, be the means of putting in order, and keeping in order, at
least one half; and following up the plan in the same manner, and in the
same spirit, with which it was begun, would secure the rest.

I repeat it, therefore, make it a principle in all cases, to aim as much
as possible at the correction of those faults which are likely to be
general, by _general measures_. You avoid by this means, a vast amount
of irritation and impatience, both on your own part, and on the part of
your scholars, and you produce at least twenty times the useful effect.

3. The next principle which occurs to me, as deserving the teacher's
attention in the outset of his course, is this:

Interest your scholars in doing something themselves to elevate the
moral character of the school, so as to secure a _decided majority, who
will, of their own accord, co-operate with you_.

Let your pupils understand, not by any formal speech you make to that
effect, but by the manner in which, from time to time, you incidentally
allude to the subject, that you consider the school, when you commence
it, as _at par_, so to speak,--that is, on a level with other schools,
and that your various plans for improving and amending it, are not to be
considered in the light of finding fault, and punishing transgressions,
and controlling evil propensities, so as just to keep things in a
tolerable state; but as efforts to improve and carry forward, to a state
of excellence not yet attained, all the affairs of the institution. Such
is the tone and manner of some teachers, that they never appear to be
more than merely satisfied. When the scholars do right, nothing is said
about it. The teacher seems to consider that a matter of course. It does
not appear to interest or please him at all. Nothing arouses him, but
when they do wrong, and that only excites him to anger and frowns. Now,
in such a case, there can of course be no stimulus to effort on the part
of the pupils, but the cold and heartless stimulus of fear.

Now, it is wrong for the teacher to expect that things will go right in
his school, as a matter of course. All that he can expect, _as a matter
of course_, is, that things should go on as well as they do ordinarily
in schools,--the ordinary amount of idleness,--the ordinary amount of
misconduct. This is the most that he can expect to come as a matter of
course; he should feel this, and then, all he can gain which will be
better than this, will be a source of pos