Part 2 — DIVISION V (continued 3)

Watch the child in his play at recess to see what activity interests him most. Suggest to him some point about that activity which he has overlooked and commend him on his skill. Every child has a hobby. If you can find this boy’s hobby and tell him something about it which he does not know, you will make a warm place in his heart for yourself. Then utilize the knowledge thus gained, and his increased confidence in you, in order to add to his school work just the element that will make it so interesting for the child that he will find the work more delightfully fascinating than the mischief.

The first grade teacher needs to be in her room but a few days before she will see some little child making grimaces at his neighbor and not infrequently he may make a grimace at the teacher, especially if he feels that the teacher has not dealt fairly with him. This is not a serious annoyance and should give the prudent teacher no worry. It can not be repeated too often that many of the small offenses that harass a school day are doubly intensified by the attention that is paid them. Often when a pupil does some petty misdemeanor, 482he would soon forget it were it not that the teacher notices it and pounces upon the offender with some brand of punishment and thereby the child learns that this certain offense is a thing that the teacher dislikes. In the future, whenever that child’s feelings are ruffled, he will resort to this certain offense to annoy the teacher. The discreet teacher will train her pupils in such a way that they will not settle upon any specific type of annoyance.

In cases where a child resorts to the practice too frequently, the teacher will find it well to devise some means by which she can substitute one activity for another; that is, substitute a more interesting activity for the making of grimaces. The teacher may use the following method and conversation:

“Children, we are planning to have a little play party once a month. This is to be on the last Friday afternoon of each month. Each one of you is to bring either a cooky, an apple, an orange, or a banana, and I will bring some candy. We will play all kinds of games and just before school dismisses we will eat our dainties. Won’t that be fine? But, children, I have just thought that any one who makes grimaces or ugly faces during the month ought not to be invited. We do not want our party spoiled. What do you say?”

Of course all, or nearly all of the children will say that any one who is guilty of making faces shall not come. The teacher who has not tried anything like this will think it is absurd and impracticable, but it will greatly assist in removing grimacing and many other evils that troop through a teacher’s school experiences.

483The means of discipline need not necessarily be a party. It can be some other affair or activity that children like. If the teacher chooses a party, she must have a goodly number of games ready and keep her children intensely interested.

The luncheon is an important feature of the party and must be well managed by the teacher. All the sweetmeats must be divided into small parts and so mixed that a child does not get the dainty he contributed. A cooky can be cut into four pieces, a banana into four or five pieces, and the same with other sweetmeats. Children like little things. Then, too, the teacher may suggest that they play at having a luncheon.

CASE 84 (SECOND GRADE)

Making Faces For Fun

Adams White knew a large number of systems by which to rearrange his features so as to produce laughter. When the book-agent sat at the side of the room, Adams took occasion to entertain him with the horrible figure made by drawing down his lower eyelids until a large part of the eyeball was exposed to view. The boy did this, or a similar prank, every once in a while, and his teacher, young Benjamin Danner, scarcely knew what penalty would do the boy the most good.

Unfortunately for Adams, he was caught in the act. “Go to the blackboard, Adams. Put your hands behind your back and lean forward till your head touches the wall. Did you understand me?”

“Well,” thought the agent, “this is interesting. I can hardly believe that such methods are in use today. 484But here is the proof right before my eyes.” He watched Adams move in a clumsy, resistant manner, and assume the position prescribed.

CONSTRUCTIVE TREATMENT

Instead of such a punishment as the one described above, we propose that Mr. Danner pay no attention to the deed until school is out for the day. Find some favor that Adams can do for you and put him at it immediately. When he has completed the task, or at least made good headway, call him to one side, look him straight in the eye, as he is seated in front of you, and say:

“Adams, you need to be careful how you look at visitors who call at our school. The gentleman was surprised at your action today. I felt sorry for him. I want to know if you can keep at your work in an orderly way on similar occasions hereafter.”

If the answer is more or less satisfactory, accept it and say:

A Firm Injunction

“I am going to depend on you for this. I want to see no more expressions of shame on the face of a visitor because of your conduct. I want every pupil to work straight on no matter who may come in.”

COMMENTS

This boy needs no publicity as a reward for his misdemeanor; he will sooner or later take advantage of his unexpected predicament to make more trouble for his teacher. The penalty had no logical connection with the prank, and only aggravated the boy’s antipathy toward school rules. Mr. Danner advertised his 485lack of good discipline by resorting to this barbarous penalty, especially when a stranger was present.

If the conduct of Adams is to be permanently improved, this one act must be viewed in its relation to his conduct generally. As soon as Adams feels vitally his part in making the school a success, his behavior will improve. No pupil is so obstreperous that one need despair of winning him by some kind of means, at least until one has exhausted his resources.

The plan recommended above, or some adaptation of it, can be used profitably for a pupil of any grade.

ILLUSTRATION (FIFTH GRADE)

Making a Man

Jim was ten years old when he was transferred from Webster Street School in the East End of the city to Central School on Main Street. This transfer was the culmination of a long series of misdemeanors on his part and many untactful methods employed by his teachers. No species of juvenile mischief remained untried by him.

He went into each room with a scarred record from his former teacher, and was not allowed to forget the fact that he always did the wrong thing. He was scolded daily, sent into the hall to stay for hours and gaze benignly upon the works of art that decorated the walls, which of course he didn’t do, not being deeply engrossed in art study. More naturally he spent the time in mischievous pranks. He was whipped, threatened, and denied the advantages of less energetic and less talented pupils.

But with the transfer came a change in the boy’s nature. When he entered Central School, Miss Burns 486grasped his hand and said, “Well, Jim, I’m glad you’re going to be in our school. I know we’re going to get along finely.” She treated him as if he intended to do the right thing, and before long he actually thought he did so intend.

She had him go on errands for her when she saw he was getting restless, or erase the blackboard for her after an exercise, which he did with great dispatch, and before the end of the first day she had completely won his respect and gratitude.

One morning on his way to school Jim heard his classmates planning Christmas presents for their teacher. Immediately he began to contrive ways and means for securing a beautiful necklace he had seen in the jeweler’s shop—a necklace of gold and pearls. This was the only gift that his active little brain could conceive of as being worth giving to Miss Burns.

Only, he hadn’t the money to buy the necklace. His parents were far-seeing in a financial way, and did not believe in bestowing unlimited amounts of coin upon their children. So it was that Jim found need to do something unusual in order to secure the coveted present. He was not long in working up a paper route. He would rise early in the morning and spend long hours delivering his papers.

In connection with this work he took orders for Christmas wreaths, then secured a large quantity of holly from a wholesale man on market; his little sister, Ruth, bought a supply of fluffy, flaming ribbon at the Ten-Cent Store. Together they made the wreaths, Jim paying Ruth for her artistic advice and time. In this way the wreaths cost less than the ready-made 487wreaths, and Jim was able to secure a better price for them. Thus Jim saved enough money to buy the necklace and also some lovely presents for those at home.

You can imagine Miss Burn’s surprise when, among other gifts, she found Jim’s necklace on her desk the morning before Christmas. Realizing the value of the gift and Jim’s true devotion to her, she won from him the story of his sacrifice. She said, “Oh, Jim, you don’t know how this makes me feel,” and Jim went home at the end of the day with a beaming face.

Jim’s sacrifice reacted upon himself, for this taste of his powers led him into many fair means of earning money, and so launched him well on what turned out to be a successful business career.

“Making faces” is essentially a little child’s offense, although sometimes it persists in upper grades or even in the high school.

CASE 85 (FOURTH GRADE)

“Making Faces” for Spite

In a small village there existed bad feeling between the pastor of the church and several of his leading members. Some parishioners took sides with the pastor, and in the school the children of these two church factions carried on the quarrel of their elders. The teacher kept peace on the playground through active personal supervision, but in school he encountered the face-making problem in a degree only less ridiculous than it was annoying.

There existed an active emulation in the ugliness of the facial contortions produced, and when a member of one faction had made a particularly horrid grimace, 488he looked for and received the silent applause of his sympathizers.

Charles Briggs was the teacher. He knew that the feeling of alliance in the members of the factions was the cause of the face-making epidemic, but he could not at first think of a logical way of meeting the situation. He tried, first, the use of his absolute authority. He forbade the making of faces, and punished the children when he caught them at it. Whereupon face-making became a more exciting sport than ever, since the zest of escaping notice was added to the pleasure of presenting an ugly front to the enemy.

Mr. Briggs said, “How funny you would all look if your faces should stay twisted into those grotesque shapes.” Nevertheless the children spent their recesses, when kept in, in inventing new twists and contortions; they stood in corners and drew the attention of the whole room to fresh triumphs in grotesqueness. The evil grew, because the cause was not touched. One boy even set a looking-glass up in front of his book, into which he made faces for the benefit of the girl who sat behind him, keeping his head lowered meanwhile as if using his handkerchief to wipe his tearful eyes.

