One of the most necessary duties of the teacher at the beginning of the
year is to train the children to habits of regulated and quiet movements
when passing in and out of the school-room, going to the blackboard,
coming forward to the recitation seats, passing material for busy work,
or during any other concerted action. The first day is a particularly
opportune time for drill in quiet movement, not only because no lessons
have been made ready and, therefore, the teacher is entirely free to
take as much time as is desirable without feeling that he is encroaching
upon other lessons, but also because such exercises impress upon the
children the necessity for quiet movement at a time when their minds are
not prepossessed with other subjects. The suggestion is likely to lodge
firmly in mind at this time, partly because of the prominence given to
the thought and partly because of the absence of conflicting interests
on this first day. Furthermore, in drilling the children from the start
to recognize the signals and to obey them, the teacher is taking a long
step toward securing control of his room. Of course, he must not expect
the children to learn the whole lesson in one day. Even adults require
“drill” before they can respond perfectly to regulated movements. To
first grade children the signals and directions are absolutely
meaningless until the meaning is taught. Nevertheless, even first grade
children can be taught easily to be quiet and orderly, and if the drills
are given as little games, competitive or otherwise, they will look upon
the whole thing as play and hence will respond heartily.
Suppose, for example, that the inexperienced teacher who enters the
school-room saying to herself, “What in the world can I do to keep all
these wriggling children in order for a whole day!” should have some of
the following drills (abridged from Hillyer’s “Child Training”[3]) at
command to use whenever the children begin to be disorderly or seem not
to comprehend directions.
Footnote 3:
Hillyer, V. M.—Child Training, pp. 14–28.—New York. The Century Co.
(1) _Simple directions._ Say to the children, “I want to see if you can
do what I tell you, just when I tell you, and just the way I tell you.”
Then give the order: “Stand up.”
Some may obey promptly, some may obey more slowly, some may hesitate,
look around to see what the others are going to do, and finally, but
tardily, rise. Some may pay no attention to the order at all, but look
blankly around or at something else, exactly as if they had been
excepted from the command.
If there is much irregularity in obeying correctly and at once, it may
be necessary to say, “All children stand up,” or, “All of you stand up,”
and this may have to be supplemented by the explanation, “When I say,
‘Stand up,’ I mean you, John and Mary, as well as the others.” Then give
the order: “Sit down.”
Repeat these orders, “Stand up,” “Sit down,” half a dozen or more times,
until all the children understand what is wanted and obey promptly,
quietly, and without hesitating or lagging.
Have them first imitate you, while you execute the order, as directed.
This is training by imitation. Then have them carry out the order from
the command alone. Give the order, but do not execute it yourself, or
better still, tell the children to close their eyes and keep them closed
while you give the order and they obey. This is to prevent imitation of
others in the class. They are not trained until they can obey promptly
without seeing either the teacher or another child whom they can
imitate.
Further directions may be: “Look up, down.” “Face right side, left
side.” “Place your hands on top of your head, under your chair, behind
your back.”
Afterwards, practice them individually, giving more attention to those
who are unfamiliar with the terms used or are slow to carry them out.
(2) _Simple orders._ Give the first direction to a child and wait his
precise fulfilment, asking the class if the child has followed the
direction in every particular, or if he has failed and in what respect
he has failed.
Each time an order is executed the children should be called upon to
suggest where an improvement is needed, as, for example: “John banged
the door.” “He didn’t shut it quietly.” “He made too much noise in going
to the door.” “He asked which door,” or “He hesitated,” “Took too long,”
and so on.
(3) _Simple deferred orders._ Prepare a list of orders as in the
preceding drill and tell the children you will give each one an order,
but is it not to be executed until you give the word. Then read the list
of orders, putting the name of a child before each order, and when you
have finished, say, “Now, do what I have told you.”
(4) _Negative orders._ The burden of much of the instructions to
teachers and parents is “Don’t say don’t.” Nevertheless, for purposes of
discipline, practice in obeying negative commands is highly important,
as most laws and rules from the Decalogue down, are prohibitions: “Thou
shalt not.”
Face the children away from you and tell them you are going to practice
them in obeying the order, “Don’t look.” Tell them that when you have
given the order, they are not to look around, under any circumstances,
no matter even if a contradictory order is given, until you call “Time.”
Then give the order and behind their backs try different devices to
entice them into looking. Tell a story and pretend to illustrate it,
saying, for instance, “Jack and Jill went up a hill, like this” (stamp
about or make noisy gestures), “to fetch a pail of water, like this”
(make chalk marks on the blackboard, as if drawing) “and broke his
crown, like this” (drop a book or something heavy), and so on. Suddenly
speak into the ear of one, saying, “Look here,” tap another on the
shoulder excitedly, and so on.
(5) _Double orders._ Make a list as in drill 3, but with two orders for
each child, thus: “John, hand me that book, and put this on the table.”
Use in the same way as in drill 2.
(6) _Prohibitions._ Tell the children you are going to practice them
still further in obeying “Don’ts.” Then, give the order: “Don’t make any
sound until I call ‘Time.’”
Allow them to move their heads, arms, feet; even to move about, though
this privilege should be forfeited by any one failing in the slightest
degree to observe the command. Watch and listen for the faintest sound
and have them do the same, but only the teacher must call attention to
any voluntary or involuntary breaking of silence. At the end of five
minutes call “Time.” Discuss with the children what they could do to
observe the command better or more easily and repeat the exercise.
Then tell them to get into a comfortable position, one that they can
maintain indefinitely, as they are to remain not only silent but
motionless. Ask them to pretend that they are to have their pictures
taken, that the slightest motion, shifting of position or
twitching—breathing and blinking of the eyes excepted—will spoil the
picture, and say, “Now, don’t move till I call ‘Time.’”
Call “Time” at the end of two minutes, as this is a very severe ordeal.
Further practice, however, should make them able to hold this position
for five minutes longer.
Tell the children you are going to command, “Don’t talk,” and then are
going to try to surprise them into talking or asking a question, but
they must say nothing under any circumstances. Tell them they are
supposed to be mutes, without the power of speech—as dumb as the
animals.
Then give the command, “Don’t talk,” but continue to talk yourself,
telling either a story or something about which children would
ordinarily ask questions, and if this does not succeed, abruptly ask one
of the children a question, trying to take him off his guard or to
startle him into a reply.
Any wide-awake teacher will readily perceive how these drills can be
gradually extended to include the concerted movements of the whole
school, furnishing both relief from more fatiguing school work and
pleasure in the performing, while, at the same time reducing the chaotic
movements of untrained children to quiet, restful, intelligent,
coöperative school-room procedure.
The following case illustrates the difficulties of attempting to secure
the more complex forms of regulated conduct without having first given
sufficient drill on obedience to directions.