“I want to tell you how _proud_ I am this morning.” (Smile at this point, allowing your pupils to wonder what you are going to say next.) Then, after waiting four or five seconds, continue: “I have been watching pupils in my classes lately, both here in the school and outside, and I have noticed many pupils who are very polite. It looks fine to see a pupil pick up something another has dropped. I remember a boy—a fine looking fellow—everyone liked him, and I used to wonder why it was that everybody spoke to him and why everybody liked him so well. I noticed that whenever he saw a chance to do a kind act for anybody he always did it. If he happened to annoy anybody, he always stopped and told the person he was sorry; whenever he walked in front of anybody he always said, ‘Excuse me,’ and he always made everyone feel happy because he was so kind. That is the kind of a person _I_ like, and I believe that is the reason he was liked so well. I visited a school once in which all the pupils were just as polite as could be, and the teacher seemed to be proud because the pupils showed such good manners. I tell you, I am going to watch from now on to see how many boys and girls in my room are polite. It is certainly fine to do a kindness for someone. I like the boy or girl who does it.” The next day, smile again and say, “I’m even prouder than I was yesterday morning. I saw several kind acts yesterday by my pupils. I tell you, I appreciate it very much.” COMMENTS If acts of courtesy can be made a social affair, a powerful impetus will be exerted toward reform. So long as a boy thinks he acts exceptionally well if he is polite, and so stands in a class by himself, he will give only grudging attention to matters of etiquette. Just as largely as possible we should use the group to teach the individual. In the case cited, the superintendent and teacher taught more ill-manners by their example than they did good manners by precept. They were brusque, rude, unsympathetic, tactless, and ineffective. Strict conformity to rule can be as clearly required and uniformly enforced by methods that are not dictatorial and terrorizing. The latter may secure a few immediate formal results; the more cultured methods will draw out a pupil’s interest and hearty response. ILLUSTRATION (SEVENTH GRADE) [Sidenote: Accidental Injury] Robert and Josiah Nash are thirteen-year-old twins. Their present sport is kite flying. Yesterday they were intently gazing skyward and backed up into Mrs. Scudder’s star flower-bed on the north side of her house. The quickest way out was to continue their backward course. They left a path of destruction as they emerged on the opposite side. Mrs. Scudder saw them as they left the premises, and was thoroughly angered with them as she rushed to view the remains of her precious flowers.