Superintendent Alexander was loaded with the responsibility of bringing
an end to a series of petty thefts in a fifth grade room. The teacher
laid the matter before him, in a manner which showed her extreme
annoyance. He calmed her by saying:
“Leave it to me. I have long said there are no ‘bad boys’ and I believe
it yet.” Mr. Alexander continues his story:
[Sidenote: “Who Stole?”]
“The boys knew before this that I would play fair with them. The first
time I met two or three of the fifth grade boys individually, I let them
know that I was aware something was wrong in their room, but made no
charges nor inquiries. There was good reason to believe that several
boys were involved in the pranks. By falling in with the boys they began
giving me bits of stories about what had been stolen and when. In a few
days I was able to piece up accounts of three serious robberies. I
called together four boys who, I was morally certain, were guilty. I
said:
“‘I want you fellows to straighten up some little matters that need your
attention.’
“‘What matters?’ one of the boys inquired.
“‘You know as well as I,’ said I.
“I paused a moment and told the three stories quickly. I did not insist
on anything further but promptly dismissed them. Within three days full
confessions were made to me individually and restitution was
accomplished in two cases.”
Personal influence is a powerful and a dangerous force. Sometimes
children indulge in character-warping conduct in the hope of winning the
personal favor of a beloved teacher.