By introducing and maintaining such a discipline as I have described, great facilities will be secured for examining the classes.  For example, to take a case different from the one before described, let us suppose that a class have been performing a number of examples in Addition.  They come together to the recitation, and, under one mode of managing classes, the teacher is immediately beset by a number of the pupils with excuses.  One had no slate; another was absent when the lesson was assigned; a third performed the work, but it got rubbed out, and a fourth did not know what was to be done.  The teacher stops to hear all these, and to talk about them, fretting himself, and fretting the delinquents by his impatient remarks.  The rest of the class are waiting, and, having nothing good to do, the temptation is almost irresistible to do something bad.  One boy is drawing pictures on his slate to make his neighbors laugh, another is whispering, and two more are at play.  The disorder continues while the teacher goes round examining slate after slate, his whole attention being engrossed by each individual, as the pupils come to him successively, while the rest are left to themselves, interrupted only by an occasional harsh, or even angry, but utterly useless rebuke from him.

But, under another mode of managing classes and schools, a very different result would be produced.

A boy approaches the teacher to render an excuse; the teacher replies, addressing himself, however, to the whole class, “I shall give all an opportunity to offer their excuses presently.  No one must come till he is called.”

The class then regularly take their places in the recitation seats, the prepared and unprepared together.  The following commands are given and obeyed promptly.  They are spoken pleasantly, but still in the tone of command.

“The class may rise.

“All those that are not fully prepared with this lesson may sit.”

A number sit; and others, doubtful whether they are prepared or not, or thinking that there is something peculiar in their cases, which they wish to state, raise their hands, or make any other signal which is customary to indicate a wish to speak.  Such a signal ought always to be agreed upon, and understood in school.

The teacher shakes his head, saying, “I will hear you presently.  If there is, on any account whatever, any doubt whether you are prepared, you must sit.

“Those that are standing may read their answers to No. 1.  Unit figure?”

Boys. “Five.”

Teacher. “Tens?”

B. “Six.”

T. “Hundreds?”

B. “Seven.”

While these numbers are thus reading, the teacher looks at the boys, and can easily see whether any are not reading their own answers, but only following the rest.  If they have been trained to speak exactly together, his ear will also at once detect any erroneous answer which any one may give.  He takes down the figures given by the majority on his own slate, and reads them aloud.