEREST TO PU-
Pill AND TEACHER.
Principles and Regulations for Gov
erninE the Schooi-WiIat to 30 with
Dull Pupils-Brutal Class Fights in
Ruiz and ReguIationS,

system and make the school machinery
work smoothly and without friction.
The following principles are important:
1. Few rules should be- made. All
rules with penalties attached are to be
avolded as much as possible They
are dangerous. and often suggest an
oHense to the pupil which otherwise
would probably never have been thought
of. The more rules the more difficult
Is the work of governing. for under
the rule system every infringement
must necessarily be noticed and the
proper punishment be inflicted.
= The teacher should seldom refer
to the rules. 1t IS sufficient to have the
rules known in order that the teacher
may have something to resort 10 in JUS
LITIGATION of administering punishment
at times. but the rule governing the
case should not be mentioned except
when it is broken. To refer constantly
to the school rules Is simply 10 set your
pupils To thinking about them ana 10
place temptation before them.
>. Rules should b. reasonable. School
rules should be such rs commend them
selves to the sound judgment of al.
The influence of public sentiment *
strong. and if the teachers rules be
such us 10 win the favorable conSiAcra-
ton of bo,h pupils AMI patrons. he need
have little fear thar there will be any
difficulty In enforcing them. Oh the
other hand. unW;Se or unnecessary
rules tend to clafe and fret the pupils
and produce discord and disorder
rather than prevent them.
/. Kul should be general in thoir
character School rules must be general
IN thci. application. SPECIAL cases can
usually b. met by special treatment.
but n general the rules should b. made
to apply to an. Thcre may. g course.
be individual eases in which the rule
should be subject to exceptions. as
where the enforcement would be PRO
Sdctivc of great harm TO nervous or
deformed child. Rules should be gen
eral also in their specifications. not
pointing out individual onenses and at
taching specific penalties except where
specially deman,,ed
,. Rules should aim 1t securing the
greatest good. They are not to be made
for the convenience and comfort OF the
: teacher. but TO prOtect the rights of the
pupils and preserve the "rder and har-
mony OF the school as whole. Their
aim should be to secure the greatest
good to the greatest number. SUCH rules
will commend themselves and secure
compliance to their requirements. be-
: cause they are reasonable and wise.
6. Special rules should be adopted
+ only whom they become necessary. Tho
teacher who draws MP his rules ana
regulations in advance VIII find quite
rs much trouble in attempting to en-
force them rs he experiences in con
i trolling ana directing The school. In
deed, the fewer rules one attempts 10
enforce the more successful VIII be his
! discipline. Pupils soon learn 10 ierOg-
, nZe the facj Tint the teacher is willing
to trust them and has conhtlencr in
them. but when they fiad themselves
+ hedecd IN on every side by specific
! rules The natural questions which arise
are not l. THIS right? VIII the teacher
approve of il? bUt rather. Is this pro
! hbited? Is there any rule forhiiding it?
! The teacher IS entirely safe in going
! into school without n single rule. and
/ Informing his pupils that he has faith
! IN them THAI they will try To do what
| they believe to he right. Each needed
rule may then be made when the ne
! costly for ii arises.
| T. Rules should be such as can be en-
! forced. Such rules as are merely orna-
mental. and such Is are placed in the
lists merely to frShten pupils are not
| only unwisc. but also absurd. Among
rules Of this character may be mention
ed all such rs attiy corporal punishment
as a penalty where ability 10 enforce
| the rule or administer the punishment
| depends altogether on the physical de
velopment AMI courage of the teacher.
! To permit rules to remain on the list
| without attempting to enforce them or
! punish when the rules are dis0beyed
! is worse than To have no rules at all.
! 3. Rules should not be inflcXible No
! rules are so miscellaneous and absurd
as those which measure out certain
! Dunishments for particular Off nsiieS.
without taking into consideration the
motive or the circumstances which
may have led To breaking the rule.
Thus. a rule which prohibits ali wills
perng. without inquiring into the mo-
tive which caused the violation of the
rule. is both unwiSe and unjust. IT
recognizes no distinction between limo
cent infringement of Il rule and Will
full disobedicnce The teacher who in
| sists upon infcyibie rules. or rather
| invariable punishments for the viola
ton of rules, will frequently find him
self placed in the unpleasant dilemma
of being compelled to administer pun
ishment when he knows himself to be
doing wrong or permit n violation of
his rules to 60 unpublished.
8. The pupil should be permitted to
assist in adopting the rules. Ii is Il
good plan when Il rule becomes ncces-
sary to give the pupils n voice III its
adoption. They will rarely abuse their
7 privileges. and when once the rule is
adopted they recognize it rs a law of
their own making. Their obedie'tce TO