Read Ebook: Practical school discipline by Beery Ray Coppock

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Ebook has 2908 lines and 135574 words, and 59 pages

Miss Stanton did not call upon him again, however, that day. On the following day George decided that it would be well to give enough attention to the recitation, at least to "keep tab" on what the others were reciting, and gradually he learned that he was likely to be called up at any time that he allowed his attention to wander far away from the work of the hour. Not a word had been said about his pranks, but they ceased to be troublesome to teacher or class.

Some children are natural actors. They mimic grown-ups in a ludicrous way. This may be done unconsciously, but sometimes pupils purposely imitate a teacher's walk, attitude, voice or phraseology, just out of a desire to raise a laugh at the teacher's expense.

CASE 63

George had an unusual gift of ability to mimic others. Even at the age of nine years he could easily entertain his classmates by imitating various men of the town. His teacher, Miss Giles, was a stout little woman whose arms seemed not to hang closely enough to her body, and as she walked she swung them as if they propelled her through the air. Her voice was fretful whenever she repeated a command, which was often, or whenever she expected disobedience. One day as he followed Miss Giles across the room, the impulse seized him to mimic her gait. This he did, with marked success. When he returned to his seat he began to study her mannerisms with a view to entertaining others. At recess he showed the boys how she held her hands and nodded her head while she talked. The next step was to imitate her voice. This he did successfully.

One day, about ten minutes before the afternoon session began, Miss Giles was sitting at her desk, grading penmanship papers, when Marie Allbaugh rushed in and said: "Miss Giles, come out here and listen to George. He's playin' like he was you."

"George, march right into the house," said she in her harshest tones. "You shall not have another recess until you have apologized to me for this."

Soon the bell sounded for the afternoon session. When the recess period came, George started to walk out with the other children.

Miss Giles saw him, and said, "George, take your seat."

After the other children had all left the room, she went to George's seat and said, "Are you ready to apologize?" Just then a shout came through the window from the children at play. George wanted badly to join them. He said, "I don't know how."

"Say, 'Miss Giles, I'm sorry I mocked you at noon,'" said she. George considered. If he said he was sorry he would be telling a falsehood. He would try to be excused without that so he said:

"But, George, you must always show respect for your teacher."

George meditated again. The shouts of the children at play gave him an idea. Wasn't he sorry he did it? Wasn't that just what was keeping him indoors while others were at play? Of course, he didn't want to stay in, so of course he was sorry he had done the thing that kept him in. With a bright, smiling look at Miss Giles, he said: "I am sorry, Miss Giles, that I mocked you at noon." It looked like a sincere apology and it passed for such.

"You may go," said she. She considered the case well handled.

CONSTRUCTIVE TREATMENT

Miss Giles would do well to join in the laugh at her own expense. She should supervise every moment of the children's play period. George will not then have an opportunity to use his imitative powers. He will be swept into active games and be only one of a crowd.

An apology should not be demanded of a pupil for any mark of disrespect toward the teacher. Respect can not be developed by force.

COMMENTS

Miss Giles had a rare opportunity of showing her pupils how to take a joke. She would have gained friends and lost no more prestige than she did by trying to force an apology. A wholesome laugh with the pupils is one of the best things to help overcome disrespect on the part of the pupils. It would be better, of course, not to be obliged to laugh at one's own expense, too often. Supervised play solves many problems like this one.

An apology unwillingly given is a lie or at best only a subterfuge. No teacher can command respect by demanding it in so many words. The teacher can compel respect only by showing her pupils that she deserves it.

ILLUSTRATION

It was a rainy day at Mount Pleasant Rural School. After the noon lunches had been eaten the children were at a loss to decide what to play. Finally Alice Mitchell said, "Let's play school. Who'll be the teacher? Who'll be the teacher?"

"Let me!" "Let me!" several of them almost yelled. Maud Jameson, an overgrown girl, nine years old, was accustomed to having her way. She was one of those positive children who win leadership by right of having good opinions tersely expressed. Her older sister even followed her lead.

Without more ado, she commanded the children to take their seats and began a mock school day.

Miss Baldwin was at first scarcely interested in the children. Soon, however, she was struck by Maud's imitation of her own expressions. Was it conscious or unconscious? She could scarcely tell. Would Maud dare to mock her in her presence? She was not sure as to that. At any rate she decided to study the situation, realizing that after this noon time she need not again say:

"O wad some Power the giftie gie us To see oursels as ithers see us."

Maud passed along the seats making faultfinding comments as she went.