Then Mr. Briggs began to think of underlying causes and intrinsic remedies. As a consequence, he made up a fairy story about a land where people’s thoughts molded their features with instant magic into the semblance of ugly animals or noble men and beautiful women. He introduced a princess of evil disposition whose face was that of a cross, snapping dog, but whom a magician changed into a being of loveliness 489and grace by his persuasions to self-sacrifice and kindness. He told this story as vividly as he could, with emphasis upon the dislike people feel for an ugly face. Then he waited a day or two for the story to take effect. He heard the children laughingly allude to it once or twice, but the evil went on.

Then he talked to his school about face-making. He explained that such contortions really do affect the faces and characters of those who make them, not of those who see them. He led his boys and girls to see that face-making made them contemptible, and that every time it was done it published the inferiority of the doer. Then, having condemned the old ideal, he tried to build up a new habit by showing that the strongest man is the one who is most self-controlled, and ended by a little skillful ridicule of the babyish method they had been taking to show a silly spite.

“Suppose,” he proposed at last, “that we put the babies who make faces over here with the primary pupils, where they’ll feel more at home? Bright people don’t like to be associated with such children. But we’ll not try it unless we have to. I shall watch you during the next few days, and I’m going to see how many can show their friends and their enemies, if they have any, that they are worth respecting, and that their souls don’t look like twisted turnips.”

No magical change came over the school, but gradually the sentiment for, and practice of, face-making died out. The children unconsciously copied the teacher’s contempt for it. By stories and references he built up an ideal of beauty and dignity in personal appearance and behavior.

490

CONSTRUCTIVE TREATMENT

Mr. Briggs did well to search for underlying causes and effective remedies, because the use of authority in such a case is a mistake, as he found. Make no attempt to suppress the practice, but proceed at once to the constructive plan of building up a good sentiment.

Whatever you do, do not assume that the pupil is disrespectful to you. If the pupils have shown such disrespect in the past, simply set about gaining their confidence.

Face-making is largely an outgrowth of the play impulse, no matter what its motive. Substitute a better form of play. Dramatizing a story that emphasizes the opposite of the undesirable characteristics, is one of the best ways of overcoming the fault. Read “The Little Knight of Kentucky” during the twenty-minute periods just before school closes. Dramatize parts of it. When the children are imbued with the chivalrous spirit of the story, suggest the incongruities of face-making and other spiteful acts, by saying to the boy whom you “catch”: “Harold, the little knights of Kentucky did not make faces at each other. Would we be as proud of them as we are, had they done so? Then, let’s not have any one who makes faces play that story today.”

COMMENTS

When the motive is the approbation of fellow-pupils, these fellow-pupils must be made to change their attitude of admiration for muscular grotesqueness for one of appreciation of facial repose, beauty and dignity. 491It is a matter of inculcating ideals. Beautiful pictures of ideal faces, such as those of Hoffman’s Boy Christ and Raphael’s Madonna of the Chair, may be used to illustrate the ideal of fine, controlled faces that express beautiful and kind thoughts. Sometimes offhand contempt of a babyish practice helps, especially with a vain and self-conscious type of pupil.

ILLUSTRATION (THIRD GRADE)

Cure for Bad Manners

Miss Grasome stood aghast at the rude manners and selfishness of her third grade pupils. She had tried many plans for improving the situation, but with little success, for the children had the constant example before them of rude manners in their homes. As the Christmas season drew near she thought to herself, “I’ll try once more. We will dramatize ‘The Birds’ Christmas Carol.’ Perhaps that beautiful story will teach the children the lesson that I seem to have failed thus far in clinching. I’ll use the rudest and most selfish girl I have for the sick child’s part. She won’t play as well as some of the others, but if she’ll only catch the lesson I want her to get, I won’t mind the blunders.”

The proposition to have a play instead of a Christmas tree delighted the children. The story interested them so much that when, toward the latter part of their study, Miss Grasome proposed that they follow out the thought of the story and make some needy or unfortunate person the recipient of their gifts this year instead of making them to each other, the children were quite ready for the sacrifice.

Of course committees must be appointed, and much 492coöperative work done before all details could be arranged. But every child had a share in the planning, and not many weeks had passed before a gentler and more considerate spirit began to dominate the school-room. Miss Grasome smiled and said to herself: “Coöperation works better than prohibiting or forcing, even in such matters as the training of manners, it seems.”

CASE 86 (FIFTH GRADE)

Paper Wads

Algie B. knew all the fun there is in throwing paper wads, particularly when he could run the greatest risks of detection and yet escape discovery. Said he to himself one busy morning:

“I believe I’ll take a shot at Redtop. The teacher’s got him scared into looking at his book; he’s got to be waked up.”

A good-sized wad soon sped across space, struck Redtop plump on the side of the head, fell and rolled back toward Algie.

“Better yet, I’ll just get that wad and have it for another shot. It’s a lucky boy I am, if I can do that.”

Stooping, he made four stealthy steps forward, regained his wad and slid back into his seat. When Miss Stone looked about, the next moment Algie’s eyes fell to his book and all was quiet and peaceful as a day in spring.

This fine example of bravery and success was not lost on other restless spirits. By the next day an observing onlooker counted up ten instances in which sly wad-throwers had reproduced Algie’s feat.

On the third day over-boldness brought the climax. 493Miss Stone had been too much absorbed to note the minor noises that were provoked. But when Amy Lane, nervous, uncontrolled, uttered a yell of terror as a cold wad struck her in the back of her neck and slipped down, ten pupils broke loose in a chorus of laughter.

Miss Stone roused up and, strange to say, succeeded in getting a story of the recent happenings. She threatened the last culprit, who in self-defense said,

“Why must I suffer when all the other boys do the same thing?” and he named nearly every boy in school, ending up with Algie.

Her threats of punishment of course were vain in the presence of so many offenders. With a sharp talk she dropped the discussion.

CONSTRUCTIVE TREATMENT

Miss Stone has one simple task: to rouse from absorption in one duty and wisely distribute her attention to several matters.

Promises must not be taken as fulfillment; assurances of any sort must not be taken for more than they are worth. Find a safe medium between espionage and disastrous indifference.

COMMENTS

School-room behavior will never take care of itself under any system of management. A teacher who thinks he has solved all of his disciplinary problems is resting in a deceitful security. A sweet trustfulness that keeps every pupil in his most delightful mood and never sees the wild emotions and boisterous conduct 494that arises from them is the rock of destruction for a teacher’s influence.

ILLUSTRATION (SIXTH GRADE)

Painting Face

Roland was an unkempt, dirty, red-headed little fellow in the sixth grade of a small town school. He came from an unlettered, hard-working, shiftless family in the country and, like Topsy, had just growed up. He was bright enough, but his reasoning power and sense of right and wrong were undeveloped because he had never been taught rightly. He had been whipped when naughty without fully understanding that what he had done was wrong.

One day, in the new school, he daubed his nose, cheeks and chin with ink when Miss Downer, the teacher, was not looking, and convulsed with laughter everyone who looked at him.

It was almost recess time, and Miss Downer quietly bade him wash his face. When the rest were dismissed she said, “Roland, I want to speak to you a minute.”

“Going to get a licking!” whispered the boy behind him, and Roland grinned scornfully, for whippings really did not matter much to him any more, though Miss Downer was new and untried and she looked as though she might be pretty strong.

When the rest had gone Miss Downer sat down in front of Roland and spoke to him kindly, “Roland, why do you do such things in school?”

Roland shifted uneasily and said, “Dunno.”

“Have you your language lesson?” at which he shook his head.

“Didn’t you think that besides foolishly wasting 495your own time you were wasting the other children’s time by making them laugh at you?”

This was an entirely new thought to him and he looked at her in incomprehension.

“You come to school to learn, don’t you, Roland? And the more you can learn the better off you will be. Some day when you get to be a man you’ll be glad you know more than somebody else, and sorry that you don’t know as much as some other person. Why, you were just telling me yesterday that your father didn’t have a chance to go to school beyond the fourth grade! And here you are wasting this precious, precious time of yours!”

Roland looked intently at a dirty finger-nail and Miss Downer could not tell whether she had made an impression on him or not. She gave him a story from a supplementary reader, telling of Lincoln’s struggles to get an education, to read during the rest of recess.

A week later Roland became really interested in the history lesson. This teacher’s questions weren’t the kind you could answer, parrot-like, by memorizing the words of the textbook. You had to stop and think about it. He asked, “I’d like to know about this yere Civil War, anyway. Some says they fit about slavery and the book says because they seceded, and I’d like to know which is right.”

Miss Downer devoted the rest of the class period to satisfying Roland’s query, and counted the time well spent because she had laid the first stone in the foundation of Roland’s education—she had aroused intellectual curiosity, satisfied it, and given him food for more questions.

496Every time he misbehaved after that she kept him in and talked to him seriously. Not once did she threaten or scold. And at other times she tried to draw him out by being interested in him and his affairs—the baby brother at home, a new dog he had, and what “my paw” said and did.

At length Roland began to realize that this teacher was not a vindictive creature, wreaking her spite upon him for harmlessly amusing himself and other people, but one who was interested in him, Roland Smith, and really cared what he did and thought. And, though she had queer ways of looking at things, he really hated to disappoint her and she could make him feel most awfully uncomfortable and ashamed of himself.

