Wake up!

Whether you are a sleepy teacher or a sleeping teacher, it is simply time for you to wake up. Your pupils see that you are stupid and slow and they are running away from you. You are wasting precious time and allowing golden opportunities to go by unimproved.

Wash up!

A sleepy teacher needs to wash up. Nothing but a good body bath and vigorous rubbing will bring him out of his stupor and start circulation. The sleepy teacher is sure to be slovenly in person as well as slovenly in his schoolroom and in his work.

Brush up!

Your clothing as well as your hair needs brushing at least once a day. Dust your books, your desk, and the furniture generally about the schoolroom. Have you failed to notice the cobwebs in every corner, the old rusty stove, and the greasy looking blackboards? But you need to brush up mentally still more.

Brace up!

Your despondency and hesitancy have almost unfitted you for any aggressive action.

Look up!

It is a vision that awakens and quickens and inspires. It is out-look that calls forth impulse and simplifies power and vitalizes faith.

Work up!

The notion that youth is the only time to learn died long ago. The teacher who holds a first grade certificate is simply a little better prepared to learn than the one who holds a second or third grade--that is all.

Keep up!

It is not enough to work up; you ought to keep up also. No matter what your attainments may be, you will quickly fall behind if you slacken effort.

Note.

"Three things you need to succeed: Learning, piety, and common sense. If you lack the first, go to college and use good books; if the second, pray earnestly to God for it; if you lack the third, neither man nor God can help you."

Such was the suggestion of an old Scotch divine to a candidate for the ministry. It needs little modification to apply to the teacher.

Dont's.

Don't stand too near the class.

Don't take hold of a pupil to put him in line.

Don't censure trifling errors severely.

Don't complain or grumble.

Don't criticise the teacher who preceded you.

Don't, as a rule, sit while teaching.

Don't give commands when you might give suggestions.

Don't show temper when dealing with parents.

Don't dispute with an angry parent before the school.

Don't make spiteful remarks about parents.

Don't try to teach without good order.

Don't suppose the children like to have their own way. They like to be governed.

Don't try to drown noise by a greater noise.

Don't call for order in general terms.

Don't be strict to-day and lax to-morrow.

Don't force children to sit long in the same position.

Don't punish without explanation.

Don't allow whispering.

Don't punish by pulling ears or slapping.

Don't question in rotation.

Don't repeat a question for the inattentive.

Don't try to teach too much in one lesson.

Don't be satisfied with partial answers.

Don't talk too much.

Don't think when you have told your pupils something you have TAUGHT them something.

Don't tempt pupils by the self-reporting system.

Don't fail to get acquainted with the people in the district, particularly the members of the school board.

Don't fail to devise some sort of exercise occasionally to bring out and interest the parents.

Don't arouse the emotional nature of sensitive children too much.

Don't be satisfied with one correction of an error.

Don't fail to drill and review systematically upon the important matters you have tried to teach.

Don't forget that it is your business to TEACH as well as to hear pupils recite lessons.

Don't forget that teaching and governing a school is a difficult art, which requires study and painstaking effort.

Don't fail to encourage your pupils to do their best.

Don't drive if you can lead.

Don't let your school run away with you. GOVERN THE SCHOOL. WHAT-EVER YOU DO OR FAIL TO DO.

Don't forget that the best way to govern is to GIVE PUPILS PLENTY OF INTERESTING AND PROFITABLE WORK TO DO. The teacher who succeeds in working up an abiding interest in study will have little trouble with discipline.

Don't fall into the habit of repeating, "Quickly!"  "Carefully!"  "Quietly!".

Source:  

Holst, Bernhart, P. (Teacher, Editor, and Author). 1914. Practical Home and School Methods. Kansas City: The Bufton Book Company. pp. 388-390.