TEACHING "FUN" - DOCTORING INSTRUCTIONAL SORES?

(The following article is quoted from Chapter 6 - "Morning of the Third Day" - in Harrison's DISCIPLINE AT SCHOOL MADE EASY book)

     My pupils opened the day with the pledge of allegiance and then a class-selected song. Surprisingly, my nervous tension was gone. This was a great joy since it permitted me to ponder the problems and analyze some remedies. As we sang, I tried to recall some of the weaknesses that arose my first day. Immediately, Henry's cheating came to mind. Here was a classroom evil that plagued most instructors. Any improvement our new system could achieve in this area would certainly be welcome.
     I would allow my pupils to exchange yesterday's examination papers. I could learn much just from observing what would happen. I handed the stack of math tests to the owner of the Service Company with the following instructions: "Please pass these out and make sure that no one gets his own paper. Also give a boy's paper to a girl and a girl's to a boy, and try to keep friends from checking each other's test.
     "Say, Luke! You must have forgotten to read the dittoed instructions on running the businesses. Please select a different teacher's pet daily and place the name in the upper left hand corner of the chalkboard. Would you do this now, please?"
     I observed, with satisfaction, that most pupils had written, or were writing, "Checked by" and their names at the bottom of papers. I felt duty-bound to issue a final warning.
     "Please put 'Checked by' and your name at the bottom of the paper. This will be the last time I warn you. In the future twenty-five dollars will be paid to the owner of the paper by the checker in every case of negligence. Also, any mischecking of an answer costs a dollar each. Therefore, if you don't understand an answer or can't hear it whenever it's read, you'd better hold up your hand for a repeat. From now on shiftlessness or laziness in this room will be costly."
     I handed the new teacher's pet my teacher's edition for math. "Here, Larry! Please read the answers slowly. Give your paper to someone else to check."
     I turned to address the whole class. "And there better be no cheating. Just remember the $200 fine if you're caught. But if that doesn't deter you, here is another thought that should. It is no longer possible to cheat the teacher, instead the thief will be picking the pocket of friends. When auction time arrives everything is sold to the highest bidder. This means that the cheater can accumulate enough dishonest funds to outbid his trustworthy neighbor. Therefore, it is each student's civic duty to report any dishonest behavior of colleagues. No longer will anyone be considered a tattletale who reports infractions of our classroom laws. In fact, you can be charged as a accessory if you don't."
     I watched the checking process as it proceeded, well aware of the need for vigilance. My thoughts turned toward the conventional elementary classroom where the harassed teacher seldom has time for the incessant complainer and tattler who, in her mind, enjoys troublemaking just for the sport of it. Therefore, pupils learn early to mind their own business and not become involved. This has developed a nation of civic-minded citizens who frequently mange to look the other way when a robbery, rape or even murder occurs right under their nose. The cry of this righteous soul is:  "I just can afford to become involved in that!" So the crime rate soars.
     A waving hand from the back of the room attracted my attention and broke my reverie.
     "Yes, Marie! What is it?"
     "Bill is cheating. I saw him change two answers on John's paper, both seven and eleven."
     "Bring the paper you are correcting to me, please, Bill," I asked, and he complied. After an examination of the clumsily erased and changed answers, I put the question to Bill. "Well, did you change these?"
     The positive reply was plain to read in Bill's features, but there was something more - a sullenness that seemed to question my right to ask.
     "Ya! So what?" Bill growled and then fixed his eyes on the classroom floor. "This is nothing but a silly game you got us playing in here, and even my dad thinks so."
     I felt my anger rise and the color drain from my face, but I tried hard not to show it in my reply. "Perhaps you and your father are right, Bill, but isn't life itself exactly the same type of game in which we must learn to abide by rules or laws until we can change them?"
     Without waiting for Bill's reply, I continued. "Therefore, in accordance with our classroom laws, please pay me $200 for cheating."
     Bill's eyes came up from the floor to fix on mine, with defiance shining forth. "All I've got is a hundred dollar bill so I guess you'll have to accept that." His hand held out the bill and I took it.
     ""I'm sorry, Bill, but you'll have to guess again." My voice was sympathetic and I made myself ignore his obvious sneering attitude. "You still owe the State $100 and with the carrying charge it comes to a total of $200."
     I turned to the banker before issuing my instructions. "Please deduct $200 from Bill's account."
     My gaze swung back to Bill's face which was now contorted with rage. He reached into his pocket and pulled out two more hundred dollar bills which he threw in my direction.
     "You can take all of your damn money and stick it," he cried, tears streaming down his face. "I'm not going to play your silly game no more." So saying, he flung himself back into his seat.