Paper Wads

Miss Downer’s final test came when Roland was discovered throwing paper wads at a boy across the room. Miss Downer felt very much inclined to thrash him soundly, for this was a case of wanton naughtiness. But she did not.

Instead she merely talked to him as she had talked before, bringing in a little more of the personal element.

“Roland, what if your brother kicked you every time you were almost asleep at night, or joggled your elbow every time you started to take a mouthful at the table, or pulled the chair out from under you when you started to sit down? It would be funny at first, wouldn’t it, but how long do you suppose you and your brother could keep on playing together as good friends if he kept it up?”

Roland shook his head, mystified.

“That’s just what you’re doing to me. You told me 497you wanted to learn and get on in the world, and the rest of these children do, too—they don’t want to be stupid when they’re grown up. But we can’t learn very fast with some one hindering us all the time, and I was counting on your help.”

Miss Downer spoke very kindly and earnestly, and looked directly at Roland.

“I wasn’t goin’ to throw them paper wads, honest I wasn’t, Miss Downer. But before I knowed it, they was thrown,” and Roland did look truly sorry.

Miss Downer’s impulse was to punish him, not to forgive him again, but if he really were sorry and trying to do better, a whipping would spoil all the good work she had accomplished so far.

“Are you sorry, Roland?” her voice was low and serious.

There was a long pause, during which Roland fingered a scrap of paper nervously, not looking up. Then his lip began to quiver and he nodded violently, breaking into sobs.

“I—I d-didn’t mean to and I won’t do it no more, honest.” Roland, whose boast was that “nary whipping” had ever made him cry, was penitent because he had disappointed her who had been kind to him.

CASE 87 (HIGH SCHOOL)

Laughing at Nothing

Hen. Rutgers couldn’t help having plenty of fun. If no one made it for him he took a turn and produced it himself. He could have plenty and not laugh. Then he could laugh like the falling water on a cataract when there was very little fun in sight.

Hen. laughed. He laughed out loud. Miss Gresham 498went speedily to his desk, looked him straight in the face, and said:

“Henry, why did you laugh just now?”

Hen. lifted his head slowly and just as slowly rolled his eyes over until he looked her squarely in the eyes. With their glances mutually fixed Henry said very deliberately:

“I—don’t—know,” without a smile.

“Henry, you surely know what caused you to laugh. What was it?” Then glibly but without a smile came Henry’s reply.

“O yes, I remember. I was just thinking what would happen if Mr. Finley (superintendent, weighing two hundred and fifty pounds) should back off the platform there sometime when he’s walking around so fast.”

“You should be at work, Henry,” was all that Miss Gresham could utter at the time. The chief reason for her weak response was she had drawn the attention of half the pupils and a general titter arose at Henry’s reply chiefly because of his absolute composure of countenance.

Henry did not care so much for mischief for its own sake. His chief sport was attracting the attention of other pupils and getting the teacher into a mild predicament by setting a sort of disciplinary trap for her.

CONSTRUCTIVE TREATMENT

Avoid asking such questions as, What made you laugh? Why did you do it? etc., except privately. Even then unless you are reasonably sure of a satisfactory answer to these questions you may complicate 499your case by so doing instead of helping it toward a solution.

Pass over details of causes which pupils most often allude to and lay hold of the prime provocation for bad order. Use your power of analysis and apply an effective remedy. Henry needs an abundance of heavy but interesting work. Bear down so deep into his interest in geology that he cannot menace your loyalty to him by trifling with you in respect to discipline. Treat him so squarely, frankly, generously that his respect for you will be an unremitting check on small misdemeanors.

COMMENTS

Pupils may not know what to answer when asked, “Why did you do so and so?” The truth is the causes are numerous. The last cause may have been the stumbling of one pupil over another one’s foot. But another cause lies behind this—disrespect for the teacher; behind this, fondness for another teacher. Why does a pupil act in a certain fashion? He is underfed, improperly clothed, irritated from insufficient sleep—these are all proper answers to the question, “Why?” Hence, every time the query is put a teacher runs the risk of provoking a worse situation and yet of gaining nothing from the inquisition.

ILLUSTRATION

Superintendent Finley called Henry in after his little one-act play in the assembly room and the following interview occurred.

Gymnasium

“I have some facts about your affairs in the study 500period, Henry, that need to be cleared up. Yesterday you are said to have denied making faces when the fact was you had been guilty.”

Remedy

“Well, I’ll tell you just how it was. I was at my desk. Miss Gresham thought something was off-color and came down to see me. I told her I didn’t know and then I recalled and answered her. The pupils looked on and laughed. Miss Gresham was nettled, I suppose. She walked down the aisle, stopped at Ellen’s desk, her back to me, and said to Ellen,

“‘Look over to Henry’s desk and see what he is doing.’

“Ellen caught sight of me and must have told that I was making a face, for Miss Gresham came to me and said: ‘What were you doing just now?’ I said, ‘Nothing.’ She said, ‘You were making a face.’ I said, ‘I was not.’ Then she sent me home.”

“Why did you deny making a face?”

“Because I hadn’t done it. I scowled but that was all. I didn’t do anything that need excite Miss Gresham. She’s got it in for me.”

“Now that will do on that. You are not properly occupied some way in your periods in the study room. I credit you with having intellect enough to know how to play the gentleman. It’s a question of whether you are always going to take advantage of opportunities to make sport at the expense of pupils’ and teachers’ time, or whether you are going to help make school work a success. I know pretty well what you think on these matters, but I’d like to hear you express yourself on this point.”

Henry did discuss the matter; there were a few weak 501spots in his view of school life. His evident restlessness during long school hours was a predisposing cause of several troubles. For this and other reasons, Mr. Finley decided to revise his schedule for use of the gymnasium during school hours and to provide suitable interruptions of mental labor by physical exercise of various sorts. This new program gratified the pupils as well as relieved physical necessities.

The interview ended fortunately for both teacher and pupil and eventually brought relief to several unfavorable conditions in the school as a whole.

(2) Teasing tricks. Sometimes a pupil can cause no end of annoyance by teasing others. This fault may have been trained into the child at home.

CASE 88 (SEVENTH GRADE)

A bright lad and into all sorts of mischief, George had gradually acquired the reputation among the teachers of being “a bad boy”; and the new superintendent was informed to this effect when he came to the school.

Snake in School-room

One day there was a great commotion in his grade; an innocent garter snake had been let loose in the school-room. George was accused, and as the disturbance had begun in his corner of the room, and as he was known to have a great fondness for all sorts of animals, insects, snakes, etc., the evidence seemed decidedly against him.

“No, sir!” he replied to the superintendent, when sent for to go to the office. “No, sir! I didn’t do it!”

“I’m afraid that you are not telling me the truth, George. You have a bad reputation. I think that I 502shall punish you by sending you into the next lower grade, until you can learn to become more of a man.”

“It’s such a disgrace, mother! No, I can’t go back. The boys will all make fun of me. Besides, I didn’t do it!”

Finally, however, his mother made him see that the manly thing would be to take his punishment, even if he wasn’t to blame. So, on the following morning, he reported himself to the teacher of the next lower grade, and told her that he was to study there.

Later in the day the superintendent made his rounds, and exclaimed surprisedly, when he saw George,

“Why, you here? I didn’t expect to ever see you again!”

Needless to say that was the last appearance of George at school, and a life that might have been helped was spoiled by an unjust punishment and a careless remark. Even superintendents may make mistakes!

CONSTRUCTIVE TREATMENT

Say to the mischief-loving boy, “George, we can not have these animals loose in the school-room; it disturbs our work entirely too much. But there is a way that we can have them here, some of them at least, and everybody enjoy them. How would you like to help me make a fresh water aquarium for the school?” “You would like it? Very well. We shall need one more to help us. Tell the boy who brought in the snake to come to me with you this afternoon and together we will plan how to make the aquarium. We’ll get it all ready and give the other children a surprise. I’ll help 503you until it is ready for the animals. You and he can get the specimens, and after that I would like to have you two take care of them. Meanwhile, we’ll get from the library all the books we can find about the animals you two select, and talk about them in the nature study period.” The aquarium, referred to above, need not be an expensive apparatus. In fact, most any kind of a vessel or a very large bottle would serve the purpose very well. Do not furnish this yourself but let one of the boys bring it.

COMMENTS

The fact that George was fond of animals, insects, snakes, etc., was the clew for the teacher to work upon in gaining the good will and coöperation of the troublesome boy. Knowing one strong interest that he had, the teacher should start with that and work out from it to other and broader fields of action.

Unless the teacher had actual proof to the contrary, she should have accepted the boy’s statement that he did not bring in the snake. It is far better that a guilty boy go unpunished, than that an innocent person be punished. Take the initiative in coöperation with the troublesome pupil and the troubles will soon disappear.

