Joseph Levy and Sadie Higgins, two pupils in the fourth grade of the
Pittsburgh Avenue School, Minneapolis, were talking without permission,
when Miss Bowen, who was conducting an arithmetic lesson on the other
side of the room, saw them.
[Sidenote: Talking Without Permission]
“Joseph and Sadie! Did anyone give you permission to talk?” she
inquired. “I want you all to know (she rose from her seat and addressed
the whole room) that hereafter there is to be no talking without
permission. If it is absolutely necessary that you speak to someone,
hold up your hand.”
The next day Sadie “forgot.” Miss Bowen was busy helping another pupil.
She waited until she had finished. In the meantime, several minutes had
passed. Sadie had found out what she wanted and was working on her
arithmetic lesson, when Miss Bowen went over to Sadie’s desk, pulled her
out of the seat by her arm, and said so the whole room could hear,
“Sadie Higgins, I’m not going to tell you more than once that you have
to ask permission when you want to speak. Do you hear me?... Well, sit
down and see that the next time you wish to speak, you ask my consent
before doing so.”