     "And that display of rudeness and disrespect," I said, fighting to stay calm, "will cost you an additional $300 fine."
     I then told the banker to pick up the money from the floor and also to deduct the additional amount from Bill's bank account. Next, I returned my attention to Bill. "Did you really mean what you said about dropping out of our new classroom system?"
     I waited for Bill to nod his assent before continuing. "All right, Bill! You or any other pupil, at this time only, may drop out of the system, Let's see a show of hands of those desiring to do so."
     It was gratifying to observe only three hands waving in the air. "Before I can permit you to do this, an explanation is in order. This opportunity is only available now. At no later date will dropping be tolerated, no matter how far into debt you may go or how much you want out. Our new system is patterned after life, which means that any bed you make you must occupy. And this is as it should be. Responsibilities should never be shirked merely as the whim or fancy hits us. However, inasmuch as you have not yet had an opportunity, in this room, to acquire any responsibilities, you do have a choice. But please remember this: Anyone outside of the system will be required to work and produce at exactly the same rate without pay other than the personal reward of a job well done. Further, those outside of the system will have very little self-control and even less opportunity to exercise it. On the other hand, the outsider will also have less responsibility and suffer fewer losses since he will have so little to lose. As your teacher and classroom director, I will furnish whatever I think you need. Your choice, as I see it, is this: you may either work for something more or for something less. Now, once again I will ask, how many want to be outside of the system?"
     Only one hand raised, Bill's.
     "Very well, Bill! From now on you are like the man without a country who was forced to continuously sail the seas without ever setting foot ashore."
     I related some of the details concerning this hapless fellow who renounced his country. I finished my tale with this happy thought. "However, unlike this poor man, you, Bill, will be allowed to re-enter our system whenever you are willing to make the move on a permanent basis."
     Bill, still sulking, pretended to ignore my offer and sank still deeper into his seat. After this, everything seemed to progress smoothly. We finished checking most of the tests by the time the recess bell rang. The class filed out of the room in an orderly manner. I sat down, cocked my feet up on the desk and put my hands behind my head - a favorite daydreaming position.
     After three days in the classroom I certainly couldn't be considered an authority on child psychology, this I knew. But if my school children were any guide it seemed to me that educational institutions were sadly remiss in not teaching the practical aspect of living. Hopefully, as time passed, I could discover new ways to use our innovative system as a remedy.
     But of more immediate need was a cure for the atrocious grammar sprayed at me all day long. Perhaps we could start a fine for every offender, Suddenly, the solution was there. Why not have a Bingo program? The details gradually began to form in my mind, but the bell rang before I had everything complete.
     Determined to experiment with my new-found technique, I decided to start Bing right away. I turned the card on red, with the usual warning about silence. The room became quiet immediately, and then I flipped the card back to green.
     "We are going to play Bingo in this room." An excited whisper of curiosity washed across the room.
     "Easy on the talking," I admonished, "or you will force me to turn the card on red.
     "Now, as I was saying, Bingo will give the sharp grammar student, who also listens well, a chance to make some extra money. From tomorrow onward, any pupil who hears another use incorrect grammar, and has a witness, will receive five dollars from the incorrect speaker, if he softly says 'Bingo!" and then provides the proper grammatical correction. However, no one will collect on any grammatical error that has not been first taught to the whole class by me. This will prevent confusion as to what is or is not correct. Also, it gives everyone an equal opportunity to collect a Bingo from his neighbor.
     "Is there anyone who does not understand what I have said so far?" I paused and looked around the room.
     Failing to receive any response to my question, I proceeded. "All right! This is the proper procedure to follow when someone Bingos on another: First, say Bingo very softly, since the loud talker is still subject to the classroom fine. Second, tell the person what he said wrong and then correct the sentence grammatically. Third, the corrected pupil must give his Bingoer an IOU for five dollars which, at the corrector's convenience, is signed on the back and then placed in the Bingo Box kept by the number-one student language teacher. When the language teacher finds time, he will review all IOUs for proper debiting and crediting. This will be accomplished on a class roster sheet labeled Bingo Sheet at the tope. At the end of each week the Bingo Sheet will be totaled by the language teacher and then handed to the banker for recording in bank accounts. Also, at this time the number-two language teacher will assume the duty for the following week.
     "Are the details of what I just said clear to everyone? I waited for a response until Susie timidly raised her hand.
     "Suppose neither the witness nor the one you Bingo on believes that the sentence is really wrong?"
     "All disputes will first be taken to the language teacher. If he deems is necessary he will then bring it to my attention for a final settlement."
     Danny's hand shot up from the back of the room and I nodded permission.
