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"It is not of much consequence," the teacher might say, "whether you
have good excuses, or bad, so long as you are not prepared. In future
life, you will certainly be unsuccessful, if you fail, no matter for
what reason, to discharge the duties which devolve upon you. A
carpenter, for instance, would certainly lose his work, if he should not
perform it faithfully, and in season. Excuses, no matter how reasonable,
will do him little good. So in this school. I want good recitations, not
good excuses. I hope every one will be prepared to-morrow."

It is not probable, however, that every one would be prepared the next
day, in such a case; but, by acting steadily on these principles, the
number of delinquencies would be so much diminished, that the very few
which should be left, could easily be examined in detail, and the
remedies applied.

Simultaneous recitation, by which I mean the practice of addressing a
question to all the class, to be answered by all together, is a
practice, which has been for some years rapidly extending in our
schools, and, if adopted with proper limits and restrictions, is
attended with great advantage. The teacher must guard against some
dangers, however, which will be likely to attend it.

1. Some will answer very eagerly, instantly after the question is
completed. They wish to show their superior readiness. Let the teacher
mention this, expose, kindly, the motive which leads to it, and tell
them it is as irregular to answer before the rest, as after them.

2. Some will defer their answers, until they can catch those of their
comrades, for a guide. Let the teacher mention this fault, expose the
motive which leads to it, and tell them that, if they do not answer
independently, and at once, they had better not answer at all.

3. Some will not answer at all. The teacher can tell by looking around
the class who do not, for they cannot counterfeit the proper motion of
the lips, with promptness and decision, unless they know what the answer
is to be. He ought occasionally to say to such an one, "I perceive you
do not answer;" and ask him questions individually.

4. In some cases, there is danger of confusion in the answers, from the
fact that the question may be of such a nature, that the answer is long,
and may, by different individuals, be differently expressed. This evil
must be guarded against, by so shaping the question, as to admit of a
reply in a single word. In reading large n