trust him, and all anxiety and strain will disappear. If the teacher
displays constant cheerfulness, he sends out among his boys streams of
energy and good will, new life pours into them, their attention is
stimulated, and the sympathy of the teacher conquers the carelessness of
the boy.

Just as a boy learns control of action on the play-ground, so he may
learn there this virtue of cheerfulness. To be cheerful in defeat makes
the character strong, and the boy who can be cheerful and good-tempered
in the face of the team which has just defeated him is well on the way
to true manliness.

5. _One-pointedness_. One-pointedness, the concentration of attention
on each piece of work as it is being done, so that it may be done as
well as possible, largely depends upon interest. Unless the teacher is
interested in his work, and loves it beyond all other work, he will not
be able to be really one-pointed. He must be so absorbed in his school
duties that his mind is continually occupied in planning for his boys,
and looks upon everything in the light of its possible application to
his own particular work.

One-pointedness means enthusiasm, but enthusiasm is impossible without
ideals. So the teacher who desires to be one-pointed must be full of
ideals to which he is eager to lead his school. These ideals will
sharpen his attention, and make him able to concentrate it even upon
quite trivial details. He will have the ideal school in his mind, and
will always be trying to bring the real school nearer to it. To be
one-pointed, therefore, the teacher must not be contented with things as
they are, but must be continually on the alert to take advantage of
every opportunity of improvement.