Believe in Them
More lost men and women have been rescued by the thought that somebody believed in them, than by any other human agency. There is nothing that will go so far toward making your class the most giddy or the most unruly class in the school, as to once let them know that they bear such a reputation.
I recall just now a striking instance of this sort. In a certain village the grade of conduct in the public school had fallen so low that the teachers universally agreed that it was beyond them. One after another came with stern visage and artfully laid plans, determined to conquer the belligerents. But all in vain. Finally, there came a teacher, a lover of young people, and a man of such guileless mind that he seemed to have no other thought than that his gentleness would be returned in kind. To their own astonishment, the scholars found that there was something about him that put them on their good behavior when they were in his presence. Still, there were threats as to the daring pieces of mischief they would execute in his absence.
One day, after he had been with them not quite a week, he had occasion to go into one of the other departments.
“You may go on with your studies just as though I were here,” he said naturally. They looked at each other in astonishment. No other teacher had ever thought of trusting them out of his sight. They were suspicious. It must be some kind of trap he was setting for them. But they were mistaken. When they found that they had been really left alone, they were silent for a moment from sheer astonishment. Then a boy decided to throw his geography book across the room at the head of one of his schoolmates. But the fun, like the book, fell flat, and looks of disapproval were cast upon him. They seemed to say, “We are not afraid of whippings and scoldings, but a man that believes in us when nobody has told him anything good about us is too much.”
That man remained for almost ten years with the school and saw it rise to be an acknowledged model school. He saw those boys and girls develop into a manhood and womanhood that was in every way different from anything of which they gave promise before they came in contact with him.
I recall just now a striking instance of this sort. In a certain village the grade of conduct in the public school had fallen so low that the teachers universally agreed that it was beyond them. One after another came with stern visage and artfully laid plans, determined to conquer the belligerents. But all in vain. Finally, there came a teacher, a lover of young people, and a man of such guileless mind that he seemed to have no other thought than that his gentleness would be returned in kind. To their own astonishment, the scholars found that there was something about him that put them on their good behavior when they were in his presence. Still, there were threats as to the daring pieces of mischief they would execute in his absence.
One day, after he had been with them not quite a week, he had occasion to go into one of the other departments.
“You may go on with your studies just as though I were here,” he said naturally. They looked at each other in astonishment. No other teacher had ever thought of trusting them out of his sight. They were suspicious. It must be some kind of trap he was setting for them. But they were mistaken. When they found that they had been really left alone, they were silent for a moment from sheer astonishment. Then a boy decided to throw his geography book across the room at the head of one of his schoolmates. But the fun, like the book, fell flat, and looks of disapproval were cast upon him. They seemed to say, “We are not afraid of whippings and scoldings, but a man that believes in us when nobody has told him anything good about us is too much.”
That man remained for almost ten years with the school and saw it rise to be an acknowledged model school. He saw those boys and girls develop into a manhood and womanhood that was in every way different from anything of which they gave promise before they came in contact with him.