Page:Hill's manual of social and business forms.djvu/54

34 How to Organize the Class.

Secure, if possible, a school-room provided with desks and a blackboard. It is no more than justice to present the directors and the teacher of the school, upon whom the responsibility of management of the school building rests, each with a scholarship in the writing class. Having obtained a school-room, the next thing to be done to secure success, is to thoroughly advertise the nature and character of the school, and the time of commencement. The teacher may do this in the following ways:

First, By having editorial mention made in all newspapers published in the vicinity.

Second, By posters, announcing the school, liberally distributed about the town.

Third, By circulars, giving full description of the school, sent to each house.

Fourth, By visiting each school-room, supposing the day schools to be in session, in the vicinity, and, having obtained permission to do so, addressing the pupils of the school, accompanied by blackboard illustrations, showing method of teaching, announcing terms, time of commencing school, etc., and

Fifth, By personally calling at every public business place, and as many private houses as possible, in the neighborhood, exhibiting specimens and executing samples of writing when practicable.

A lady or gentleman well qualified as a teacher, pursuing this plan will seldom fail of obtaining a large class. Having secured an established reputation as a good teacher, personal canvass afterwards is not so necessary. Personal acquaintance with the patrons of the school, however, is always one of the surest elements of success with any teacher.

If the school is held in a rural district, newspaper and printed advertising can be dispensed with. In the village or city it is indispensable.

It is unwise to circulate a subscription paper, the establishment of the school being made contingent upon the number of subscribers to the class. A better way is to announce the school positively to commence at a certain time and certainly to continue through the course, which announcement inspires confidence and secures a much larger class.

Ask no one to sign a subscription paper, or to pay tuition in advance. The fact of doing so argues that the teacher lacks confidence in the people, who, in turn, suspect the stranger that seeks advanced pay, and thus withhold their patronage. The better way is to announce that no subscription is.required to any paper, and no tuition is expected in advance; that all are invited to attend the school, and payment of tuition may be made when students are satisfied of the worth of the school. The fairness of these terms will secure a larger attendance than could otherwise be obtained, and will induce the teacher to put forth the very best efforts to please the patrons of the school.

Commencing about the middle of the term to make collection, by good management on the part of the teacher, if the school has been really meritorious, all the tuition will be paid by the time the last lesson is reached.

How to Maintain Interest.

To secure the best attendance, and the most interest on the part of pupils, the school should be in session every evening or every day, Sundays excepted, until the close of the term. It is a mistaken idea that students do best receiving but one or two lessons per week. During the intervening time between lessons pupils lose their interest, and the probability is that the class will grow smaller from the beginning to the close, if the mind of the student is allowed to become pre-occupied, as it will be, with other matters that occur between lessons so far apart. On the contrary, a writing class that meets every day or evening, under the management of an enthusiastic, skillful master, will grow from the beginning in size and interest, and the student, like the daily attendant at the public school, will exhibit a good improvement, resulting from undivided