Practical school discipline

by Ray Coppock Beery

Co-operation demands that we understand the nature of the child and enjoy giving him freedom, at the same time working with him, not over him.

The home or the school which manages children by the use of authority chiefly is not working toward the true object of discipline, but away from it. The child who is constantly governed, who has all his decisions formed by some one else, has all his motives influenced by a parent or teacher, in fact, his every activity controlled by another mind, will be weak in self-mastery. How can he learn to control himself if he is always under the will of another? Similar questions that will help the reader to understand might be asked. For example: how can a boy learn to swim if he is not allowed in the water? How can a girl learn to sew if she is not given sewing materials? Then is it not just as logical to ask: how can a child learn to control himself if he is not given the opportunity to learn? It is to be feared that too many teachers have had the wrong idea of discipline; namely, that it means to have a child constantly under restraint. That is erroneous. Neither discipline nor authority requires that. True discipline is that which directs the child to become a self-governing individual, so that when he leaves the school, he can go into the world and lead an efficient life. Happy is such a child, but unfortunate is the child who has been so much subjected to another that when he must face the realities of life he still needs a guiding hand.

The following incident is very much to the point. It is the story of two mothers. Each had a son who had reached his majority and was ready to step onto the threshold of the world. Said the one mother to the other, “I am so fearful for my boy when he gets into the world. I have controlled him so carefully, that when he can not have my oversight, I am sure he will go into wrong paths.” The other mother replied, “I am not at all concerned about my boy. I have kept close to the life of my son, helping him yet training him for independent action. I am confident that with his ability to control himself he need have no fears that the conflicts of life will overwhelm him. I am assured that he will succeed.” The latter mother had a true conception of discipline. The notion of discipline that the former mother had, is too prevalent among teachers. It is well worth repeating, that true discipline is the kind which trains the child to be self-governing.

Remember that any deviation from the routine of school discipline, any pleasure that may be granted, any offense that may be forgiven, any aid in performing a task that may be difficult, in short any service that shows your devotion to the child’s welfare may be considered co-operation.

The principle of co-operation when properly applied will very materially strengthen discipline. The boy or girl whose every activity is controlled is being robbed of the greatest gift that the school can give—self-control. “All seeming suppression of impulses will be found to be based upon expression of other impulses, not upon sheer brute repression.”[^[18]] Boys and girls must be compelled to make decisions for themselves. But some one will say, “In making their own decisions they may blunder and decide in the wrong way.” No permanent harm need result. Experience is the wisest of teachers. Children can not be taught in the school of every-day life until they enter into its experiences; and fortunate are they, when they enter, if they have been taught carefully the lessons of self-control by some prudent parent or teacher. It will make them stronger if they must help themselves over their own difficulties. This does not mean that the teacher must not have taught the principles of self-control. The real test of good teaching will come when the boys and girls are compelled to hold their own in the world.

Those who have read Myrtle Reed’s “The Master’s Violin,” will recall how Mrs. Irving never allowed her son, Lynn, to solve any of his own difficulties. Instead of co-operating with him she dominated him. She was his mind and bore his trials as well as all his joys and sorrows. He was often eager to dive into the world with all its temptations and perplexities, but she could not permit him to get away from her authority. She was not an unkind mother, but she was not a wise mother. When he desired to mingle with the street lads she would not indulge him lest he become contaminated. She restrained him from everything which to her seemed to forecast any danger. She could not tolerate that he should have boyhood fancies and passions. Instead of guiding him wisely through his boyhood problems, she laid the hand of restraint upon him. Her authority was firm though not unkind. The day finally came when she could no longer solve or mitigate her son’s problems. Life brought to him what it may bring to all, dark troubles, hidden within the soul. He was untutored and unprepared to meet his trials; his mother could not meet them for him; she had only greatly weakened her boy, she had not prepared him by sensible discipline to meet his troubles. Had she allowed him to experience some of the problems that must confront every child, he would have been prepared to meet his later trials. He could not escape, so in the bitterest agony he was compelled to fight his own battles at a grievous loss.

