Evening star., 1936-05-15
Tact Needed
In Finding
Wrongdoers
S O lvi n g the Ever
Present School
Problem.
BY ANGELO PATRI.

Dx
IT ATEIY we have had some smutty
writing on the school walls. In
spite of much talking, investigating, |
careful supervising, the writing con-
tinues, even gets worse. What is best
to do? We el'that the school is dis
graced, that we are failing, and yet we
have been so careful to make point
Of clean thinking and clean talking
and clean behavior"
There never has been school OF
any size that did not know this phase
of difficulty. Always one or two chill
dren express their suppressed emo
tions, uuestionings and fears in this
way. 1t is no disgrace to the school.
Nor to the children. 1t is an unpleas-
ant expression of real difficulty, and
to be treated with professional calm
and intelligence.
The first thing to do, as soon as the
writing is discovered, is to clean 1t OH.
Leave no trace of it. Take good look
at the walls of the halls and wash
rooms. Are they clean, so clean that
they impress the children with their
cleanliness? Or are they so dirty that
they invite more of the same? Some
times a good coat of paint settles the
matter.
Keep the happening a professional
secret. Don't talk in assembly about
1t. Talk to no one about it save to
those concerned in cleaning things up,
in preventing reoccurrence. And
say as little as possible then. Talking
about such things is like pouring oil
on a fire. Silence and intelligent ac-
ton acts like water on the blaze.
Place discreet people on guard. Try
to find the child who is making this
mistaken gesture. When he is found,
and he will be if the silence and the
guards are maintained, don't scare
him to death; don't denounce him as
a wicked, sinful child who is disgracing
his school, his family and his COM
munity. Go gently. Tell him that
when he feels like that to do some
thing else to get the feeling of his
chest-take a run around the yard,
chin himself as often as he can, take
it out in hearty exercise instead of
spelling a perfectly good wall that
costs lot of money to maintain. Then
let him 60.
But don't stop there. Study that
child until you find what ails him.
Search his home, his people, his hopes
and disappointments, his health of
mind and body. Consider him as a
mental patient, physically ailing
child. an unhappy youngster in need
Of help and guidance.
Treated this way there is no prob
lem. The speed with which the writ
ing disappears, the silence that follows
its going. The understanding attitude
that makes the whole thing profess
sional problem instead of a misde-
meanor sets the stage for its elimina-
ton. Then the careful, helpful study
Of the child does the rest.
Punishment, notes home, speeches
only tend to aggravate this trouble.
It is not always necessary to do some
thing to hurt the child, who has made
. mistake, in order to have him rec
pgnize his error and mend it. Often
the error is caused by forces beyond
the understanding of the patient. The
teacher in charge should understand
that such cases are likely to appear
any day and be ready to handle them
with competent ease.
Don't be shocked if the patient hap
pens to be girl. Girls are subject to
the same strains as boys, and need
iust as much help.
Copyright, 1850