A New Discovery of the Old Art of Teaching School, Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
How the Master ſhould maintain his Authority amongſt his Scholars.
AVthority is the true mother of all due order, which the Maſter muſt be careful in every thing to maintain, otherwiſe he may command what he pleaſeth, but withall, he muſt give the Scholars liberty to do what they liſt. Which what an horrible confuſion in their places, what inſufferable neglect of their tasks, what unrulineſſe in point of behaviour, what perpetual torment to the painful Maſter, and his Uſhers, and what unavoydable diſgrace it bringeth upon a Schoole, let them that are Actors, or Spectators thereof, give teſtimony. 1. That therefore the Maſter may have all his lawful commands put in execution with due alacrity, and his decent orders deligently obſerved, I conceive it requiſite, that,
1. He be ſure in all things to behave as a Maſter over himſelf, not only by refraining thoſe enormities and groſſer faults, which may render him ſcandalous to every one, but checking his own Paſſions, eſpecially that of Anger; and if at any time he ſeem to have cauſe to be provoked to it, and feel it to come too violently upon him, let him rather walk aſide a while out of the Schoole to divert it, then expreſſe it openly amongſt his Scholars by unſeemly words or geſturs. He ſhould indeed endeavour to behave himſelf unblameably in all Chriſtian-like converſation before all men, but ſo amongſt his Scholars, that they may have much wherein to imitate him, but nothing whereby to diſgrace him. And towards his neighbours, his affability ſhould be ſuch, as to win their love and reſpects, ſo that they may be ready at all times to countenance the Maſters well-doing, and to vindicate the credit of him and his Schoole, when they hear it unjuſtly traduced.
2. When he commands, or forbids any thing to be done, he ſhould acquaint his Scholars with the end intended, and the benefits or inconveniences which attend ſuch, or ſuch a courſe. For children have ſo much uſe of reaſon as to delight to heare perſwaſive arguments of reaſon, though the declivity of corrupt nature makes, that they do not much minde them, where there is no feare or a rod for doing amiſſe. Yet ſometimes it may be beſt to ſay onelyonly, Do this, or do it not, where you think it of no concernment to them to know the reaſon, and would make trial of their readineſſe to obey, without asking why or wherefore.
3. One main way to bring Scholars to a loving and awfull reſpect of their Maſter, is for him to ſhew himſelfe at all times pleaſing and chearful towards them, and unwilling to puniſh them for every error; but withall to carry ſo cloſe an eye upon all their behaviour, that he can tell them privately, betwixt himſelf and them alone, of many faults they commit, when they think he knowes nothing, and let them ſee how he dare correct them for the like offences when they preſume to commit them again, and eſpecially if they behave themſelves ſtubbornely before their fellowes. Yet to win a boy of a more ſtubborne ſpirit, it is better ſometimes to forbeare blowes, when you have him ſubmit to the rod, then to puniſh him ſo for a fault, as to make him to hate you, and out of a deſpight to you to do the like, or a worſe miſchiefe. And when any general miſdemeanour is committed, the Maſter ſhould ſhew himſelfe impartial towards all, ſo as either to pardon or puniſh all. Bu in afflicting puniſhments, as he ſhould let none eſcape, ſo he ſhould let the moſt untoward feele the moſt ſmart; but beware he deal not rigorouſly, much le…e cruelly with any; for that will cauſe an utter diſlike in all the Scholars towards the Maſter, fearing he will deale ſo with them, in caſe they ſo offend, and thinking it to be no argument of love, where ſeverity of correction is uſed.
4. But nothing works more upon good natured children, then frequent encouragements and commendations for well-doing; and therefore, when any taske is performed, or order obſerved according to his minde, the Maſter ſhould commend all his Scholars, but eſpecially the moſt obſervant, and encourage the weak, and timerous, and admoniſh the perverſeſt amongſt them to go on in imitating their example, in hopes of finding as much favour at his hands, as they ſee them to have.
5. In ſome places a Maſter is apt to be moleſted with the reproachfull clamours of the meaner ſort of people, that cannot (for the moſt part) endure to have their children corrected, be the fault never ſo heinous, but preſently they muſt come to the Schoole to brave it out with him; which if they do, the Maſter ſhould there in a calme manner admoniſh them before all his Scholars, to ceaſe their clamour, and to conſider how raſh they are to interrupt his buſineſſe, and to blame him for doing that duty to which he is entruſted by themſelves, and others, their betters: But if they go about to raiſe ſcandalous reports upon him, he may do well to get two or three judicious neighbours to examine the matter, and to rebuke the parties for making ſo much adoe upon little or no occaſion. Thus we ſhall ſee Scholars abundantly more to reſpect the Maſter, when they know how groſſely he is apt to be wronged by inconſiderate perſons, and that wiſe men are ready to vindicate his cauſe. Whereas if they once ſee their Maſter liable to every bodies cenſure, and no man take his part whatever is ſaid of him, they themſelves will not care what tales they make to his utter diſgrace, or ruine; eſpecially, if he have been any whit harſh towards them, and they be deſirous to out-ſlip the reines of his Teaching and Government.