CLASS MANAGEMENT CLASS MANAGEMENT Looking at class management from the point of view of what the child is supposed to do or not to do, in order that the work of the class may proceed in a systematic and effective manner, the question becomes largely one of "discipline." Discipline is here used, however, in a very broad sense. It is not "repression," but it is the building up within the child of right attitudes and tendencies to behavior-the provision for worthy selfcontrol. Habit in this connection has essentially the same function and possibilities as elsewhere. It can take care of the old, through at least a relative automatism, and release the active consciousness for the struggle with the new. This possibility is an essential element of progress in all phases of life. If, for example, it were necessary that walking should always be a fully conscious and carefully directed process, there would be a serious loss in the attention to other necessary matters. The relation of habit to class management is, therefore clear. There must be found those things in which the child needs to exercise self-control in order that the work of the class may run without interruption. Then such things must be made into habits. The good of the class and of the members of the class must be considered together. There must be a very definite idea of just what conditions are most conducive to good class work without restricting the right development of the individual members of the group; but, given a right choice of reactions, the work of making such reactions habitual is the next step. It is like the matter of social conventions. That person who has to say to himself, "Now I must enter this room so and so; I must hold my hands in a certain position, and my carriage must be so and so," really never makes a good appearance. He is awkward, and stiff when compared with the person who has the right habits which care for themselves. Even though the person with the good habits learned them somewhat under compulsion, and even though he may not care personally whether he makes a good appearance or not, the habit will carry him through with a good record. It will do the same with the children in our classes if we take the trouble to choose and to inculcate the right habits. The formation of a new habit, however (which usually means the breaking of an old one), is a difficult matter, and teachers have great need of a knowledge of the psychology involved. This psychology was formulated by James years ago, and his work forms the foundation for everything which has been written on the subject since his time. He says, "The core of habit formation is repetition, but not mere dull lifeless repetition. It must be repetition with active attention." It is advised that one launch himself into a series of repetitions with as "strong and decided an initiative as possible." It is this initiative-this impetus, this good start-which goes far toward insuring success. But to get this good start there must be a motive, a reason for making the effort. This motive must be strongit must be very strong; but it does not necessarily need to be immediate. It may be remote, but the road to its attainment must be through the habit in question. The next consideration is to "beware of exceptions." "A single slip undoes more than a great many turns will wind again." In the early stages there must be great frequency in the repetitions, but in the later stages the periods between repetitions may be lengthened. Thus there is the formula: strong initiative, growing out of a strong motive, repetition with attention, and a gradual lengthening of periods between repetitions as control is gradually acquired. In order to utilize habit in class management, therefore, there must be wise choice of those reactions necessary to the best conduct of the class and the best development of the children; then wise, conscientious, and psychologically sound methods must be employed in the process of converting these reactions into habits. J. L. STOCKTON, Principal Normal Elementary School, Winona, Minn. ROOM DECORATION Since the month brings the force of growing things, one tries to capture that idea in the bleak city schoolroom by a general effect of the out-ofdoors in the way of boughs, of blossoms of all kinds, buds, bulbs, garden plants, and vegetables. The children save boughs from year to year, or gather them after the March winds, and cover them with blossoms cut out of colored paper. It is interesting to see how observing they are in the matter of foliage for each kind of bough, the pink peach blossoms having almost no leaves. If I cannot get the blossoms, for the class to study, two boys are given the carfare and sent to the wood as a Sunday treat. The idea of sequence is made strong by the Nature-lesson discussions as to the time when this tree or that will be "out." The change from the blossom to the fruit may be made in clay. Dogwood boughs form simple copy for decoration. Pictures of heroes, pasted on the board and decorated with flags and appropriate lettering is an instructive decoration for the last week in May. A simple way to teach the making of a flag, or a long strip of our colors, is to lay red, white, and blue chalk. They may trace around each piece, or just copy. SAND TABLE Many of the activities of farm life may be imitated in the sand table. The sand may be plowed, raked, and harrowed in preparation for the spring planting. Small models of plows, rakes, harrows, spades and shovels may be made at the work bench. If any model is too difficult to construct it may be bought at a toy store. Animals may be whittled from wood, or traced out on wood from patterns and then cut out with a fret saw. Paint or stain them to resemble the real animal. Very presentable animals may be made from heavy oaktag. Trace the animal from a pattern, cut out with a sharp knife or scissors, then after painting the oaktag give it a coat of shellac to make it more