ILLUSTRATION 1 (THIRD GRADE)

The Pet Dog

Henry Gould was very fond of his collie and insisted upon having his company every day at school. His teacher, Miss Greenway, probably would have made no objection to this had it not been for a fact that the dog was inclined to snap at any child except his master and thus endanger the safety of the other children. How to forbid the presence of the dog without arousing 504the antagonism of his owner was the problem. She resolved to try approval and initiative in coöperation. So she called Henry to her at noon time and said:

“Henry, I noticed the collie snapping at one of the little girls today, and I think we shall have to ask him to stay at home after this. But he is such a bright little fellow we shall miss him. Don’t you think it would be fine for the children to take his picture before he goes? How would you like to get him into a good position when the drawing period comes and let the children use him for a model?”

Henry was proud to have his pet honored, stood by him patiently while the children drew, and made no further insistence that he should come to school.

ILLUSTRATION 2 (HIGH SCHOOL)

A Live Mouse

A practical joke loses all of its point when nobody is annoyed or made ridiculous by it. A teacher who tactfully makes himself seem one of a group who is deriving benefit from an experiment, wins the respect of his students. Such a teacher was the high school instructor in science, whose attention was directed to a mischievous pupil, by a girl’s seemingly nervous fear of this fun-loving boy. Cautious investigation revealed the fact that a living mouse was in the wide-mouthed bottle which protruded from the joker’s pocket.

This principal told the boy that it would be instructive fun to let the mouse loose in the building and see what the timid little thing would do, but that such a course of action would endanger the future safety of books, lunches, etc., left in the building. He, therefore, advised that, at the coming recess, all who did not fear 505the mouse, form a large circle in the school yard and that the mouse be let loose in the center of the circle. And that all observe closely just what the little animal did.

At recess, the principal himself joined the circle, asking the boys to notice carefully whether or not the mouse would change his course to avoid a shouting student.

After the mouse was experimented upon and killed the mischief-maker began to wonder why it was that he was glad that he had not annoyed the principal with the mouse, as he had intended to do.

CASE 89 (EIGHTH GRADE)

Teasing Rhymes

“Hey Diddle Diddle!

Parts his hair in the middle!”

This was the couplet that greeted John Fraser as he entered his eighth grade room one September noon. Above the couplet was a portrait of himself, the style of his hair indicated very clearly. He erased the decorations hastily, but said nothing about it. He was very young, however, and the thoughtless disrespect shown him hurt sadly.

A day or two passed, during which he noticed the covert amusement at his faultlessly pressed clothes, his punctilious manners, his careful grooming, all new and strange to the crude little town in the Southwest in which he taught. Then, one noon, he entered the room from the playground to find a rough cartoon on the board, labeled, “Mr. Fraser pressing his pants to make creases at 2 a.m.” The pupils were vastly entertained by it.

506“Who made this picture?” John demanded, very angry and feeling that his dignity demanded that the offender be punished. Every head turned instantly toward Cleaver Trotter, who seemed much pleased to be singled out for attention.

“Cleaver, you may remain in at recess. I want to see you.”

“Just as you say, Mr. Fraser!” sang out Cleaver, jauntily. There was a half-suppressed titter of admiration, and Mr. Fraser felt that he had come out second best.

At recess he ascertained that Cleaver had really drawn the picture, and forbade him sternly to repeat the offense. The interview took place in the otherwise empty school-room, and when Cleaver was allowed to go he joined a group of gaping admirers on the playground.

“What did he do to you?” they demanded to a man.

“Oh, he asked me why I did it, and I told him I couldn’t help it; I just knew it took him all night to press his pants that way.”

“And what did he say then?”

“Well, he smelled of the smelling-salts and said that’d be all for today, so I came on out.”

None of this account was true, but Cleaver won by it the thing his boyish vanity wanted, the admiration of his crowd. They approved the ridicule because it furnished them with fun, and Cleaver was shrewd enough to know that his leadership depended upon their approbation of his attitude. He annoyed John Fraser constantly throughout the school year, not because he disliked him or wanted to be troublesome, but because the 507teacher could not perceive that Cleaver had a mania for approbation which needed to be guided into better channels.

CONSTRUCTIVE TREATMENT

The pupil who does evil for approbation will do good for the same cause, if approbation for good can be secured. In this case, Mr. Fraser might have turned Cleaver’s talent for making cartoons and doggerel into less personal use, utilizing the admiration of his classmates as a spur to accomplishment. If he had asked Cleaver, for instance, to illustrate some event in current history with an original cartoon, to accompany a talk to be given in opening exercises, even Cleaver’s vanity would have been satisfied at the flattery of having his talent taken so seriously. At the same time the narrow personal nature of Cleaver’s interests would have been broadened by a knowledge of affairs outside his immediate world.

COMMENTS

Wise teachers do not allow the rudeness, crudeness and childishness of their pupils to disturb their serenity. They know that good manners and consideration are the result of training, and with “a fine disregard of personalities” they set about giving this training. The great art in such cases is to substitute a good activity for the bad one which has heretofore gained the approbation sought.

ILLUSTRATION 1 (RURAL SCHOOL)

Red Hair

Mary Costello had fiery red hair, which swirled around her freckled face in a way that would have 508delighted Titian, but which her pupils in District 27 found only surpassingly funny. She unburdened herself one night to her mother, who was just a generation more Irish than herself.

“That Thad Burrows thinks he’s so funny,” she stormed. “Today he said to me, ‘Say, Miss Costello, do you wear a hat in winter?’ and I said of course I did, and why shouldn’t I? And he said he should think it would have to be lined with asbestos. Then they all bellowed, and if he ever mentions it again I’ll lambast him for it,” and Mary’s eyes snapped with indignation.

“There now, Mary, don’t be after letting a fool kid upset ye so,” her wise old mother advised. “That Thad Burrows is a bright boy, and if it was someone else’s thatch he said it about ye’d be laughing with him altogether. I’ll bet that if you’ll win the heart of him, he’ll lick anyone that dares to think of a white horse when you’re around.”

Mary pondered this advise and took it. She showed no resentment toward Thaddeus, but rather sought ways of being especially kind to him. She discovered that he was eager to earn money, and helped him find work in town on Saturdays; she lent him books and deferred to his opinion in matters of stove-tending and mouse-catching. He came to connect his leadership with the teacher, who found so many little ways of giving him the prominence his soul craved. The red hair ceased to be a joke, and by the term’s end the prophecy of Mary’s mother had come to pass.

509

ILLUSTRATION 2 (SIXTH GRADE)

Raymond Smith had just taken up boxing. He was accustomed to hang around a gang of street idlers and would-be sports and when any of the number ventured to put on the gloves he was fully alive to every move they made.

Not having funds to purchase a pair of gloves he began pummelling smaller boys, getting some little skill in certain movements imitated from his larger associates. There was a great deal of bluff and bluster in his actions and not a small amount of teasing.

Shaking Fist

Ellen Moore, teacher, knew boy nature fairly well. She was strict in conduct but rarely was caught firing her guns at a mere decoy. Raymond broke over bounds in a harmless fashion in that as she was passing his desk one afternoon, he doubled up his fist and shoved it in her direction—an excellent opportunity for rigid discipline. But this is what happened:

“My, what a large, solid fist you have,” she said in a quiet voice, quickly moving on to her next duty.

The hand fell. The boy had no clear motive and yet was in a mood where belligerency would be easily aroused and deeply relished.

No reference was again made to this incident by either, although Miss Moore took occasion in a few other matters to draw the lines closely on Raymond that he might clearly sense the limitations that school life laid upon him.

510

CASE 90 (THIRD AND FOURTH GRADES)

Toy Mouse

(3) Practical jokes—a more serious kind of teasing. Imogene and Charles Rogers were two orphans, living with elderly relatives who wanted to bring them up wisely, but did not know how. They were full to overflowing of animal spirits, bubbling with fun, restlessly eager to fill every moment with good times. Miss Spires, their teacher, was somewhat short-sighted, and that is why, when a little mechanical mouse ran from the second row of chairs right up to her feet, she thought it a live one and jumped and screamed.

Imogene and Charles, who had bought the mouse at the ten-cent store, were delighted past all bounds, and all the children laughed. Miss Spires thought she had been insulted, and without much ceremony put the two children behind the piano. They were not at all resentful, for here they had a good chance to plan more mischief, and made a conspiracy to secure a repetition of the entertaining panic of the morning by putting two of their pet rabbits into Miss Spires’ desk at noon. This great joke worked as well as the first—even better. Miss Spires sent the “dreadful children” to the principal for correction, with a message which made the principal look at the young scapegraces gravely. But she was a wise principal. She said:

“What did Miss Spires do when you made the mouse run up to her feet?”

“She just screeched!” gurgled Imogene in reminiscent delight.

511“She jumped as high as my head!” Charles had a good imagination.

“Did she screech when you put the rabbits into her desk?”

“She hopped all around like a chicken, and asked who did that.”

“What did you say?”

“I said we did, and she didn’t think it a good joke, but she said we were bad children and sent us to you.”

“Do you think you are bad? What is it, to be bad?”

“Swearing.”

“Biffing people that ain’t as big as you are.”

“And telling lies. That’s ’specially bad.”

“Yes, that’s all true. But do you know, good things are sometimes bad, when they are put in the wrong places, and done at the wrong times.” The principal had a long talk with the children, in which she discovered that their attitude toward control was very good, but that their ideas of appropriateness were very primitive. This was because their elders had tried to repress them instead of guiding them, and being made of irrepressible stuff they had simply overrun boundaries.

