By a very simple method. Appropriate particular times at which all this business is to be done, and forbid it altogether at every other time.  It is well, on other accounts, to give the pupils of a school a little respite, at least every hour; and if this is done, an intermission of study for two minutes each time will be sufficient.  During this time general permission should be given for the pupils to speak to each other, or to leave their seats, provided they do nothing at such a time to disturb the studies of others.  This plan I have myself very thoroughly tested, and no arrangement which I ever made operated for so long a time so uninterruptedly and so entirely to my satisfaction as this.  It of course will require some little time, and no little firmness, to establish the new order of things where a school has been accustomed to another course; but where this is once done, I know no one plan so simple and so easily put into execution which will do so much toward relieving the teacher of the distraction and perplexity of his pursuits.

In making the change, however, it is of fundamental importance that the pupils should themselves be interested in it.  Their co-operation, or, rather, the co-operation of the majority, which it is very easy to obtain, is absolutely essential to success.  I say this is very easily obtained.  Let us suppose that some teacher, who has been accustomed to require his pupils to ask and obtain permission every time they wish to speak to a companion, is induced by these remarks to introduce this plan.  He says, accordingly, to his school,

“You know that you are now accustomed to ask me whenever you wish to obtain permission to whisper to a companion or to leave your seats; now I have been thinking of a plan which will be better for both you and me.  By our present plan you are sometimes obliged to wait before I can attend to your request.  Sometimes I think it is unnecessary, and deny you, when perhaps I was mistaken, and it was really necessary.  At other times, I think it very probable that when it is quite desirable for you to leave your seat you do not ask, because you think you may not obtain permission, and you do not wish to ask and be refused.  Do you, or not, experience these inconveniences from our present plans?”

The pupils would undoubtedly answer in the affirmative.

“I myself experience great inconvenience too.  I am very frequently interrupted when busily engaged, and it also occupies a great portion of my time and attention to consider and answer your requests for permission to speak to one another and to leave your seats.  It requires as much mental effort to consider and decide whether I ought to allow a pupil to leave his seat, as it would to determine a much more important question; therefore I do not like our present plan, and I have another to propose.”

The pupils are now all attention to know what the new plan is.  It will always be of great advantage to the school for the teacher to propose his new plans from time to time to his pupils in such a way as this.  It interests them in the improvement of the school, exercises their judgment, establishes a common feeling between teacher and pupil, and in many other ways assists very much in promoting the welfare of the school.