The whole idea of what is called “punishment” is not only wrong but foolish.  A teacher who tries to frighten his boys into doing what he wishes does not see that they only obey him while he is there, and that as soon as they are out of his sight they will pay no attention to his rules, or even take a pleasure in breaking them because they dislike him.  But if he draws them to do what he wants because they love him and wish to please him, they will keep his rules even in his absence, and so make his work much easier.  Instead of developing fear and dislike in the characters of the boys, the wise teacher will gain his ends by calling forth from them love and devotion; and so will strengthen all that is good in them, and help them on the road of evolution.

Again, the idea of expulsion, of getting rid of a troublesome boy instead of trying to improve him, is wrong.  Even when, for the sake of his companions, a boy has to be separated from them, the good of the boy himself must not be forgotten.  In fact, all through, school discipline should be based on the good of the boys and not on the idea of saving trouble to the teacher.  The loving teacher does not mind the trouble.

Unintentional cruelty often comes from mere thoughtlessness, and the teacher should be very careful not to be cruel in words or actions from want of thought.  Teachers often cause pain by hasty words uttered at a time when they have been disturbed by some outside annoyance, or are trying to attend to some important duty.  The teacher may forget the incident or pass it over as trivial, but in many such cases a sensitive boy has been wounded, and he broods over the words and ends by imagining all sorts of foolish exaggerations.  In this way many misunderstandings arise between teachers and boys, and though the boys must learn to be patient and generous, and to realise that the teacher is anxious to help all as much as he can, the teacher in his turn must always be on the alert to watch his words, and to allow nothing but gentleness to shine out from his speech and actions, however busy he may be.

If the teacher is always gentle to the boys, who are younger and weaker than himself, it will be easy for him to teach them the important lesson of kindness to little children, animals, birds and other living creatures.  The older boys, who themselves are gentle and tactful, should be encouraged to observe the condition of the animals they see in the streets, and if they see any act of cruelty, to beg the doer of it very politely and gently, to treat the animal more kindly.  The boys should be taught that nothing which involves the hunting and killing of animals should be called sport.  That word ought to be kept for manly games and exercises, and not used for the wounding and killing of animals.  My Master says:  “The fate of the cruel must fall also upon all who go out intentionally to kill God’s creatures and call it sport.”

I do not think that teachers realise the harm and the suffering caused by gossip, which the Master calls a sin against love.  Teachers should be very careful not to make difficulties for their boys by gossiping about them.  No boy should ever be allowed to have a bad name in the school, and it should be the rule that no one may speak ill of any other member of the school whether teacher or boy.