"Laura, turn round," she said, with exactly the touch of impatience which Miss Baldwin herself would display.

"No indeed!" she answered to one who asked permission to speak, with exactly the amount of sarcasm Miss Baldwin herself used on similar occasions.

Maud rapped on her desk, and looked around frowning and shaking her head as a signal to be more quiet--Miss Baldwin, unmistakably. She tapped the bell for the children to stand together, and stamped her foot as she told them to sit because some lagged.

"Whoever fails to get up this time may stay in at recess," she announced, with Miss Baldwin's own expression of irritation.

For half an hour this went on. Maud scolded and sneered, stamped her foot and found fault while Miss Baldwin listened with varying feelings.

At first she decided to stop Maud and punish her. Yet she considered that her explanation of the reason for her punishment might be hard to make satisfactory. Her second thought was to study the situation in order to ascertain whether the other children considered it merely a joke on their teacher. They seemed not to do so. Her next thought was of shame as she realized the atmosphere created by her attitude toward the pupils as shown by Maud. She therefore resolved to let the matter pass without criticism, but meanwhile to profit by the picture given her of herself as teacher. This resolve she kept, and as she learned to be patient, she saw less and less need for impatience.

In the case of older pupils, who consciously take advantage of the extended privilege, we suggest that you first attempt to gain the confidence of the offending pupil. To do this, talk to him about his own interests, show that you are interested in the very same activities, sports, etc.

It is also a good plan to give some definite errand for the pupil to do for you--something that he can easily do and will enjoy doing--and after the child does it, show your appreciation by saying something like this: "You are so kind. Thank you ever so much." This will help you in gaining the pupil's confidence.

After securing this basis of confidence, make it a point to talk to the pupil individually at some suitable time. Speak first about something in which the child is interested, then say, "There is another thing I wanted to speak to you about. Whenever you go out at recess, be sure to get your drink and do all other errands before the bell rings so that you will not need to leave during study hours unless absolutely necessary. Try to remember this, will you?"

CASE 64

Miss McLean, after a few days of exasperation over excessive requests for permission to leave the room, finally decided to correct this. She found in one day that every pupil left the room at least twice during the session of school and this was a total of fifty requests.

"This will never do!" she said, the next morning. "You must learn not to interrupt the school work this way. Now, I want you to see how well you can keep to your work this morning. We will not give any permissions to leave the room between now and recess and between recess and noon time." In the afternoon she relaxed somewhat. The next day more permissions were granted, and finally the situation became as bad as ever.

CONSTRUCTIVE TREATMENT

If you do have pupils write their names on the blackboard, upon their return, require them to note after their names the number of minutes they were absent and let them make up this "lost time" at intermission.

In case any pupil insistently leaves the room more often than you would expect, institute an inquiry as to his physical health. Ask the family physician or the mother for this information. In order to cut off the bad effects of his example before the other pupils, you can pass the word about, privately, that the doctor has asked you to give Tom or Mary several interruptions of study during the day.

COMMENTS

It is easy to catalog the causes that lead to excessive attempts to leave the classroom, study hall, or grade room--restlessness, indolence, mischief-making, desire to play, conspiracy to meet another pupil, carelessness in habits of nature, physical ill-health.

Trouble arises over this matter by careless management on the part of teachers. Caution is necessary at two points: Do not allow too many interruptions of the work; Do not injure the health of pupils by refusing necessary privileges.

ILLUSTRATION

In the Normal public schools there were twelve rooms. Miss Haybarger had the sixth room. Soon after the opening of school in the fall, a most obnoxious situation arose because from three to twelve pupils were released continually. There were enough pupils out of the rooms to meet on the grounds and indulge in games. Miss Haybarger decided to save her pupils from this misdemeanor by insisting that only one pupil leave the room at a time and that all "time lost" should be made up. She reported that some days passed in which there was not a single request for permission to leave the room.

This result can be further explained by the fact that every minute of school time was filled with carefully planned and interesting work. Her general manner made work and diligence the only possible order of the day.

Epidemics of leaving the room are especially trying whenever a substitute has charge of a room. If a regular teacher has good control of his room he should send a note to the pupils, to be read to them by the substitute, in which he says something like the following:

"I am sorry not to be with you today. Be even more considerate of the substitute teacher than you have been toward me. I am expecting a fine report from him as to your behavior today."

This message will do much to stop irregularities. In case the children are inclined to take advantage of the regular teacher, the following case will be a helpful study.

ILLUSTRATION

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