Discipline

=Discipline: 1776-1860=
 * [[image:evolving_discipline.jpg align="left"]] || Teachers required a strict standard of discipline. Students were expected to sit with both feet on the floor facing forward in their desks. When not doing tasks, they kept their hands folded on their desk or in their lap. Students didn't speak without raising their hand and receiving permission. They then stood before speaking.

One form of punishment utilized was to draw a small circle high on the blackboard. The disruptive student would have to stretch to place their nose in the circle. A more serious offence might require a student to stand for a time with their arms outstretched, palms up, holding a heavy book on each hand. Rulers were also used to sharply rap the back of a student's hand to improve their behavior or attention.

Wooden canes were used to enforce discipline in the classroom. The leather strap was introduced in the 1850s, along with the hickory switch — a narrow branch of green wood. This was often cut by the student in trouble. ||  || Whipping Posts were outside the school house and students were tied to it to receive whippings. || =The Worst Teacher Ever= media type="youtube" key="KAokIH4QoWQ" width="425" height="350"