American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1864-07-20

and influential you will probably succeed
in ousting him altogether. AT all events
you can give him great deal OF trouble
IF you wish to cooperate with the
teacher, you must pursue course direct
" the reverse of this. Be careful not to
find fault with the teacher in the presence
of your children. If they bring home
evil reports and exaggerated complaints,
Gas children often do,) correct their er-
rors and prejudices, and discountenance
their complaints. If you have good rea-
son to believe that the teacher is in the
wrong, 90 to him like christian and tell
him his fault betwixt him and thee alone.
If you do it in the right spirit, and the
teacher is man, the wrong will be right
ed. But if he will not hear you, tell it
to the Directors, and have him tried in the
regular way. But do not be guilty of the
meanness of secretly undermining his rep
utation by circulating charges against
him, which he has no opportunity to an
swer.
But it is not only in the government OF
the school that parents may cooperate
with the teacher. They can do so in CIV
ing instruction. 1t is, indeed, not to be
expected that parents will form their chill
dren into classes, and convert their fami-
lies into schools, but they may do much
by way of suggestion and by exciting in
quiry. For instance: You are reading
the evening paper, and you learn that,
" the situation at Chattanooga remains un-
changed" Ask John (who is studying
Geography where Chattanooga is. If
he does not know, send him to his atlas to
find it. You may ask dozen questions
about it, as, in which State it is? On
what river? What is its. population, &c.
You need not tell John that you know all
about it yourself, and only asked him to
see whether he knew Let him believe
that you asked for information, (and ten
chances to one but you will need to ask
for information and John will make the
examination with alacrity, and will be
; proud to be the instructor of his father
These questions may be multiplied inde6-
uitely. A single number of daily pa
per will suffice to keep John in exercise a
; whole evening.
Again: You are reading political ar
ticle, in which there occurs word /" of
learned length and laundering sound"
the meaning of which is not very obvious.
Ask John what it means. IF he docs
not know, send him to the dictionary
You and he will probably both be the wi
ser for the examination. You heara ex-
preston which you think is not grammat-
ical. Refer it to John, and if he cannot
give a prompt answer, let him study on
it. and report when he isposted on the sub
ject
Again: You have made business trans
action You have bought or sold GER
tain number of articles at taspecifed price,
State the case to John, and let him COM
pute what the articles come to.
BY such course you will not only
stimulate your children to greater efforts,
but you will also give their studies that
practical direction, which, it is complain
ed, the schools do not give. And, here,
let me remark, that a thorougly practical
education cannot be obtained in theschool
room. First Because the teacher has
not time enough to devote to practical il
lustrations. Very often he has scarcely
time to teach the theory. Secondly: Be-
cause he has not the material. IF the
pupil is to become skilful in measuring
and estimating wood, boards, masonry,
&C., he must practice on the material it.
self. No mere theorizing will ever make
him expert in it. But the teacher has
no wood yard, board yard, nor brick or
stone walls to exercise his pupils on. He
has no grocery or dry goods store, in which
to train his pupils in business. Scarcely
any man in the community has less means
to give practical instruction, than the
teacher. Farmers, mechanics and trad
ers, have the means, and, if they would
use them, they would render their chill
dren practical scholars, and make them
useful to themselves.
The teacher is expected to give some
: attention to the manners Of his pupils
In this department, his efforts will avail
but little, if they are not seconded by pa
rental training. Good manners must be
learned in the home circle. The infu-
ence of parents, in this respect, is meal
culable. If you are rude and vulgar in
} your family, YOU must expect your chill
dren to follow your example. If you are
! disorderly and uncleanly in your habits,