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Manuals
Conduct of Christian Schools:
SECOND PART - CHAPTER 1
MEANS OF ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING ORDER IN SCHOOLS
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CHAPTER I
The Vigilance Which the Teacher Must Show in School
The vigilance of the teacher in school consists particularly of three things:
1) correcting all the words which are mispronounced by a student when reading;
2) making all the other students who have the same lesson follow along when any one of them is reciting; and
3) enforcing a very strict silence. The teacher should constantly pay attention to these three things.
ARTICLE I
Care Which a Teacher Should Take in Correcting Words and the Proper Manner of Doing So
The teacher must be very exact in correcting all of the words, syllables, and letters which a student pronounces badly when reciting the lesson, being convinced that the students will advance much more rapidly in reading when the teacher is exact on this point.
A teacher will not say a word or make any movement of the lips when making corrections in reading, but instead will immediately sound the signal twice. At once, the student who is reading will repeat the last word said. If the student again pronounces the word incorrectly or repeats a word other than the one that has been mispronounced, the teacher will continue to strike the signal in the same manner until the student pronounces correctly the word that has been mispronounced. If the student continues to mispronounce the word three times without perceiving the error made or without correcting it, the teacher will signal another student to do so. This student will say only the letter, the syllable, or the word which the first has said incorrectly, and the latter will now repeat the correction two or three times.
When a student makes a mistake in the lesson, the teacher must be exact in striking the signal at the very moment that the mistake is made. In this way, the student will not be obliged to look for the word that has been mispronounced. If, nevertheless, a student mispronounces a word and continues to read two or three words before being stopped by the signal (for instance, if in reading Seigneur Dieu Tout puissant et éternel, the student should make a mistake on the first syllable), care must be taken not to let the student continue without correction. On this occasion and on all other such occasions, the signal must be repeatedly struck twice in quick succession until the student finds the word that has been mispronounced. Or, the teacher will at first strike three times to indicate that the word at which the signal is struck is not the one that has been mispronounced. If a student who is reading by syllables fails to pronounce properly and cannot make the correction without assistance, a sign must be given to some other student to offer the correction. This latter student will not only say the syllable which the other has said incorrectly, but will repeat the entire word, pronouncing each syllable one after another. For example, if the reader, instead of saying semblable, should say semblabe, the student who offers the correction will say semblable and not only the syllable ble. The teacher will take great care that the students who are spelling do not draw out their syllables and that they do not repeat a syllable several times. If they do this, the teacher will impose a penance. In this way, they will not accustom themselves to this manner of reading, a habit very disagreeable and very difficult to correct once it is acquired.
The teacher will likewise take care that the students do not pronounce too rapidly and so clip their syllables, for example, saying qo, but will insist that they sound all of the letters distinctly: q, u, o. The teacher will also take care that they do not drawl or pronounce their syllables too slowly, which is very disagreeable. They should pronounce their syllables evenly. When they read too rapidly or heedlessly, they are liable to reverse the lettering; for instance, they might say mo for om or su for us. Furthermore, those for whom the lesson is new and those who are backward are unable to follow students who read too rapidly. Besides, students who read slowly and carefully learn much more readily.
Finally, the teacher should take great care that a student who is reading pronounces all of the syllables so distinctly that all of the others can easily hear what is read; that those who read with pauses read correctly without drawling or acquiring any other unbecoming manner; that they pronounce all of the syllables distinctly so that they can be distinguished from each other; and that readers stop for as long as is required at all of the pauses, a short pause at a comma, a slightly longer one at a semicolon, once again as long at a colon as at a comma, and once again as long at a period as at a colon.
ARTICLE II
Care Which the Teacher Should Take to Make All the Students Having the Same Lesson Follow It
During all of the lessons on the alphabet chart, on the syllable chart, in the other books, both French and Latin, and even during the lessons in arithmetic, all the students having the same lesson will follow along while each individual student is reading. That is to say, all will read silently in their own books without making any sound whatsoever with their lips of what is being read aloud.
