The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1913-12-04
HINTS TO TEACHERS. NO. 7
Was This Your
CBy DR.. Cloyd n. McAllister.)

when in doubt, do the kindest
thing" This statement written
carefully on the blackboard, greet
ed my eye as | entered a school
room some time ago. The impress
sion it made upon me was very
pleasant one. | observed the work
Of the teacher and pupils very care
fully. Every one there was happy
and busy.
A stay OF an hour. and several
visits later, revealed TO me the Sc
cret by which the teacher was able
10 keep her large school working
all the time, the pupils pleased with
their occupations, and no one ever
interfering with another.
She had the work for each day
carefully planned in advance, so
that she knew what to have
each child do next. II John fin
ished his arithmetic before any
one else, he was not allowed to
sit and twist about in his seat, won
dering how to impress the other
boys with the fact that he got thru
first. The teacher saw the condi-
ton demanded more work, and John
took pleasure in further and profit
able work.
II James was puzzled and worried
over the work, the teacher quietly
suggested that he go out into the
open air for few minutes, and get
a drink of water. James returned
and tackled his work with renewed
vigor.
This teacher had learned enough
Psychology to know that every
thought is accompanied by some
form Of bodily change; that thoughts
OF doing things are accompanied
with actions.
This teacher had watched the
boys when talking about their
games. When Bill was listening
TO Budd tell how he pitched a ball,
she noticed Bill always made move
ments OF the arm-sOmetimes even
moving the whole arm just as if he
had ball in his hand. When Char
lie was walking along the road and
saw a squirrel perched on a tree
high above his head, the thought
which Charlie had, What a pretty
shot" was shown clearly by the
fact that his arms got into position
just as if he were holding a rife,
and was about TO shoot. One day
when in town, she saw an old SOL
der standing on the street corner
with paper bag Of eggs and some
other eatables in his arms. A viii
lage wag stepped up behind the old
gentleman and with voice Of COM
mand called ATTENTION." This
idea was clearly grasped by the old
soldier-but the idea OF holding TO |
his dinner was driven Out-the re-
suit was that in taking the attitude
Of attention, the dinner was lost.
Her conclusions from these OBJ
servations were:
My pupils will always show by /
their bodily attitude and movements
the kind Of thoughts they have.
A clear and well understood idea
drives out others. BY keeping my
pupils busy expressing the desira-
BILE kind Of ideas and keeping from
them the opportunities TO express
the undesirable thoughts, | can have
very much better school.
! will never say, Jane, don't
whisper" but will say, Jane, | am
glad you did those examples so we'll
and 50 neatly; now get out your
geography and let me see how many
Of these questions you can find an
swers for" Twill always say TO the
pupils Come. do this" instead OF
Don't do that
The thing | can make them think
about Will be done All that is Just
what find st. Paul advised the
Philippians 10 do. Phil. as.
That teacher began TO put the best
thoughts she could get hold OF on