[Sidenote: Slouching]
Miss Snow’s experience will be of interest to teachers in the third and
fourth grades. One morning Miss Snow said,
“Fill one page with this exercise in writing. Put both feet on the
floor. Sit up straight and hold your pen correctly.”
James began his exercise but slouched over his work. Miss Snow saw him
and called out,
“James, sit up straight.” He sat up, but stopped writing. A sullen look
came over his face. Miss Snow said,
“James, you will get no recess until this writing is finished.” He
sneered and stopped writing altogether.
When the other children stood to pass out to recess, James stood with
them, and marched with them half way to the door before Miss Snow
remembered her command. She then went to him, took him by the hand and
none too gently led him to his seat saying,
“Do that writing before you leave this room.”
After the other children had all passed out, he took up the pen and
bending over his work wrote the page and sullenly handed it in three
minutes before the recess was ended. He was listless and inattentive
throughout the next session.