“Say, ‘Miss Giles, I’m sorry I mocked you at noon,’” said she. George considered. If he said he was sorry he would be telling a falsehood. He would try to be excused without that so he said: “Mother lets me play like I was other people. _She_ don’t care, so I thought you wouldn’t.” “But, George, you must always show respect for your teacher.” George meditated again. The shouts of the children at play gave him an idea. Wasn’t he sorry he did it? Wasn’t that just what was keeping him indoors while others were at play? Of course, he didn’t want to stay in, so of course he was sorry he had done the thing that kept him in. With a bright, smiling look at Miss Giles, he said: “I am sorry, Miss Giles, that I mocked you at noon.” It looked like a sincere apology and it passed for such. “You may go,” said she. She considered the case well handled. CONSTRUCTIVE TREATMENT Miss Giles would do well to join in the laugh at her own expense. She should supervise every moment of the children’s play period. George will not then have an opportunity to use his imitative powers. He will be swept into active games and be only one of a crowd. An apology should not be demanded of a pupil for any mark of disrespect toward the teacher. Respect can not be developed by force. If, in spite of these precautions, you sometimes find yourself the butt of the children’s sport, quietly drop into the play school, take a seat as one of the play pupils and carry off your part as a naughty child. “Take off” the troublesome child so well—(not any particular one, however)—that the children will laugh with you and the whole thing will pass off as play, nothing more. COMMENTS Miss Giles had a rare opportunity of showing her pupils how to take a joke. She would have gained friends and lost no more prestige than she did by trying to force an apology. A wholesome laugh with the pupils is one of the best things to help overcome disrespect on the part of the pupils. It would be better, of course, not to be obliged to laugh at one’s own expense, too often. Supervised play solves many problems like this one. An apology unwillingly given is a lie or at best only a subterfuge. No teacher can command respect by demanding it in so many words. The teacher can compel respect only by showing her pupils that she deserves it. ILLUSTRATION (RURAL SCHOOL) [Sidenote: Mimicry of Mannerisms] It was a rainy day at Mount Pleasant Rural School. After the noon lunches had been eaten the children were at a loss to decide what to play. Finally Alice Mitchell said, “Let’s play school. Who’ll be the teacher? Who’ll be the teacher?” “Let me!” “Let me!” several of them almost yelled. Maud Jameson, an overgrown girl, nine years old, was accustomed to having her way. She was one of those positive children who win leadership by right of having good opinions tersely expressed. Her older sister even followed her lead.