Evening star., 1936-02-10
New Honor
System in
Glass Room
Novel Procedure e
Proves Successful
in School.
BY ANGELO PATRI.

Young teachers are always both
= cred by pupils raising their hands
TO make some, usually idle, request.
Just as the teacher Is ready to make
the point of the lesson, when she is
straining every nerve to hold the at
tention of the class, a hand goes up,
waggles frantically, will not be froWn-
ed down or denied.
"Well, James, what is it?"
"I feel draft"
Being young and inexperienced the
teacher loses her patience. Really?
And I suppose you couldn't change
your seat, or close the window, or do
anything to keep from interrupting the
class work and losing time? Close
the window" James does so, clat-
tering the window pole, stumbling over
its length, tripping on the pipes of the
radiator. Now every eye is on him
and the whole class watch breathlessly
while he waves the long pole toward
the window top. Somebody Jumps up
to help him. At last the window is
closed. James and his helper clump
thought of the lesson flown, raises her
hand and asks meekly, PLEASE, may I
leave the room?"
mo. you can't" snaps the teacher.
Don't another one of you raise your
hand this morning. I'm just sick and
tired of this nonsense. The whole
morning gone and nothing done but
shutting the window and going to the
wastebasket and getting drinks and
what not. Now attention"
But little Margie will not be denied.
She must leave the room. She signifies
this by certain unmistakable signs
and the teacher must" let her 60
With bad grace she says, Leave the
room, Maggie" Maggie goes, the pic
ture of protesting virtue, outraged dig
nifty, meekness trampled to earth. The
class turn sympathetic eyes after her
retreating and sorrowful form. Five
hands go up. EVERYBODY now has the
idea. All of them must leave the room,
and at once.
This is no easy position for the
young teacher. 1t seriously affects
the discipline of the class and the work
that waits to be done. Something must
be done Something is done.
First thing the teacher says, When
ever you need to go to the bathroom
you must go at once. Never wait. Your
health comes before everything Try
to attend to your health habits at
home. Then you will not need to go
to the bathroom until recess time,
But never wait.
THE little book hanging by the
door with the pencil tied to it, is the
pass book. If you have to leave the
room write your name in it and the
time you left. When you return, write
the time you return. Go so as not to
disturb the others, who must be al
lowed to work. Their work is as i'm
portant to them as your health is to
you. EVERYBODY has rights" This is
said with dramatic emphasis, so as to
give the class to understand that the
teacher is protecting them in their
personal and class rights. At once
she has them with her. They are not
only given permission to leave the
room, they are the sole authority on
the subject.
Next the teacher goes over the book
carefully at the end Of a few days.
She notes the children who leave often
and informs the parents that the child
seems to need doctors care, as he is
out Of the room so many minutes daily
and is rapidly losing ground in his
lessons in consequence. That either
sends an ailing child to the doctor for
help, or 1t brings an idling child to
time. The teacher is free of the whole
business. She builds up a class idea
that work is very important and not
to be interrupted.