The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1915-09-23
Bamberg Banking Co.
Discipline and Good Teaching.

Discipline is one of the most
wrongly designed of all the methods
employed as means to- good teach
ing. The main reason for this is a
misunderstanding as to what really
constitutes good discipline. 1 once
visited a teacher who thought her
self to be a model disciplinarian. AS
I entered her room L was greeted
with this remark: John, take your
feet out of the aisle Five of the
fifteen minutes spent in her room
were consumed in correcting pupils.
This teacher would have been an ex-
cellent officer of the law; she was
constantly on duty, and she never
let a malefactor escape her. This
idea of discipline is not only harrass-
ing to the pupil, but it places an un-
necessary amount of nervous strain
on the teacher and makes a discon-
nected recitation.
In another room I found group
Of perfectly drilled soldiers, but
there was strained and an unhappy
look on the pupils faces. The cause
of this deplorable state was traced
to the almost cruel severity of the
teacher. The smallest breaking OF
the law was punished with the same
severity as the worst offense. This
woman's place was not in the school
room: her methods were enough to
crush the soul-yes, even the life
out of the child. Such ideas of dis
cipline must have been handed down
from the stone age, and they are
now obsolete and should be so con-
sidered.
You have heard teachers say that
they must have good order, no mat
ter how obtained: The first Of this
statement is correct, but these teach
ers make the great mistake. of plac-
ing discipline above everything else
that is, they make discipline an
end in itself, rather than a means
to good teaching. They are right
in saying that they must have order,
but let this order come, from the
childs self-government and not be a
forced obedience to commands. The
aim of education is to fit a child for
life, and there is nothing more es-
sential in mans life than govern
ment of self. If the teacher does all
the governing, how can the child de-
velop?
The most ideal method of disclip-
line is that Of no discipline. Let
there be complete understanding be-
tween teacher and pupil as to what
is required, then those pupils who
fail to measure up to requirements
must be shown in clear, logical way
wherein they have failed to get the
plan as worked out by one teacher.
This teacher comes to her class,
abounding with energy, her subjects
welLin mind, her programme def
nitely made, and, best Of all, her
heart full of love for her school. Her
manner is free and pleasing, the pu-
pills enjoy all their work and enter
into everything with quiet vim.
During two hours spent in her room,
the teacher had ideal recitations, the
class was in perfect order and not
one sign of correction came from the
teacher. This teacher said that time
was tooNaluable to waste on discip-
line, and that she let the child dis
cirline himself while she taught him
his lessons, and she told me that
during the first week of school, for
about ten minutes every morning.
she gave a talk on the value of good
order, varying her talk every morn
ing with apt illustrations. Alter
this week of explanation and guiding
the child along right lines, the teach
er began to make a mental note OF
those purifs who were not attentive
because their interest was elsewhere.