[Sidenote: Planning Reforms]
Keep in mind, while planning reforms, the several possible causes for
awkwardness and noise, namely:
1. The pupil may not yet have subdued his instinctive impulses to
conventional form or to regulation of any kind. All the impulses act at
once, we may say, and they get in the way of each other. The child needs
to be taught which part of an act to perform first, which second, etc.,
in order to perform it skillfully, just as in bicycle riding, playing
the scales on a musical instrument, etc.
2. When boys and girls reach the period of rapid growth, the body itself
is changing its proportions; naturally, it takes time to adjust one’s
self to one’s body. Meanwhile there is an “awkward age,” which is
annoying to the teacher, but much more so to the child. The teacher
should recognize the fact that this is transition time and treat it as a
perfectly natural physiological period, doing what she can all the while
to eradicate bad habits of posture and movement, but recognizing at the
same time that some patience is necessary on the part of both pupil and
teacher.
3. Awkwardness may be due to imperfect development of the muscles or of
the nerves which extend to the muscles.
None of these cases can be helped by scolding or nagging or impatience
of any kind. The first can be remedied by drills similar to those
indicated above. The second can be greatly helped by games requiring
exactness or grace of movement. The third can not be remedied except
sometimes indirectly when the trouble is due to illness or malnutrition,
where the cause of the difficulty may be within control.
The following illustration indicates how the drills may be utilized to
prevent disorder. The next shows how to make use of the games.