Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-11-15

y
thought. A man who has thought. and uttars
Just what he thinks, Is the man who n be INST
nkely 60 be respected, and his opinions will be
more likely TO be regarded. There are many
not the time
BETTER UNDERSTANDINGS WANTED BETWEEN
TEACHERS AND PARENTS.
VIII just remark. however, that the teacher
ought To Try to secure thu cooperation of the pa
rents OF the children. AZ VI, n a. OF tls children
themselves Here is point, perhaps, where
soihe teachers fail. / DO not know to what eX-
.eht The teachers of the city vi Washington are
In the habit of making themselves acquainted
WIN the parents OF their pupils. IL is very i'm
P"rtaiit, however, that TEACHERS should be in
sympathy, as far possible. with the parents
OF The children that are committed 10 thCir care.
You are much more likely 10 secure the confi-
dence OF Tie children. GoG "iil c. taiu,7 better
understand the character of the children: better
understand the difficulties under which they
labor and you will be more likely TO b. able to
meet these difficulties if you know precisely the
cohditlon of the parents. TRY as far possible
10 do this. think IL woald hU an excellent thing
II every teacher would visit sometime in the
course OF the year, and more than once ii neces-
sary, the parents of every child III the school. no
matter If they come from In" lowest places in
the community. suppose TIA, child 10 be guilty
OF some misdcmcaH0r; suppose some traits Of
character are exhibited in thai rhiid which YOU
consider very Objectionable - and see his
mother or father, and talG with one or both
a5out II. DO that, and you may feel sire of hay-
ING the confidence al that u.s. rt forwards.
naiIiicr: and you will have very I.I;Ir difficulty
with that child thereafter.
SCHOLARS SHOULD r. KNIT Hue~.
There is another thing tn which wis 70 cal
your attention, th0ugh I DO not propose 20 en-
large upon il at all "a this time. Il > Tat the
teacher should Sc, that every scholar is properly
employed. But when r'y that. touch diff
cult subject. becaUSl 7 know .lat Il; i almost
impossible 10 keep children v.nl loyod probably
IN the school room under or present mode OF
conducting schools. Every Gchor who has
stuffed into the c'aIacter9 VI children Las learned
that there axe very lev children ahO are capable
OF studying. We 1--WE Il, - = SONS 60 study be
cause We want to keep t., N busy. We viii say
To thtm, Take your GcOrgcl ny and learn yOIIr
geography lesson OF you. li5fo1 = and learn your
history; or YOUR arithmetic and learn your arith-
metic.' What do you mean when You tell them
Ia 90 that? Nothing more DIAM commit them
to memory. There are very few children under
the age OF ten years who ear stud; at all. They
do not know how to study.
TEACHING PUPILS HOW TO STUDY.
They must b. taught to study, and that is the
teachers business. They can commit to menu
DRY, admit. You can give n task to a child.
and he may commit it to memory, but you 40
not secure the object desired That child
is not studying. A child is not capable
derstanding language thoroughly. When he
does, he is able to study. Bat your business is
toteach them how to study But Won want to
keep the children employed. How will YOU do
it? confess that this is difficult question; and
YOU Will never be able to overcome the difficulty
until we have an entirely different arrangement
with regard To the mode of conducting sur
schools i'll the schOol-rOom and outside of tho.
school-rOom | have not time to enlarge upon
this subject at present, but viii do 50 at some
future time.
SHALL WE WHIP?
j VIII run over some of the points which /
have here The questions come up, What shall
j do with those children who will not finally
obey; who are" in other words, ..hopelessly dis
obedIent.' Shall We whip them? Sha ii we use
Inc rod i'll the school room: i do not suppose
there Is question connected with the interests
OF the schools which needs more thorough
examination than this. There is an impression
in The minds OF many people that the teacher
Ought not TO be allowed to Use the rod under any
circumstances. The subject has been disc used
IN all parts OF the country very largely In one
or two of the States, l believe, they have passed
laws forbidding a teacher to use corporal pun
ishment under any circumstances whatever. In
other States they are discussing the subject.
mere are some people who believe We can get
along in our public schools just as well without
CORPORAL punishment as with it, and little
u, tier.
WHAT Mr.. RICHARDS THINKS ABoUT.IT.
MY own opinion is that jI ninety nine cases
cut OF a hundred We can get along without cor
poral punishment; and will say. for the benefit
81 parents, or city legislators who may be here.
that just as soon a. these parents can control
their OWN children at home without whipping or
punishment. just so soon as the State authorities
can get along with criminals without corporal
punishment, will consent to the passing of a
"
l'oral punishment; and will not consent to il
until that time. (Aprlause.l
THE MOTHERS WHO OPPOSE WHIPPING IN
SCHOOLS AND KNOCK THEIR CHILDRES DOWN
WITH THEIR SHOES.
know OF great many parents who are
all the time saying that the teacher
-honld not have the power to punish, while at
the same time they will take their shoes
III their feet, and knock their children down
Tor disobedence. Well now what il the opinion
IF such a mother worth in regard to the qucs-
ton OF corporal Punisl mcnt in schools? And
vet in niEC-tenths OF the cases where parents
rom! lain of corporal punishment in schools the
cor; laints game from just such unreasonable
people as these.
WHIPPING SOMETIMES NECESSARY.
Hont understand me To justify unnecc Ssary
" hiIping in school. l believe il is sometimes
necessary, but believe it Is the duty OF teachers
tO qualify themselves 80 that they can, if posi-
bic, get long without corporal punishment.
THE PATENT WHIPS, THE TEACHER WHIPS
] do say, however, that teacher has the same
right TO punish with a rod in the school that the
mother has to punish with the rod at home.
What is the position of the teacher? We have
all heard vi the old saving In loco PARENTS"
that is in the place Of the parent for the time
being. These teachers are employed by the
Board OF Trustees, who are selected by the city,
Tor the express purpose Of procuring teachers
to do what? To educate. to train up these
children who cannot be trained or educated by
their parents. When parent thinks that the
teacher ought not TO punish children, let them
first consider whether he claims and exercises
the right TO punish his children ut home himself.
CHILDREN ARE HoNE-wHIPPED
CHILDREN.
j will venture the assertion that in all cases
where children are very di>Obedient in school,
and require corporal punishmentin school, they
require corporal punishment at home, and
that their parents are III the habit OF giving il To
them, if they make them obey, especially il they
get angry.
PUNISHMENT "A MEDICINE.
In regard to the kind of punishment, the
manner of infiicting punishment, must say
few words. Punishment il :. L ain inflicted upon
the mind or body, by proper authority, to re-
fOTm or deter" Punishment then Il IL be used
for the mind for about the ZANE purpose
medicine is to be used tor the body. But let it
he understood that punishment IN all cases Is
of little consequence unless it reaches the mind.
II it Is the inficting mere bodily PAIN the object
is not secured. You may make hoy smart I'M
der the lash until he dies, ard yet that would not
be punishment. hut brutality.
PUNISHMENT SHOULD REACH THE MIND.
In the first place then, yOu should always
make it point to reach the mind OF the child,
and if YOU can reach the mind of the child by a
single word or by a single act, Won have gained
your end. If you must whip, let it be from a
necessity which You cannot overcome. BE at
liberty to punish with the rod or not just as Cir
cumstarces may require.
HOW MIR. RICHARDS PUNISHED A BAD BOY.
lrCcOllect an instance to which will call your
attic ntiOn just here. Some fifteen years ago i
had boy in my school who had been very
good boy for several years. lie attended my
school for about eight years. When he got to be
about sixteen years Of age lie became somewhat
liz olent; became smart, and answered me with
Nth.f lyln lar4