A certain fifth grade teacher—in the fifth grade are often found some of the most troublesome boys—discovered that by gaining their friendship she could control and discipline her room perfectly. Frequently, all the pupils were allowed to spend an hour or two in some nearby forest, if in the country, or a park if in the city, because they had behaved well. Sometimes school was suspended for a short time and every pupil was allowed to tell a story. This same teacher often checked an unruly boy who seemed on the verge of some impending mischief, by asking him a question about that which was of the most interest to him. This might be about his pets, his gun, the striking novelties in some recent lesson, or even about some imaginary trip.

It is not unusual that healthy pupils even though well reared should be mischievous; this is due to surplus energy. The teacher, who could make himself believe that such children are his enemies, is in the wrong profession. It is, indeed, a pleasure to work with pupils exuberant with energy. This energy directed into the proper channels will insure growth of character in boys and girls. A certain superintendent in a small school in Western Ohio found himself in a high school were the pupils never tired of playing tricks. They cut down the bell rope, turned mice loose in school, imitated a cat in another room and did all kinds of tricks for fun. The superintendent was new in the school, but it did not take him long to learn that it was all due to a surplus of energy in healthful boys and girls. His solution was to use this energy. To this end he set about at once securing funds to build a gymnasium. The Board of Education could not finance the undertaking, so he enlisted the corps of teachers and together they secured funds by private subscription to build the gymnasium. After the gymnasium was finished, the superintendent taught the classes in calisthenics and physical culture. More than once, without discussing it with the boys and girls, he directed the entire high school twice a day, for fifteen to thirty minutes longer than the usual recess period; the time was used for physical education: work in folk dances, games and gymnastics. When the pupils returned to the school-room, their surplus energy was worked off, their blood was filled with oxygen and they were very studious. He even arranged that those who were excellent in deportment might attend a night class, where interesting games were played. He had boys’ basketball teams, girls’ basketball teams, volley ball clubs, roller skating clubs, track work, Saturday afternoon clubs, and other activities which delighted the pupils. Because of this mischievous pranks disappeared entirely and the efficiency of the pupils was increased nearly fifty per cent. The high school enrolled seventy pupils on the first day. During the year only three dropped out, making the per cent of attendance ninety-five, which is a very good record.

Initiative in co-operation, as it is here discussed, must not be confused with the common practice of parents who buy their children’s good behavior. It is all too common and one of the worst faults of parents, to tell their children that they will give them a penny, or some candy or other articles pleasing to the children if they will behave while company is in the home. This may be called a form of compact, but it is simply a wrong use of co-operation. Many teachers resort to just such a system of purchasing good behavior or good lessons. This is wrong. The proper use of reciprocity has a worthier motive in it. The teacher who rules by prudent companionship is kindhearted and sympathetic, has a broad outlook on child life, and a spirit that can forgive and forget, and take back into his love and sympathy the erring pupil.

There are many ways of giving freedom to a pupil which will work to his advancement and advantage. It is true, as it is in all school work, that caution is necessary, that the true end sought by the device should not be defeated. Every teacher knows how kindly a pupil will feel toward him, if he is allowed to share in some of the duties to which great honor is attached. This privilege can be given for good lessons, good behavior, punctuality or any kind of effort in school work. Some pupils like to draw, others to do favors for the teacher, even some will feel that the teacher appreciates them, if they can work problems on the black-board, go to the manual training or domestic science room. It is indeed a splendid and effective indulgence to allow any pupil, whether he is the best or the most indifferent one, to run an errand for the teacher. To let a boy, who feels that everybody distrusts him, run down town, or if it is in the country, to town after dismissals and make a trivial purchase for the teacher, will make him gain, first, confidence in himself, and then in his teacher, because of the fact that his teacher has confidence in him. Should a pupil abuse the privileges extended to him as indulgences, then the teacher, without any explanation can withhold the privileges for a few days. He will soon find his pupil asking for, or that which is better, deserving the privilege. It can be granted, and it is safe to assume that the pupil will take care not to forfeit his privileges again.