“Why don’t you try to guide those play instincts that are so strong in Imogene and Charles?” she asked Miss Spires later. Miss Spires’ reply shows just why she failed as a teacher:

“It’s not my business to study their ‘instincts.’ I’m here to teach them to read and write and cipher.”

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CONSTRUCTIVE TREATMENT

Laugh with the children at your own silliness. At their age it would have seemed as funny to you as it now does to them.

Pick up the mouse, examine it with interest, and say, “He is a funny little fellow, isn’t he! (Approval.) But he hasn’t very good manners to interrupt us so in school time. Let’s put him up here on the teacher’s desk, where he can learn to be more polite.” (Suggestion—that the act was rude.)

“Charles, you may read next. Imogene, see if he reads just right.” (Substitution.)

COMMENTS

A teacher who is so infantile as to scream at a tiny, frightened mouse, even though it were a live one, should not blame the pupils for indulging in less marked exhibitions of arrest of development.

Teachers meet pupils sanely on the play question when they sympathize with their desire to play, but see clearly why and how these impulses must be controlled for the child’s future good. Play is a good servant but a poor master; no human being is more pitiful than the amusement drunkard. Play in its right place is a wonderful renovator of health and spirits; play in the wrong place stunts character and makes for selfishness and littleness. The ideal teacher wants his pupils to play, helps them to realize the great values that lie in play, but shows them clearly that play must be indulged in at right times and places, and rigidly excluded from work hours, except where it can be made to help on the work. In short, he leads his 513pupils as they grow older to play with reason and to plan play intelligently, rather than blindly to follow impulses.

ILLUSTRATION (HIGH SCHOOL)

Play in Study Hour

In a certain large high school the teachers had had much trouble with the students in the assembly room. A spirit of uncontrolled play seemed to take possession of the room a few minutes after the hour had begun. Instead of settling down to work, the boys and girls wrote notes, played little tricks on each other, whispered and made endless meaningless trips to dictionary and bookcase. They seemed to think the hour was given to them for social purposes.

Many teachers had failed to remedy this condition, before Miss Stansbury was relieved of two classes that she might take hold of the assembly room.

“Do you give me permission to do whatever I think is wise?” she asked the harassed principal.

“Go ahead,” said he. So she did.

She had been in the room about five minutes, and was busily marking papers, when a hard lemon came rolling up the aisle toward her desk. She went to it, picked it up, and saw that two boys, the only two who could have thrown it up that aisle, were looking at her under lowered lids. Very quietly, so as not to be overheard except by those hard by, she asked who had thrown the lemon, and the doer acknowledged at once—lying was not a fault in this school.

“You don’t seem to know what a study period is for. You may take your books and go home, and study your lessons there. I shall call up your mother 514on the telephone and tell her why you are coming home.”

“But I have a class this next hour, and I live clear across the city!” exclaimed the student, in dismay. “I can’t go home!”

“But you can’t stay here, since you don’t know how to use a common study hall. Please go at once, and I’ll report to your teacher why you are gone. I have work to do, and can’t spend my time policing the room.”

The puzzled boy rose slowly and left the room. Miss Stansbury went to the high school office, called up his mother, and told her that her son would be home shortly, as he had been playing in the assembly room and would therefore have to do his studying at home that day.

“But he can’t study at home. We live a mile and a half across the city. What was he doing? Was it anything dreadful?”

“Not at all. He merely rolled a lemon up the aisle, a very innocent performance at any other time—but this happened to be study hour.”

“Well, you may be very sure he won’t do it again!” and the indignant mother hung up her receiver with a snap.

When Miss Stansbury reached the assembly room again she saw a group standing around a boy near the center of the room. They were giggling and peering over his shoulder at something on the desk—which, when she reached them, Miss Stansbury discovered to be the last copy of Life.

“Don’t go to your seats yet. I want to talk to you a 515moment, and I don’t want to disturb those who are studying by talking very loud. You six people also seem not to have learned what a study hour is for. Play and fun and Life belong to other times and places. I shall write your names on slips, and send them to the teachers of your various classes, so that if you are absent or tardy they may know why. And now you six may take whatever study books you need and go home. You can not stay here unless you study, for this is a study period. I shall call up your homes and tell your parents why you are coming home.”

“Will you give us an excuse for absence from physics next hour?” one boy asked.

“Why, no. You have excuses only for necessary absences.”

“But then we’ll get a zero for the recitation!”

“Yes, I suppose so. But a high school boy is supposed to know enough to study during study hours.” Miss Stansbury was smiling and implacable.

The six passed out, grumbling and almost rebellious. Miss Stansbury went again to the telephone, and told five mothers (the sixth one being out) why their children were coming home.

“Why don’t you make him study?” said one mother.

“I am doing so,” was the reply.

When she returned to the assembly room all was quiet. Not one of the students who were left cared to play, or write notes, or roll lemons. Here was a teacher who meant business. Miss Stansbury did not reform the students altogether, for they often slid back into their old habits when the younger and weaker teachers had charge of the room. But when she was in charge, 516there was quiet and industry, and no attempt at ill-timed fun.

By the time they have reached the high school, pupils know what is expected of them during school hours in a general way; but they also know that teachers vary greatly in their standards. Some tolerate play during work time, some do not. Those who will tolerate it usually have to. Miss Stansbury simply and quietly defined her stand, which was one of absolute adherence to a work-while-you-work program. Neither did she fall into the error of a certain high school teacher who dallied around a note writer, neither asking what he was doing nor demanding that he work. She reasoned that if a study period is for study, there is no sense in having it spoiled by interpolated fun. She did not scold, she did not lecture, she did not entreat, she did not moralize; she just eliminated the disturbers, and after two examples of her method everyone understood her and did as she demanded. She assumed differentiation between working and play hours. If she had used this method with untrained, little children in the lower grades it would have been a stupid and harmful mistake, for such children have not yet learned to control their play impulses. High school students know how; they will do it if held up to a standard of action.

CASE 91 (HIGH SCHOOL)

The sophomore class in a high school decided to do something to call public attention to the valor and general high qualities to be found in its members. As students their record was good. As to conduct no 517member had suffered any extreme penalties, although the superintendent’s son had often skirted the boundaries of the unendurable.

Buildings Disfigured

The class played the following pranks: during the night the school bell was rendered useless by removal of the rope and clapper; a donkey was taken up the steps into the assembly room and left there until morning; class emblems were painted in class colors in a score of forbidden places.

This second offense aroused the ire of the superintendent. In a few days the class was called to meet him and another member of the faculty. Mr. Webster, the superintendent, at once asked the following questions:

“I would like to know what members of this class took part in the disfigurement of the buildings and grounds.” His manner was not offensive, yet his firmness was very evident and a degree of anxiety was betrayed in his voice.

No answer was given. The superintendent then questioned each member of the class as follows: “Were you on the school grounds the night of the 14th? Did you assist in disfiguring the property? Do you know who did the work?” All but two members of the class declared they were under obligations not to give any answers that would reveal who was guilty; the two others answered these questions truthfully; but as they knew no pertinent facts about the incident, nothing was gained.

The superintendent’s next step was to say: “Do you know any reason why the members of this class, except these two, should not be suspended until the desired 518information is given?” A few protests were heard, but they all affirmed the right of a pupil to maintain silence when asked to incriminate a fellow pupil. The superintendent then announced the suspension to take effect at once.

At the end of two weeks a compromise was brought about and a majority of the class returned to school. The rebellious members had declared they would not open negotiations with the superintendent. He had declared that they must inform him who were guilty of the offenses. Both of these demands were laid aside. The superintendent was known to have changed his decision and the offenders were publicly taunted with backing down on the boast.

Some of these boys never re-entered the school; others found their places soon, in another high school. The memory of the incident is a sad one for all concerned.

CONSTRUCTIVE TREATMENT

Release the donkey from his “embarrassing situation,” but leave other details of the mischief for a day or two. Some inkling of who the perpetrators are will probably leak out in that time.

Meanwhile, have the damages appraised by the school board.

Next have a private talk with the president and other officers of the class, stating to them the amount of the damages, the fact that you will present the bill to the class and that you will then turn it over to them for collection; also that you will expect their hearty 519coöperation in seeing that all damages are repaired and paid for.

Finally, address the class as a whole. Say to the class, “I appreciate the funny side of your pranks the other evening, but there are some damages that some one has to pay. Two or three members of the board, in whom all of us have confidence, have appraised them at ten dollars. You have made a good record as a class. I shall expect you to live up to your reputation by doing the fair and square thing in this instance also. That means that you will authorize your president or some other member of the class to see that damages are repaired and expenses paid. You had lots of fun, but if the fun is ‘worth the candle,’ why, now, the only manly course to pursue is to ‘pay for the candle.’

“I think it will not be necessary for me to speak of this episode again. I leave the matter in your hands. I will ask your class president to report to me when the work is completed.”

