Guiding Principles in Administration
111
How to Gain Respect
Let teachers feel that, whatever the character of the difficulty, they
must meet it in the spirit of Jesus. Do not meet combativeness with
combativeness. You will have to deal with willfulness, stubbornness,
indolence, and frivolity; but under all emergencies manifest kindness
and love, and by patience and self-control, keep your hold upon your
pupils’ affection, and let them have reason to know that your whole
desire is to do them good. Show your scholars that you have confidence
in them. Visit them at their homes, and invite them to your home. Let
it be seen that you love them not only in word, but in deed and in truth.
The teacher need lay no special claims to dignity, since he can
gain the respect of his pupils in no other way than by a Christlike
deportment, in manifesting kindness and Christian courtesy. The
teacher is to educate the pupils as Christ educated His disciples. He
must make impressions that time cannot efface. His influence should
mold his scholars after the divine Pattern; and if he does this, eternity
alone will tell the value of his labor. The teacher must awaken in his
pupils the moral nature, and inspire in them a desire to respond to the
divine agencies.
Breaking the Will
Those who are selfish, peevish, dictatorial, coarse, and rough,
who do not carefully regard the feelings of others, should never be
employed as teachers. They will have a disastrous influence upon their
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students, molding them after their own character, thus perpetuating
evil. Persons of this character will make an effort to break a boy’s will,
if he is unruly; but Christ has authorized no such manner of dealing
with the erring. Through heavenly wisdom, through meekness and
lowliness of heart, teachers may be able to direct the will, and lead in
the way of obedience; but let no one imagine that by threatening, the
affection of the student may be gained. We must work as Christ has
worked.
Many underestimate the evil of an error in themselves who fully
recognize its influence in another. On every side we meet those who
are entirely ignorant of possessing characteristics which need to be
modified. Others can see their objectionable traits of character; but
when they are reproved, they imagine that they have been misjudged.