     "Can I even Bingo on you and collect five dollars if you don't talk right?" Danny's mischievous smile made his whole face light up.
     "Yes, Danny, you may. And there will be many times when I purposely make grammatical errors just to see which pupils are on their toes." And, I thought to myself, there will also be many times when their stupid teacher can cover real mistakes with this little maneuver and not appear the complete jackass. "Also, Danny, what do you mean by talk right?" If you mean enunciation or pronunciation errors, no one will be allowed to Bingo on these. And I might also add that some of you would-be clowns will not be permitted to purposely disturb the class with Bingos. This could be considered playing in the classroom and rate a fifty dollar diaper fine."
     John raised his hand and I offered permission. "Suppose two or more people Bingo at the same time?"
     "Then the State gets the IOU." I was losing too much time and needed to proceed. "If there are no more questions, let's move to another subject. Tomorrow most Bingo problems will be solved as we use it."
     I asked the class to move into their reading groups which they did, promptly and without excessive noise. Evidently our previous drill had paid off.
     "Before we actually begin work," I said, "it will be necessary to cover some basic material which you should have learned in lower grades but probably didn't."
     A hand popped up from the far left corner which I recognized with a tilt of my head.
     "Mr. Harrison! Somebody stole all my cash. I left it in my desk and when I came back from the bathroom it was gone." Henry's face seemed even grayer than normal.
     I surveyed the room. "Is there anyone in here who knows anything about this?"
     "I saw Henry put his money in his desk," Ray volunteered, "but I never saw anybody take it out."
     "Well, Henry!" I said, trying to ease the hurt, "I guess you have learned a cheap lesson. After all it could have been a real hundred dollar bill. And, although it may be hard for you to believe it now, it's really a blessing in disguise. This merely means that you're going to have to work a little harder academically to earn it back and in the process you will get a little better education."
     "Yeh, man! You can say that," Henry shook his head sadly, "since you aren't the one that has to work and earn it."
     I gave him a sympathy smile. "Perhaps you're right, Henry. However everyone should learn a lesson from this - we have a classroom need here. Who knows what it is?"
     Ray raised his hand and I recognized him. "Something has to be done about thieves. Somebody swiped fifty dollars from me yesterday."
     "You're right! I replied. "But what would you suggest?"
     "How about a police force and I'll be the chief?" Ray countered.
     "This is certainly one alternative," I offered. "But let's look to the adult world in which we live for the best answer. Police would certainly help. However, is something available that might prevent the theft in the first place?"
     John's hand raised. I nodded. "How about writing checks instead of using cash?" Or maybe we could buy money orders or travelers checks."
     "Beautiful, John! That's real thinking," I complimented. "I think you should be entitled to operate the Check Company until we sell it at auction. Get a ditto master and make up a sheet for the Ditto Company to run off. Allow anyone to buy checks at the rate of five dollars for each $100 written. For instance, $525 would be deposited with you and entitle that person to write up to $500 in checks, Anyone overdrawn must pay the customary carrying charge of double the cash amount to you."
     Naturally, the thought of writing checks and transacting business just like their fathers and mothers caused excited whispers to become louder and louder. I walked over, turned the card to red, and made the required announcement of that fact. When the room was silent I turned the card back to green.
     "We have spent enough time on new operational details," I stated. "Let's review some of the tools used in reading. Who can correctly say the short vowels?"
     Not many hands raised, which came as no shock.
     "I'm going to sound each short vowel," I said. "Everybody say it after me. As soon as everyone here knows them we'll play a new type of game."
     I spent about fifteen minutes in a review before pairing students inside each group. One pupil listened while the other spelled, rather than read, the words in sentences from the California Reading Textbook. Whenever a vowel was encountered it was pronounced the short way rather than with the long sound as is customary. Students were times. At the end of one minute, vowels were counted and earned one dollar for two. Any mistake during the timed period, as judged by the listener, stopped the contestant and he could count only the vowels to to that point.
     Excitement ran high. It was unbelievable. Students wanted to continue beyond the lunch bell and it was only with my firm insistence that they left for the cafeteria. After my pupils had gone I sat down at my desk .........

AND OUR TALE GOES ON AND ON! THOSE WHO DESIRE TO FIND OUT WHERE IT GOES - MUST BUY THE BOOK! OR,.CLICK ON OUR MANY OTHER FREE WEB SITES FOR A DESCRIPTION OF "HOW TO START THE HARRISON SYSTEM!" THE EASIEST THING TO DO WOULD BE TO START THE SYSTEM YOURSELF AND ENJOY IMMEDIATE SUCCESS.