COMMENTS

The superintendent lost ground with the school in assuming a belligerent attitude, in trying to force a confession, and in punishing innocent pupils because they were unwilling to incriminate their classmates. The weakness of his position is shown in the fact that in the end he was obliged to compromise.

ILLUSTRATION (HIGH SCHOOL)

Carbon Bisulphide

The room was full of pupils. A representative of one of the numerous book companies was present. 520Everything was moving smoothly and in order, when suddenly the room began to fill with the disagreeable odor of carbon bisulphide. It grew worse and worse. Pupils were holding their noses to keep out the smell, and some were covering their mouths to keep in the laughter.

The situation was trying for the teacher. He was embarrassed by the presence of the visitor, under such odoriferous circumstances. What was to be done? It would be useless to hold a public inquiry. It was a time both for thought and tact. Finally the teacher evolved his plan.

Going on with the work, just as if nothing had happened, the teacher conducted the remaining recitations of the day, as usual. Meantime he kept his eyes open. The odor gradually grew less offensive and most of the pupils quietly resumed their customary work.

The vigilance of the schoolmaster was finally rewarded. One of the boys seemed to be enjoying the situation to a greater degree than the rest. He was unable to entirely conceal his enjoyment and this was the teacher’s clue. He kept his eye innocently on this boy.

Just as school was about to close for the day, the teacher said: “Frank, I’d like to see you a few moments after dismissal.”

Frank remained. His countenance paled slightly and he no longer had difficulty in suppressing his enjoyment.

“Frank,” began the principal, “where did that preparation that made such a disagreeable odor here this afternoon come from?”

521Frank looked guilty.

“I didn’t have it here in the room,” he replied.

“Yes, Frank, but that’s not answering my question,” responded the inquisitor severely.

“Well, I had some bisulphide down on the playground, but I didn’t bring it into the school-room,” Frank finally admitted.

“What did you do with it?”

“I gave it to Harry.”

“What did he do with it?”

“I don’t know.”

“Very well, you are excused for the present, till we can see Harry.”

The next night Frank and Harry were both asked to remain. The superintendent was present. Two pale boys appeared before the teachers.

“Harry, what did you do with the bottle of bisulphide you got from Frank yesterday?” inquired the superintendent.

“I kept it down on the playground awhile and then threw it here in the wastebasket,” was Harry’s candid response.

“Didn’t you know what was in the bottle?” resumed the teacher.

“No, sir, I didn’t.”

“Didn’t Frank tell you?”

“No, sir, he didn’t.”

“Is that right, Frank?”

“I guess that’s right,” said Frank seriously.

Evidently Harry was innocent for the most part. After sound admonition by the superintendent the boys were dismissed. Frank was very careful thereafter 522and Harry was always an exemplary pupil. No further disturbances of this nature occurred during the year.

A little tact and patience on the part of the teacher will often be highly rewarded in the school-room.

(4) Teaching children how to play rightly. All playgrounds, while in use, should be supervised by one or more responsible teachers.

CASE 92 (SEVENTH GRADE)

A big snow had fallen, but the weather had soon turned warmer and the snow had softened just enough to make snowballing good.

Snowball Contest

“You may snowball all you want to as long as you keep above the row of trees,” said the superintendent to the boys.

A fierce battle was going on within the prescribed bounds. The contest increased in fury and finally one side was driven back.

“Remember the limits!” cautioned one of the pupils.

Most of the boys either forgot to stop or kept running in the excitement of the game, and rushed far beyond the limits. Then several more were crowded beyond the limits, and unfairly engaged in the contest from their new position.

“You’d better quit now or get over with the rest all of you!” shouted the head of the schools.

Charles stopped for a short time, but in a few moments threw again from outside of the limits.

“Charles, you go upstairs at once!” were the decisive words of the superintendent, hurled at the offending boy in a way not to be mistaken.

523Charles mounted the stairs without delay and entered the office. The superintendent soon appeared.

“What did you mean by throwing after I cautioned you, Charles?” asked he sternly.

“Well—I don’t know. I got lost in the game and didn’t notice what you said, I guess.”

“Well, what do you think, now?”

“I think we should obey the regulation.”

“Will it be necessary to speak to you more than once the next time?”

“No, it won’t!” said Charles decisively.

“Then you may go.”

Charles left the office, glad to get off as easily as he did. Thereafter the superintendent watched this boy, but Charles was careful to obey whatever the teacher told him if the superintendent was within reach.

CONSTRUCTIVE TREATMENT

Some one must attend these children when at play on the school grounds. Organize the game, mark the boundaries carefully and coach the children just as in athletics. Have a comrade to attend them when they are running bases. Call the group together before the game opens; explain the chief points in the rules. Show what comes of neglecting the rules—confusion and several other bad things. Prove that just as much pleasure can be had by following some sort of system as if one goes at play in a helter-skelter fashion.

COMMENTS

All children must be taught how to play despite the fact that they have an insatiable appetite to engage 524in it. Scattering hints will often suffice and save not only injuries but open infractions of school regulations.

Self-control is acquired only gradually, hence the orderly play that is so delightful for pupils in the teens is preceded by a period of learning.

Most first grade children are afraid to snowball, but in the second grade boys begin to want to do brave things and in consequence can do some damage by snowballing. Snowballing should not be considered an offense. Every teacher knows how he has enjoyed the sport. It is only the carelessness that may creep into the play that may cause a window to be broken or some child to be hurt in the eyes, ears, or about the face or body. It is really necessary that a teacher should teach the pupils how to snowball, when there is snow on the ground. She should go with them and enjoy the sport.

ILLUSTRATION (SECOND GRADE)

Limitations in Play

“One, two, three,” and all the boys and girls passed out of the room, Miss O’Gorman following. “Remember now, Phil, no hard snowballs, as I told you in the school-room.” “Now wait until we get out of reach of the windows before you begin.” “Are we divided up evenly, just the same number on both sides? Let’s count and see. Yes, just fifteen on each side.” “Now, ready, everybody.”

Miss O’Gorman let her ball fly along with the others, as she was to play a few minutes on each side. She kept a keen eye for illegal conduct and spurred all of them on in the fine fun.

This had been prearranged with parents’ consent to 525occur just at the close of school so that the children could go home and dry up their clothes at once if it became necessary.

By the end of twenty minutes one side gave away and yielded the honors to the others and the game ended. On her way home Miss O’Gorman remarked:

“I like to have the snow come because then I can snowball, but children, I never make hard balls or throw at a building. I never throw at anyone’s head. It would make me feel very sad to hurt someone or break a window.”

Directing the sport of snowballing is far better and wiser than prohibiting it. The discreet teacher will not even try to suppress it, but will use every occasion to get into the snow with the boys and girls and have fun and frolic.

CASE 93 (SIXTH GRADE)

Quarrelsome Play

“Come on, Mr. Frank, first batter!” “Pitcher!” “Catcher!” “First base!” Soon every position was filled as the boys and the teacher of the eighth grade streamed out of the schoolhouse.

“Come on, Mr. Frank, play with us.”

“No, not today, boys. I have something else to do now, I can’t.”

This was the third and last time for the season that the boys of Mount Holly School urged this young man to enter into his privilege in play. He stood off and for a few moments closely observed the outcome. The game started after some parleying, but was soon interrupted by dissension.

“He’s out.” “You’re out.” “Throw him out.” 526“I won’t do it,” and scores of chopped-off utterances filled the air. Ten minutes were lost in hot argument out of which no one gained the least value. Big boys squeezed smaller ones out of their turn and these, lacking any opportunity for play, stood about occupied with gloomy thoughts.

“They don’t get on well together—I wonder what the matter is with these fellows,” Mr. Frank remarked.

CONSTRUCTIVE TREATMENT

Accept the invitation to play. As a player, take only a player’s part. No pedagogical authority need be used; but as a private person exercise a control that will give tone to the whole performance. See that something like justice is done to all and that the foolish delays are eliminated.

COMMENTS

Boys little by little acquire a sense of order and often become deeply offended at the unruly procedure of their comrades. They welcome the presence of an older hand that steadies affairs and prevents one or two reckless boys or girls from spoiling the fun of all the rest.

An occasional participation may be all that is needed to institute a noticeable improvement. Such aid should be given heartily as it is due to the children in every school.

ILLUSTRATION (FIFTH GRADE)

Boy’s Letter

How a child looks upon this matter is seen in the following extract taken from a boy’s letter:

527“We’re having a bully time at school. At recess time teacher plays with us and after school, too, sometimes.

“We play baseball, and he says we can have a match game if we practice hard. I’m second baseman. Teacher made the boys let in the little fellows if they can keep up.

“I hain’t going to miss school nary a day if I can help it. Play’s lots of fun. We don’t play much in school because we have work to do.

“Hope you’re all well.

Sam.”

CASE 94 (SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADES)

The Cloverdale Grammar School gave much attention to athletics and especially tried to encourage the baseball team which had been organized from the seventh and eighth grades. Mr. Tilden, the principal, was sincere in his desire that his pupils should engage in the sport, but having given his verbal encouragement and assistance, it did not occur to him that his personal presence on the playground was in any degree necessary to the welfare of the school. He interpolated but on restriction into the fun: “In order to safeguard our school buildings,” he said to the boys, “I am going to make one ruling, namely, that you must not send the balls toward the school building. Any boy who does that, accidentally or otherwise, must drop out of the game.”

