Anne Smithers, who had taught English for a few years, was slightly surprised when the young principal at St Kendras Finishing School called her in to discuss a new idea Miss Crawford had. Anne liked Penny Crawford, who shared Anne's own ideas on maintaining as strict discipline as possible without being able to touch the pupils.
Penny told her that she thought it would improve behavior among the 20-year-old girls at the all-girls collegiate school if teachers like Anne had 18-year-olds serve as monitors in the senior English classes. "I've been interviewing a few of the more assertive sophomores in Judy Keane's classes," she said to Anne, "and I'm planning on sending two to you to try out."
Anne was surprised but sort of liked the idea. Judy Keane was a very tough teacher who specialized in terrorizing the girls who just started at St Kendras in the sophomore year. Miss Crawford went on to explain how the system would work.
"We will place the monitors at two desks in the far corners of your classroom," she began. "Their job is to watch for any misbehavior so you can concentrate on teaching. So anytime one of these seniors chatters to her friend or sends a note or anything like that," she went on, "the monitor will mark it down on her chart. You will get the chart at the end of each class and can review the marks and transfer them to your grade book at your discretion," Miss Crawford said.
"Moreover, you won't need to proctor your exams any more," she said with a smile, as Anne looked up, surprised for a moment. "That will be the task of your monitors. And to make them really effective, you will tell the class that when the monitors are proctoring your exam, they will have your grade book and will enter any misbehavior notes right in the grade book for you. They will warn the seniors that if anyone is caught cheating, the monitor is empowered to enter a grade of zero in the grade book for the exam, subject of course to your review of the situation."
Anne smiled, as she had noted the rather wayward attitude of seniors and had hoped to be able to take some action like this. She also secretly agreed with what Penny was saying, about the perceived humiliation of having a sophomore place a bad mark in the grade book for a senior girl!
***
Miss Smithers was beginning to conduct her 2 P.M. English class when two young women entered the classroom who looked very sophisticated but not quite as old as Miss Smithers' class of seniors. The auburn-haired instructor noticed them entering and asked the young women to come up to her desk.
"Class," Miss Smithers announced, "this is Laura Harding and Barbara Boyd. They are sophomores in Miss Keane's sophomore English class and I have asked them to join us today because Miss Crawford and I have decided that monitors are necessary for this class. Laura and Barbara will be sitting at desks at the rear corners of the room and they will note anyone who is talking to their neighbor or otherwise not paying attention in class. When I am called away, I will ask one of them, on an alternating basis, to come up front and take charge of the class during my absence."
Miss Smithers saw Karen Anthony raise her hand. "Yes, Karen," the teacher said, "What is it?"
"Well, Miss Smithers," Karen began slowly, "do you mean to give this girl who is younger than we are the authority to report on us to you? That does seem a bit strange."
"Karen, and all of you, I have been very dissatisfied with the conduct of the girls in this class. In order for me to teach the class properly, I need someone to take care of discipline. Laura and Barbara will take notes on behavior, and then report to me. When I am away, one of them will be in charge. That means that she also will have my grade book and may put down in the book appropriate entries or deductions for misbehavior and also will be given my thin cane to discipline anyone who needs it. That they are younger than you are should encourage you all to behave well."
"That seems very unfair, Miss," Karen replied. "I can't believe you want these girls to sit up there and if they see someone talking, to be able to put a zero down in the grade book, much less take over the responsibility of...caning us."
"That is exactly my intention," Miss Smithers said, sharply. "I am instructing Laura and Barbara to be very exacting in her managing this class when I am absent. I expect them to note in the grade book whenever anyone misbehaves. And if she tells you to come to the front, lift your skirt, lower your panties, and bend over for the cane, you had better obey her if you want to pass this course.
Then she stiffened her gaze and added, for good measure, "Anyone who does not obey any direction they receive from one of the monitors will be awarded a zero in Conduct for the marking period," Miss Smithers said with emphasis.
The monitors'' mettle soon would be tested. Laura and Barbara had remained calm and smiling as they stood in front of the senior girls, mere sophomores but with an assurance that belied their being younger. Laura had lovely long blonde hair, flashing blue eyes, and a sweet-shaped mouth that could turn stern very readily. Barbara, by contrast, had flaming red hair she wore long, with a dynamic figure that belied her age.
"I am going to be away for a few minutes at the department office," Miss Smithers continued. "So I'm leaving Laura in charge while you read the next installment in your poetry assignment. Laura, come here and sit behind my desk and here is the grade book. My cane is in the right top drawer," Miss Smithers added, with effect.
The blonde sophomore took the chair behind the teacher's desk as the room became quite still after the teacher's departure. It was Nancy Hartley, a cheerleader and very spirited senior, who tested the monitor first. She raised her hand, was told to step forward (so as not to disturb the reading), and stood in front of Laura seated at the desk in front of the room.
With very little deference to the monitor's status, Nancy said, "I need to use the rest room so I'd like to be able to go now if that is all right." Her mouth curled in a sneer that belied her low view of the girl to whom she was speaking. "Miss Smithers has asked us to restrict anyone leaving for at least the first twenty minutes," Laura said blandly but with some steel in her voice, "as pupils are expected to use the facilities before coming to class and she does not want a steady procession of girls leaving the room. I suggest you sit down and I will let you know when it's time for you to be allowed to leave the room."