Face-making is largely an outgrowth of the play impulse, no matter what its motive. Substitute a better form of play. Dramatizing a story that emphasizes the opposite of the undesirable characteristics, is one of the best ways of overcoming the fault. Read “The Little Knight of Kentucky” during the twenty-minute periods just before school closes. Dramatize parts of it. When the children are imbued with the chivalrous spirit of the story, suggest the incongruities of face-making and other spiteful acts, by saying to the boy whom you “catch”: “Harold, the little knights of Kentucky did not make faces at each other. Would we be as proud of them as we are, had they done so? Then, let’s not have any one who makes faces play that story today.” COMMENTS When the motive is the approbation of fellow-pupils, these fellow-pupils must be made to change their attitude of admiration for muscular grotesqueness for one of appreciation of facial repose, beauty and dignity. It is a matter of inculcating ideals. Beautiful pictures of ideal faces, such as those of Hoffman’s _Boy Christ_ and Raphael’s _Madonna of the Chair_, may be used to illustrate the ideal of fine, controlled faces that express beautiful and kind thoughts. Sometimes offhand contempt of a babyish practice helps, especially with a vain and self-conscious type of pupil. ILLUSTRATION (THIRD GRADE) [Sidenote: Cure for Bad Manners] Miss Grasome stood aghast at the rude manners and selfishness of her third grade pupils. She had tried many plans for improving the situation, but with little success, for the children had the constant example before them of rude manners in their homes. As the Christmas season drew near she thought to herself, “I’ll try once more. We will dramatize ‘The Birds’ Christmas Carol.’ Perhaps that beautiful story will teach the children the lesson that I seem to have failed thus far in clinching. I’ll use the rudest and most selfish girl I have for the sick child’s part. She won’t play as well as some of the others, but if she’ll only catch the lesson I want her to get, I won’t mind the blunders.” The proposition to have a play instead of a Christmas tree delighted the children. The story interested them so much that when, toward the latter part of their study, Miss Grasome proposed that they follow out the thought of the story and make some needy or unfortunate person the recipient of their gifts this year instead of making them to each other, the children were quite ready for the sacrifice. Of course committees must be appointed, and much coöperative work done before all details could be arranged. But every child had a share in the planning, and not many weeks had passed before a gentler and more considerate spirit began to dominate the school-room. Miss Grasome smiled and said to herself: “Coöperation works better than prohibiting or forcing, even in such matters as the training of manners, it seems.” CASE 86 (FIFTH GRADE) [Sidenote: Paper Wads]