All went well for a few days. The less aggressive among the boys adhered to the rule strictly. But one day one of the leading boys, Reginald Coleman, happened to hit the stone foundation of the school building. 528In this particular instance the stone foundation was surmounted by brick walls up to about one-third or one-half the height of the building, then finished off for the remainder of the distance with wood.

Reginald argued with much boyish eloquence that “the foundation was not a part of the building, no possible harm would result from hitting it with the ball, hence it could not be that Mr. Tilden intended to include that in his prohibition.”

So much in earnest was Reginald in pleading his case that the other boys were soon won to his way of thinking, and he was allowed to continue in the game.

For the next few days Reginald’s modification of Mr. Tilden’s rule was the law of the playground. Then came another issue. Carl Story lost his balance slightly just as he raised his bat to strike, the result being that the ball glanced sidewise, striking the brick wall of the school building. It was now Carl’s turn to present a plea for leniency in the application of the law.

“Aw, ’tain’t fair to throw that out! It don’t do no more harm to hit the brick than it does ter hit the stone. That brick’s a part of the foundation. Didn’t you fellers say the other day that we could hit the foundation? It’s all foundation up to the top of brick.”

Now Carl happened to be playing in the same nine as Reginald, and Reginald naturally espoused his cause.

“That’s right, kids,” he joined in, “Carl didn’t hit the building; he only hit the brick foundation. Let him play on! We don’t want to lose this game. Go 529on, Carl”—and Carl finished the game notwithstanding the protests of the opposing nine.

Thus the modifications of the rules went on from day to day, always in favor of the larger and stronger and more aggressive boys and always to the disadvantage of the younger and smaller ones of the opposite side.

CONSTRUCTIVE TREATMENT

Be on the ground when a new game is launched. Study the possibilities for unfair playing (silently, of course), and make every effort to establish rules that will be just to all.

Do not stop at this point, however. Play with the children frequently enough to learn at first hand whether strict rules of honor are being observed or whether the leaders are taking unfair advantage wherever opportunity offers.

Say to Reginald and Carl, “If one of the boys on the other side had made that play would you have wished to count it?”

If the boys can not be converted to a desire for strictly honest play, then see to it that the ringleader gets no advantage from his trickiness. Say, “We’ll have to throw out this whole game because it wasn’t played quite fairly. Tomorrow we’ll have another game to take the place of this one.”

COMMENTS

Boys are not unlike adults in that they are quick to make rulings favorable to themselves or their party 530and unfavorable to others. The surest way to make men honest is to make dishonesty unprofitable. A state inspector of weights and measures, remarking recently upon the fact that a certain town in Michigan had “fewer cases of short weights and measures than any other town visited,” accounted for the fact by saying, “It is an inland town with a settled population. The grocers depend year after year upon the same group of persons for customers. Under such conditions any habitual shortage would certainly be discovered and in the end would work harm to the business. Hence all the grocers are honest there. It doesn’t pay to be dishonest.”

The “paying” side of honesty may not seem a very high motive to hold before children; but with the habit of honesty once formed, the altruistic ideal will be much surer of lodgment when the children are old enough to appreciate it. On the other hand the high ideal without the habit is simply another expression for hypocrisy.

Much is said today regarding play as a means of training for the higher duties of life. It may indeed be so, but on the other hand play may be the most effective training possible for trickery, selfishness, and every anti-social instinct. The remedy is supervision of play and participation in it by leaders who know how to suppress the evil impulses which there find opportunity for expression, while stimulating the good. Such a leader will study individually the pupils under his supervision and be quick to adapt his regulations to changes, not only in place and time, but also to the personnel of his group.

531

ILLUSTRATION (EIGHTH GRADE)

Modify Rules

From scraps of conversations floating in through the open window near which Mr. Tilden was accustomed to sit correcting papers, as well as from sundry complaints coming to him from the defeated “nine,” Mr. Tilden got an inkling after a while that all was not as it should be on the ball ground.

“I’ll come down and play with you after school this afternoon,” he replied one day to a seventh grade boy, who had come in to tell him that he wanted to give up his place in the baseball nine.

“We can’t win no games, Mr. Tilden,” said he, “coz the other team ain’t square. They kid us all the time.”

Mr. Tilden, true to his word, joined hands in the game, purposely taking a place in the losing team. Next to the ball ground was a tennis court. Between the two fields was a high wire fence. Presently over the fence went a ball, sent thither by a batter of the opposing nine. Of course there was vexatious delay while one of the boys went to hunt it up and bring it back. Before the game had proceeded very far another ball flew over the high wire fence, and later another.

“Oho! I believe I can see through that game,” thought Mr. Tilden. “The boys on the other team are heckling these boys, wasting their time and strength and confusing them more or less by sending the balls over the fence in order to place these fellows at a disadvantage. That needs a bit of attention.”

The game over, he called all the boys to him. “Well, 532boys, we had a fine game and I’m glad I came in if my side did get beaten. But there’s just one rule I’d like to change a little. Some of you fellows need to practice striking so as to hit squarer than you did today. It’s a great nuisance to have the balls go over that fence. We’ll have it the rule hereafter that whoever can’t do better than send his ball over there will choose someone else to take his place while he drops out for the remainder of the game. Probably he needs to rest his arms a little. Anyhow we can’t have the fun spoiled just for a few boys who haven’t practiced enough.”

This arrangement solved the immediate problem, but Mr. Tilden found that new ones successively presented themselves as one side or the other worked out new devices for outwitting the opposite side. He did not make the mistake again, however, of leaving the boys to themselves entirely, but kept in touch with the players and readjusted the rules as occasion required.

CASE 95 (HIGH SCHOOL)

Half-hearted Coöperation

Mr. Renaldo managed to keep on the good side of most of his pupils, but he fell from his pinnacle of power when he made the following announcement:

“Now, if any of you want to go to Delevan to attend the baseball meet I’ve nothing to say. I don’t believe our team is going to do much, but we’ll see.

“If the people outside hadn’t butted in and tried to run our sports we would have come out all right.

“I know you want to win the state championship. We came so near it last year that we should have a 533good chance for it under favorable circumstances. But we haven’t much of a team. I could have picked a winning team, I believe; but town folks wanted to run the thing, so we’ll see what comes of it.”

After this vent of pique a big buzz of criticism arose. However, when the contest came off at Delevan the superintendent made the trip and shouted as loud as anyone. Through some strange characteristic quality he was able to throw cold water one day and build up fires of enthusiasm the next.

Later in the spring came this announcement:

“We’ll not have any more baseball games with out-of-town teams this season. Our athletics are absorbing too much attention; too many people are trying to run things up here.”

Of course the crack pitcher went to the board of education and got consent of the board to continue the series of games as had previously been the custom. Later the superintendent said, “Well, now, let me see who wants to play.... All right, then, if these are your players, go ahead.”

CONSTRUCTIVE TREATMENT

One simple rule applies here: develop a consistent policy and cling to it. If grades are low, get behind the team in every way and you can usually swing the backward students into line on their studies, even when there is no danger of losing place because of lame lessons. Move the players around and use substitutes frequently so that no one will fasten on a given post as personal property.

A strong man can organize the town folks so that 534their support will be always helpful. In any case the appearance of a milk and water policy must be avoided.

COMMENTS

Athletics is as difficult to manage as a church choir. A light-fingered touch is dangerous, as schoolboy passions are not sensibly controlled many times. A disciplinarian may lose his influence and position merely through carelessness at this point. The appearance of an autocratic control of games by the superintendent is highly undesirable. The whole affair should be just as democratic as possible.

Pupils know pretty well what is necessary for the good of the school and if their good judgment is appealed to by a respected and trustworthy superintendent or principal, the best policies can usually be carried out.

ILLUSTRATION (HIGH SCHOOL)

In the Bellevue High School a wise principal had assisted in organizing some six entertainment companies for appearance in the auditorium at stated intervals during the season. Their programs were made up of dramatic, musical or literary numbers, as the members of each company decided. The Schwartz-Ensign Concert Company made its appearance on November 10, and won the plaudits of a large house. Friends in neighboring towns, relatives of some of the performers, requested a reproduction of the entertainment. After consultation with her colleagues, Velma Schwartz gave a favorable answer to two invitations.

Meeting Half Way

535Loretta met Velma afterwards and said, “Velma, did we make a mistake in saying nothing to Miss Pringle about these out-of-town trips? What will she say?”

“Why should she say anything? Our folks at home are willing and I don’t see that we are getting in her way. It makes no difference one way or the other what she says.”

Naturally, the news finally reached Miss Pringle, high school principal and general overseer of the entertainment programs. Two currents of thought passed through her mind.