durable. It is important to keep some degree of proportion between the animals. Be sure that the cow is larger than the dog as some of our children have no idea of the relative size of the common barnyard animals. The farm-yard may be reproduced in miniature. The farmhouse, the barn, the pig sty, the chicken coop, the corn crib, the fences, the trees and even the pond may be shown. A mirror makes a good imitation pond although my children prefer a basin of water sunk into the sand for their pond. Then they can use the floating frogs, fishes and ducks in it. It will take no little skill and ingenuity to properly construct some of the articles mentioned above. However, much pleasure and profit may be gotten from very crude or simple models well within the mechanical ability of the average child found in the Ungraded Class. MARGARET E. Lovy. A Maypole dance may be made in the sandtable with the Dennison crêpe paper sunbonnet babies. In the sandtable, a garden may be laid out in various shaped beds; twigs of the old Christmas tree as well as pegs wound in green paper with leaflike ends and edges, may be used to represent the vegetables. Blocks may form a wall, and a charming effect is to put pictures of old-fashioned flowers against it illustrating stories such as The Five Pea-blossoms and Jack-and-the-Bean-Stalk. One little humorist was moved to make a Humpty-dumpty which sat on the wall to the edification of the MotherGoose group of readers. DECORATION DAY As Decoration Day approaches, the sandtable might show tents, marching columns of soldiers (tin soldiers and wooden pegs), waving colors, and shafts erected to favorite heroes with melancholy delight. Yours may be the only smiles some child receives. SEAT WORK May is the month of flowers, the blossoming time of the year. In keeping up with this idea, as a center of interest for our programs, our seat work must reflect this center in the making of gardens, garden implements and blossoms. The emphasis being laid on the celebration of Arbor Day, May Pole parties and Memorial Day. ARBOR DAY As Arbor Day comes the first week, we will begin the preparation for its celebration. The planting of trees seems to be the special feature in all Arbor Day programs, so we will begin by the making of trees for planting in the sandtable. You will find that the low-grade, and also many of the high-grade children enjoy this exercise. It is very simple, and requires little or no supervision after the first performance. MAKING OF TREES The materials needed are, a bundle of 4- or 5-inch green sticks, a package of 5-inch green folding paper, scissors and paste. The exercise consists of folding, cutting and pasting. First fold the green paper square on its diameter, making what we call a book. Cut the book in two, on the fold. Take one half and cut a deep fringe on the long side, leaving an uncut margin of about a half-inch. Fringe the other half in same way. Put the paste on the uncut margin, and wind the paper in spiral fashion around the stick, so the fringe will fall like leaves. One square will make two trees. After a number of trees have been made, celebrate Arbor Day by planting them in the sandtable. Lay out the sandtable in little parks and walks, and plant the trees in the parks and along the edge of the walk. If there isn't a sandtable in the room, the children may mould, from clay, small flowerpots and plant the trees in them. Another exercise for the sandtable is to weave thin splints together for fences. TREES IN BLOSSOM To represent fruit trees in blossom, children may twist small circles of pink and white tissue paper together. Pin these twists of paper on branches of trees or twigs, which the older children have gathered. Pin them on as you pin pop-corn on the Christmas trees. Or you may tie them on with a fine wire. The twigs so decorated make very pretty room decorations. Plant very small twigs in the sandtable for an apple orchard in bloom. PEG BOARD EXERCISES 1. To represent flower garden and fence. Place green pegs in outer row of board for fence. In inner rows place in design pegs of other colors. For instance, red tulips in one bed, yellow jonquils in another, etc. This may be used for a color lesson. 2. Another garden may be made by using the green pegs for the garden fence. The flowers to be made by taking 2- or 3-inch green sticks, on these put two or three small wooden beads of one color, then placing the sticks in the holes of the peg board. The various colors representing different flowers. A test of color. 3. For a test of color and form, have the spheres arranged in one flower bed, the cubes in another and the cylinders in the third. LENTILS, SEEDS, ETC. Have the children outline on the table a garden, by using green sticks. With small sticks lay out the garden beds. In these beds plant lentils and other small seeds. WEAVING Place pegs around outer edge of peg board. Weave shoe lace or cord in and out of pegs for fence. This is a good exercise for children for whom weaving is difficult. Another preliminary exercise is to weave a lace through the vertical rungs of the back of a large chair. CLAY EXERCISES Mould trees, shovels, rakes, hoes, watering cans and flowerpots. EXERCISES WITH STICKS Lay out on table with green sticks plan of garden. Then with different size sticks make the tools for working the garden-hoe, shovel, rake, spade, watering can and wagon. OUTLINING AND CUTTING Garden implements, watering can, hoe, shovel, spade and rake. Also the blossoms, apple, cherry, dogwood, magnolia and violets. MEMORIAL DAY Mould small flowerpots and plant small twigs with tissue paper blos soms. DESIGNS FOR BOARD Little Sunbonnet girl with watering can. Apple, dogwood and magnolia blossoms. WOODEN TABLETS Very pretty designs may be made for gardens, by using the square, circular and triangular tablets. MAY POLE PARTIES Children may fringe tissue paper for trimming the poles. Also make paper flowers. CATHERINE L. MADDOCK. |