On discipline - A perspective from 1910

The following advice to teachers was published to the Masters of Berkhamsted School in 1910 when Dr Fry was Headmaster.

• Find out how to get your influence; without it you cannot teach.
• Do not shout.
• Do not be glued to your chair.
• Air your room: it takes trouble to do aright.
• Make your boys respect their books.
• If your arrival in a room does not secure serene respectful silence, you have no grip on your form.
• Maintain your discipline with as few words as possible.
• Force is not discipline, nor is temper.
• Boys prefer order and the man who can keep it.
• Cultivate the power of glances and silences: be a bit of an actor.
• The best power is undemonstrative.
• Do not seem to expect anything but order.
• If one word secures attention, you are probable a disciplinarian.
• Watch against allowing temptations to do wrong.
• Do not scold. Enlist the class on your side.
• Always acknowledge an unintentional injustice.
• The less “black book,” the better discipline.
• Be ambitious never to retort, except for serious moral offences.
• Never goad into resistance.
• Do not have too long a memory. Make a little allowance.
• Do not mistake success for virtue.
• The stupid often plod and fail. Remember how failure deters.
• Be punctual.
• Do not forget dignity altogether. Show sympathy.
• Distinguish character in your own mind.
• Don’t be funny, if you cannot easily control results.
• Compel a tidy room.
• Dismiss quite quietly.
• Think over your failures to influence, and their cause.
• The root of discipline is boys’ high respect for you.
• No imposition that is not seriously examined can fail to demoralise.

Posted by Mark S. Steed on his blog (link)

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Stuart preached an inspiring sermon this morning about moving from living in darkness into living in the light.

He used Joan Osborne's song "One of Us" to help him make his point. It was thought provoking and the sermon should be up on the site soon (link here).

Guy closed the service with Matt and Beth Redman's "Never Let Go". What an awesome way to start the week leading up to the biggest (or second biggest) Christian festival of the year.

Hoping you all have a very Blessed Christmas 2009.

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