“I don’t see why, after all my care, they have taken up their out-of-town trips without saying anything to me. I’ll just nip this in the bud and tell them they can’t go.” But a different notion drove out the earlier one. “They have done no real wrong. It’s a compliment to my training for them to receive these invitations. I don’t see what harm can come from it.” But a fragment of the former line of argument would persist:

“Yes, Velma is the girl who did it. She starred the night of the program. Her friends are determined to show her off elsewhere. No doubt she wanted to add to her glory by keeping her scheme out of my fingers. I have a notion to say to her that she might better have talked the matter over with me.”

Then good sense ruled her and what she actually said was: “Why, Velma, I heard just lately that some of your friends are planning to have you out at Beecham Springs to give a program of music. What a fine thing that is! It comes Friday night, I believe; 536that makes it safe for your studies, so it’s going to turn out well. Your father and mother are going with you, I suppose? Well, then, that will be fine.”

CASE 96 (HIGH SCHOOL)

Bluffing on Scholarship

“I just want to say in closing that there is some doubt about two of the boys getting to play on the football team next week—their grades are very low, and in fact as matters stand now they would be shut out.”—(Superintendent’s announcement in the assembly room.)

“He’s bluffing. If our team doesn’t win he’ll be cut up as bad as any of us.”—(First pupil.)

“His voice was weak when he made that speech. He won’t carry out his threat.”—(Second pupil.)

“If, after all our team has done, he pulls Tom and the Giant off the team, he’s a goner and he knows it. He might as well save all this talk.”—(Third pupil.)

“Just lie low, my boy. We’ve got him fixed. He’ll jump a hundred feet in the air, if he falls into our trap. Every man of us is out if one drops out, no more games this year. No, he doesn’t know. But it’ll get to him.”—(Member of the football team.)

“I thought I’d best tell you so you could be prepared for it. The boys have it all made up that they’ll strike and call all the games off if you keep any one or more of them from playing. They may be bluffin’ you; but I rather think not, for they don’t believe they can beat Upper Kensington unless they can have the boys they want to play on the team. Do as you think best.”—(Citizen.)

“Seems as though things are going a little crooked 537some way. I wonder where I blundered. I didn’t expect to set them going this way. Why don’t they get to their books; they might know I’m going to do the square thing by them. Probably I’ll have to ease up their minds some way.”—(Worried superintendent.)

CONSTRUCTIVE TREATMENT

Quit the bluff game; it’s playing with fire. Call in the boys who are behind in their work and settle up the matter of studies without any reference to playing. Talk very little about what you are going to do in checking up deficiencies. Do a few of these things and let the talk come the other way. Hold out natural inducements to good work and spare the threats for rare occasions. “Barking dogs seldom bite,” is an old saying that applies to those fearsome teachers who forecast a terrible punishment and then let the matter pass without further attention. Each occurrence of a situation such as this is a loosened spoke in your wheel of fortune. Don’t put yourself in the hands of a conspiracy by playing a loose game in discipline.

COMMENTS

Shrewd pupils can catch a rash superintendent and trip him into a heavy fall.

ILLUSTRATION (HIGH SCHOOL)

Miss McCord, of the Benton High School, was very unpopular one winter because she had failed two star basketball performers, and thus kept them from remaining on the team. These players were in her advanced algebra class, with about twenty other students, 538all ardent basketball enthusiasts. One day she said to Coith Burgess, who was not one of the players, but who had been especially indignant at her firmness, “I should like to see you for a moment, Coith, after class.”

Sacrificing Scholarship

“Oh, would you?” Coith shaped the words with his mouth, but uttered no sound, and Miss McCord did not see the disrespectful response. When the class was dismissed he started to go with the rest. Miss McCord, seeing him go and thinking he had forgotten her request, said to him, “Don’t forget, Coith,” and went on with her conversation with another pupil. When she had finished it, Coith was nowhere in sight. He had gone on to the assembly room, where he was explaining to all the disaffected his reasons for not doing as “the old crank” had asked him.

Miss McCord had no mind to pass over the matter lightly. She talked at once to the principal, and the two arranged a plan of treatment. Nothing was said to Coith, but he was not asked to recite the next day, nor did Miss McCord appear to hear him when he volunteered. The next day the same thing happened; Miss McCord did not seem to hear or see him at all. That afternoon, Coith met Mr. Stacey, the principal, in the hall. “How’s this, Burgess?” he inquired, “You’re reported absent two days in succession in advanced algebra.”

“Absent? Not a bit of it. I’ve been there all right, but Miss McCord hasn’t asked me to recite. She doesn’t give a fellow a chance.”

“Were you there?... All right.” Mr. Stacey was looking gravely at Coith. “What reason could Miss 539McCord have had for not paying any attention to you?”

Coith began to flush and stammer. Finally, he told the story of his disobedience, rather sullenly but frankly.

“Why did you do it?”

“I don’t know. Just natural meanness, I guess.”

“I’ll tell you why you did it, Coith. You thought it would make a little hero of you with all the basketball crowd to be rude and insubordinate to Miss McCord, just now when they all dislike her, because she had the courage to stand by her guns in that affair. It was a case of posing, and the thing has happened to you that does happen sometimes to the poseur—she took you at your word. If you chose to put an end to your relations as teacher and student, she agreed to accept the situation. As I see it, you are out of the class and your own fault it is, too.”

Of course in the end Coith came back into the class, after making all due apologies. He had learned the lesson of coöperation; he had learned, too, to subject his love of approbation to a standard of fairness and reciprocity.

The instinct for self-gratification often takes the form of a pathological fondness for prominence and the approval of others. In Coith’s case his sense of fairness, courtesy, and submission to rightful authority had all become subordinate to promptings of his vanity and resentment. The course of Mr. Stacey and Miss McCord restored in him the proper sense of the relative importance of the admiration of his fellows and a sound working relation with his teacher.

540

CASE 97 (RURAL SCHOOL)

Preparing for Picnic

Miss Jackman of the Ellensburg rural school and her pupils were having a picnic in the woods.

She said: “Who would like to carry my basket?”

“I want to.”

“I can.”

“Let me,” came the response from various pupils.

“You may carry it, Tom,” said the teacher.

CONSTRUCTIVE TREATMENT

After getting the pupils thoroughly interested in the project you are planning, name at once those who are to assist you. Distribute the work so that as many as possible may have a share in the responsibility.

COMMENTS

Those who had offered their services were hurt at not being chosen. Had the teacher said: “Will you please carry my basket, Tom?” there would have been a less poignant feeling among the others that favoritism had been shown by the teacher.

ILLUSTRATION (RURAL SCHOOL)

Organize Carefully

Mr. Merryman was the jolliest teacher the children of the Concord rural school ever had had. No other teacher gave the children so many “outings”; no other ever placed so much responsibility upon the pupils on such vacations, and never before had responsibility seemed so delightful as since Mr. Merryman came to the school. “He’s just like his name,” declared the children.

One reason why Mr. Merryman had such success 541in organizing little excursions which to other teachers were most unwelcome bugbears, was that he announced them long enough beforehand to give himself and the children ample time to prepare for details.

“One week from today,” said Mr. Merryman one Friday afternoon, “we will all go on an excursion to get materials for our aquarium. I will appoint Joseph and Henry to look up, sometime between now and Wednesday, the best route for the school to take down to the creek. Remember, we want a dry path, for the children must not get wet feet. Lucy and Ellen, James and William may arrange for drag nets. Perhaps we shall have to make some of them. You may find out whether we can borrow them or not, and how much the material will cost if we need to make them ourselves. Henrietta and Edward may be sure that there are suitable dishes for bringing home our trophies. Find out just what we need.

“Some of the little children won’t want to go so far as the creek, where they have to be so still, so I will appoint the sixth grade girls to form an entertainment committee to find a pleasant place at some little distance from the creek where the little ones can play. You will have a stock of games ready to entertain them while some of us are busy at the creek and when we have enough things, animals, plants, etc., for our aquarium, we will all come to the same place and there we will have our lunches together. Doris, Frieda and May of the girls, and Thomas, Fayette and Wilbur of the seventh and eighth grade boys may be the refreshment committee. The different committees may get together next Monday and talk over their 542plans. Make up your minds between now and then just what you need to talk about. Have everything planned and ready before the day of our excursion. Meanwhile all of us, in the nature class, will study about the aquarium and the animals that live in it. Our first lesson will be on Monday, about ‘How to make the aquarium.’ That is all for this afternoon.”

It is needless to add that for a week the excursion and the studies and talks connected with it furnished many an hour of innocent and instructive diversion for the eager children. When the day came every detail had been thought out and prepared for so carefully that the event was entirely successful. Looking forward in expectation to the pleasure, filled the children’s minds too full to leave much room for mischief, and “discipline” in the sense of punishments sank into its legitimate place, far into the background.

Conferences with the teacher about matters which were puzzling to the children brought teacher and pupils into a close and delightful relationship which made unkindly feeling toward the teacher or insubordination almost out of the question. Once or twice earlier in the year, when planning the excursion, Mr. Merryman had been obliged to say, “But only those will be invited whose work and conduct in school have been satisfactory.” But even this precaution was now unnecessary; he simply took the precaution to place the more troublesome of the pupils on whatever committee would have to consult most frequently with himself. In this way the feeling of coöperation between himself and them grew stronger with each succeeding school “event.”