The teacher will take care that all of the students having the same lesson follow the one who is reading, syllable by syllable or word by word. Another student, when called upon to read, should continue without repeating any of the words that have been said by the preceding one. This will show better than anything else whether the student has been following along exactly.
Teachers will never permit students to suggest to each other any letters, syllables, or words in the lessons, nor to suggest either entire or partial answers, whether during instructions or during the Catechism. The teachers will be very attentive to the lessons. They will always keep their own book in hand and do this in such a manner that they do not lose sight of the students, and are sure that all are following. In order that nothing may prevent them from being exact in this practice, teachers will hold nothing in their hands throughout the entire school time except the signal and the lesson book, and if the teacher is in charge of a class of writers, pens, paper, and other things necessary for writing.
If one of the students should play with anything in school, the teacher will order another one from among the most reliable to take it and keep it until the end of the school day. At that time, all of the others having left, the student will return what was taken, unless the teacher considers that it would be harmful.
The same thing will be done with books, printed sheets, or pictures, other than those which they need, which the students might bring to school. Teachers will neither keep them nor read them during school time, even though they might believe it necessary to examine them in order to see if there is anything bad in them. But this will be done for a moment at the end of school, when all of the students have left, by looking at the title of the book.
Teachers will be exact in receiving nothing from the students and in keeping nothing which the students have brought to school. They will keep nothing, under any pretext whatsoever, except bad books. These they will take to the Director who will burn them. This point is of great importance.
A very useful means for obliging the students to follow the recitations is to observe the following practices. First, watch them constantly and very carefully, particularly those who are not exact in following. Second, have each one of them read several times, a little each time. Third, oblige all who are discovered not to be following along to come of their own accord to receive the punishment for their fault. In order to encourage them to do this faithfully, it is necessary to pardon them sometimes, especially, those who usually follow. If they do not then follow the lesson, it is necessary to punish them severely.
ARTICLE III
Care Which the Teacher Must Take to Enforce Silence in School
Silence is one of the principal means of establishing and maintaining order in schools. For this reason, every teacher will enforce it rigorously in all of the classrooms and will permit no one to speak without permission.
To effect this, teachers will make students understand that they must keep silent because God sees them and it is God's Holy Will and not just because the teacher is present.
Teachers will especially keep a strict watch over themselves, speaking only very rarely and in a very low tone when it is necessary that all of the students hear what the teacher has to say. Teachers will always use a moderate tone when they give any instructions, as well as, on all other occasions when they need to speak to all of the students together. They will never speak either to any student in particular or to all in general until they have carefully thought about what they have to say and unless they consider it necessary.
When they speak, teachers will do so very seriously and in few words. When a student asks to speak, the teacher will listen to the student only very rarely, only when seated or standing before the teacher's chair, and always in a low voice. Teachers will not permit students to speak or to leave their seats without permission during the time that they are receiving some correction. Teachers will make students understand that they are permitted to speak only three times during the school day: when reciting their lessons, during Catechism, and during prayers.
Teachers will themselves observe a similar rule. They will speak on only three occasions: (1) to correct the students during lessons, when necessary and when no student is able to do so; (2) during the Catechism; and (3) during the Meditations and the Examination of Conscience. Except on these three occasions, teachers will not speak unless it seems necessary, and they will take care that this necessity be rare. When the students are moving about in the school, teachers will see that they have their heads uncovered and their arms crossed, that they walk very carefully and without dragging their feet or making any noise on the floor. This must be done so that the silence which should be continuous in school be not disturbed.
To make it easy for the students to observe all of these things, the teacher will see that these rules are kept. Students are always seated, facing forward and with their faces turned slightly in the direction of the teacher. Students must always hold their books with both hands and always look at them. They should keep their arms and their hands placed in such a manner that the teacher can always see them well. They are not to touch each other either with their feet or with their hands nor give anything to each other. They are not to look at each other nor make signals to each other. They must always have their feet properly placed and not take off their shoes or sabots.1 And, finally, students of the writing class must not sprawl on the table or maintain any unseemly posture when reciting their lessons.
1 A sabot was a wooden shoe worn by peasants or a heavy leather shoe with a wooden sole.
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