Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1870-12-16
Thoughts on Teaching.

The education of a child rests both with
the parent and with the teacher, and the
part in the child's education that the
parent performs, the teacher cannot, and
that which the teacher does it is not al
ways convenient nor even possible for
the parent to do. The parent and the
teacher each have distinct work to do,
and yet both are laboring for the same OBJ
ject, viz: the intellectual and moral i'm
provement of the child If this is true,
IL 10 of the greatest Importance to us, as
e, nsrhers, that we understand the desires
of the seyera, ..,,arcnts in regard to their
children and that they also understand
our intentions in reference to them While
in the school; otherwise the teacher
might, innocently, counterwork the in
fluences for good which the parent has
exercised over the child, and the parent
entirely overthrow the influences of the
teacher. To secure the greatest good to
the child the parent and teacher should
work tremendously and together Many
teachers have failed and others have lost
all their influence for good because their
motives were not clearly understood by
the patrons of the school. The question
there naturally arises how can this diff
Guilty be metz How can teachers become
better acquainted with their patrons? In
most of our districts a change of teachers
occurs ut least once every three months,
and unless the teachers take special pains
to become acquainted with their patrons
it will not be done Some teachers have
adopted II plan by which they correspond
with the parents at least once during each
month, and thereby inform them in re-
gard to the conduct, scholarship, &c, of
their children, and doubt not but that
those schools where this is practiced have
been materially benefited. But after we
have done all this something more is
needed l know that the old fashioned
way Of teachers boarding around" ms it
was called, had its disadvantages, but it
nevertheless had the advantage of making
the teachers acquainted with their pat
rons, and of securing their attention to
the schools. If parents will not visit our
schools, we, as teachers, must visit them,
and rouse in their minds by our own en-
thusiasm and interest a corresponding
degree of interest. Let us show our
selves interested in our pupils, and the
parents will very soon be interested in
our schools. We should not lose an OPP
portunity Of conversing with our patrons
in regard to their children whenever that
opportunity occurs. BY a continual and
friendly intercourse with parents, much
may be done toward securing Il uniform
ity OF text books, and better school furni
ture and appliances If teachers do not
become acquainted with the parents the
estimate of their ability, as teachers, is
always the same us the estimate made by
the pupils Pupils, though frequently
correct. do sometimes err. not wilfillly,
perhaps, but from want of judgement in
regard to the best course to be pursued
in The school lf we wish to secure the
greatest GOOD to those OF whom we have
voluntarily taken the charge; if we do
not wish to be misreprescnted by our pu
pills: i'm short if we wish to be successful
teachers we must converse frequently
with our patrons. This is one of the re-
suits which may be secured by our Town
ship Institutes. While at these Institutes
we can consult with parents directors
and others interested in our schools, and
thus, by the united efforts of all, secure
Mat grandcst Of oil ciyilizers: . success
tul school, So, -, :. ,.,g