Humiliated Georgie crept back to his seat and buried his face in his arms folded on the desk before him, in order to hide a briny tear or two. Then he amused the children near him by making faces at his teacher; but this was rather monotonous fun. He finally decided that the appropriate thing to do under the circumstances was to draw pictures of Miss Harriman, and relieve his feeling by jabbing his pencil through the eyes, mouth, etc., of the drawing. The other children saw the point and expressed their sympathy by doing likewise with similar drawings of their own production, giggling all the while as they did so, and occasionally breaking out in mirth which again called forth Miss Harriman’s expressions of disapproval. “My children have acted like little demons today!” said the tired teacher that night, as she flung herself into the rocking chair upon reaching home. “Sometimes I wish I never had to go back again into that school-room!” CONSTRUCTIVE TREATMENT Go quietly to Georgie’s desk and say, “What a pretty top! Does it spin well? I’d like to see you spin it after school is done, but you know we all have to put our playthings away in school time. Can you take good care of it until the bell rings, or would you rather I would keep it for you?” If Georgie is like most boys he will put it safely away when given a choice in conduct, and in so doing will have had an excellent lesson in self-control. COMMENTS Miss Harriman repelled George by her apparent lack of appreciation of something that to him was precious. Her control of the situation was purely external, coercive. She did nothing to rouse the boy’s power of _self_-control. By using the principles of approval and initiative in coöperation she would have accomplished her purpose just as effectively, and at the same time would have strengthened the boy’s self-respect and self-reliance. By reproving George in a way that roused his antagonism she turned him into a ringleader, for the time being, the effect of which was to increase the disorder, rather than cure it. ILLUSTRATION (PRIMARY GRADES) [Sidenote: Teacher Becomes Ringleader] Miss Moss went from a small town to a two-room school in a mining settlement, to teach the first four grades. The school consisted of forty-two miners’ children, and one very pretty, well-dressed girl of ten, Florence Adamson, who was the daughter of the company store-keeper. This little girl’s mother was a clever dressmaker, who kept her daughter in the smartest of frocks and the perkiest of big hair-ribbon bows. The child was bright, learned her lessons easily and had always been a leader of the other children, who regarded her as a very wonderful being indeed.