The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1912-05-30

Without tnougnt or judgment on the
pupils part
The teacher who must constantly warn
pupils and correct them for the same
mlsdeed over and over again is not an
efficient disciplinarian 1t is byword
to discipline successfully than through
any other one cause. And failure to
discipline is most commonly due to lack
of persistence.
Those who have constantly to deal
with children, well know how hard it is
to deceive them. Pupils may not detect
weakness in the teachers knowledge of
which he himself is unaware, but they
will unerringly detect any attempt to
hide ignorance or to bluff A teacher
whose scholarship is sound and secure,
who knows his subject-matter, and
who has the ability to present his know-
edge in form that children can compre-
bend, will, other things being equal, have
less trouble with discipline than teacher
whose knowledge is uncertain or mac
curate, and especially one who is aware
of his deficiencies and attempts to hide
them. A frank confession of ignorance
is far better than an attempt to gloss
over inadequate knowledge; but this con-
fession must not come too often, and
olouIu SSI fanny NC OllSct ny
able instances of enlightment. The
teacher should never lose sight of the
fact that his prime duty is to teach,-to
transmit to the child experience in one
form or another, and that his chief
stock in trade is experience or knowl-
edge.
The teacher who is deficient in this re-
Espect may maintain his authority by
force, but the maintenance of authority
by this means alone will be of but little
service. A good illustration of this may
be found in the book entitled 1.-The Evo-
luton of Dod.''
''Be just and fear not. " is an excellent
motto for teacher who wishes to pre-
serve the condition of discipline and good
order.
Another factor in the way of securing
order and discipline in the school is good
nature" One of the worst enemies of
good order is an ill-tempered teacher.
All the innate evil in children seems
to be brought out and intensified under
the influence of a sour, morose, unlikable
disposition. On the other hand there
are some teachers who can command re-
spect by the very fact of their genial,
sunny dispositions. Doubtless these ex-
tremes depend upon conditions over
which the individual has little control
some people inherit ill-favored DISPOSE
tions, just as others inherit sunshine and
laughter. But every teacher can con-
troll the conditions of good temper in
some measure. First of all comes up
the matter of health, and the first in
this category, sufficient sleep. Even the
best temper will be ruffied at the slight
est provocation if the normal amount of
sleep is long denied its possessor. A
good digestion is too obviously connected
with a good disposition to require en-
phasis at this point, except to say that
good digestion can often be acquired by
appropriate measures, even if heredity
has seemingly decreed otherwise. Suf-
ticient food and whatever outdoor eXer-
else the individual may need are likewise
conditioning factors.
By far the most important factor in
this respect, however, is freedom from
worry. To escape the pitfall of borrow
ing trouble" is one of the difficult lessons
for the beginning teacher to learn. The
cares Of the school room are not light,
even under the most favorable conditions.
Some pupils will progress so slowly that
their advance is not to be detected.
reasons, and so delay the progress of the
with ingenious but soul-trying mischief.
And, as if these were not enough, princi-
pals and supervisors and superintendent
will subject one to carping criticism, and
patrons will threaten to deprive one of
ones position unless certain ridiculous
demands are acceded to. To keep
sweet" amidst combination Of all these
disturbing influences is a stupendOus
task. 1t is simple enough to say that it
should be done; how to do it is another
quite different matter.
The teacher must use skill in exercis-
ing her authority to avoid difficulty.
think that principals and superintendent
will agree that, next to inability to Sc
cure respectful obedience from pupils,
most of the trouble in discipline has its
source in the voice of the teacher. The
temptation to speak to children in high
pitched, rasping voice is very hard to re-
sist, especially when there is the least
bit of noise or confusion in the class. AS
the teachers voice becomes louder and
louder, the tumult increases in like pro-
portions, until finally one must shout in
order to be heard. To one who tries,
for the first time, the remedial measure
of low voice in such a situation, the re-
suit is little less than astounding The
remedy is SO simple that one could hard
ly be pardoned for mentioning it here,
were it not so frequently overlooked by
teachers who are otherwise highly eff
cient.
The last point that will mention under
order and discipline is one that is met so
often in books on school management
excepting the pupils occupied" l will
not take time to discuss this point, but
every teacher knows that it is one that
is not well to be neglected.
The problem of attention is one that
should be discussed, as it bears such an
important relation to the teacher and
the successful recitation, but time will
not permit. Let US pass at once to the
technique of class instruction. 'The
unique problem of class instruction is to
secure the attention of all pupils to the
matter in hand, and to keep all the pupils
up to practically the same level of attain
ment in spite Of individual differences in
previous attainment and capacity for
further growth"
Our first concern of classroom manage
ment with method of instruction is: How
may the teacher make the independent
work of the pupils during their study
periods effective?
The presence of several classes or
grades in one room is probably one cause