Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-18
OUR CHILDREN
ny ANGELO PATRI.
Classroom Fear.

Classroom Fear.
Bobbie began to complain of his stom-
ach every morning. 1T scratched him
inside"
where does it hurt you, Bobbie?"
ut doesn't hurt exactly. 1t scratches
me. I can't eat any breakfast. My
stomach hurts me-"
HE has been saying this lately since
he got into the new class. II keep
him home from school, he Immediately
| feels better. After an hour out OF doors
he cats well. No sooner do tell him
that it is time for school than his
stomach begins to scratch him.
"Id Just send him along and let him
get over it, but / can see that he is
| growing more and more nervous, eating
less, sleeping less, playing less all the
time. Something must be the matter
with him. His teacher is very strict.
Watches every move the children make,
and If they don't do just right, they
have to stay in and write sentences and
get bad marks.
"Bobbie has never had any trouble
in school. His marks are good. But !
think he is afraid. Would that make all
this trouble?"
Yes, that would make all this trouble.
1t would make all sorts of trouble for
certain children who are in dread ano
fear If the teacher frowns. Fear is
poison to the growth Of the sensitive
child. 1t is a check on the growth OF
any child. 1t Is likely to warp his
thought and dwarf his body.
Then why did the teacher make this
child afraid? She did not do so pur-
posely, you can be assured. But class
is made up of all sorts of children
Some of them shy and sensitive, some
of them healthy, husky little creatures
without a nerve in their bodies to all
intentS and purposes OF the class room
Some of them are children OF dull men
tally, poor behavior traits and deficient
school work These will disrupt the
work of the class unless the teacher sup
presses them. This she does by preserv-
ing a stern demeanor, hard voice, an
eagle eye Fear holds the unruly ones
in check, and they must be held down
If the teacher is to live in the room and
get any work done.
The attitude the teacher takes to hold
the hard Numbers Of the class strikes
fear into the souls of the gentle and
sensitive children. They suffer accord
ingly and soon have to be withdrawn
The teacher is not to blame when this
condition exists. She cannot chang
her manner and mood with the need OF
each child when she has class of 40
so, go. and this happens oftener thar
you would like to believe.
What then shall we do? Sort the
children into groups that are easier Il
handle because thdA~ tastes and abilities
are more nearly alike. Give the hard
members of society the course of study
thew need, and thev will be far less
troublesome. Give the rapidly advanc-
ing children a chance to work along
their own line of growth with their own
rate of speed.
Train teachers so they will know ex-
actly the effect their methods have or
the different children of their classes sc
| they can save the timid ones, or Stimu-
! late the slow ones, or adjust the un-
| happy ones. But please do not blame
the teacher until the school authorities
! have made it possible for her to dea,
with children as individuals. Give the
school a chance by allowing it equip
ment and a we'll manned organization
| Teachers are far from perfect, but they
are much overburdened.
(Copyright, 1917