The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-05-12
VISITING SCHOOLS.

SOou or MS own children WnOm ne
sends there -and for the good of al
concerned Frequent visits made by
the parents to the school room, greatly
enhance the Importance of the school,
in the estimation of the children, and
are therefore of incalculable value in
promoting interest. These visits should
be made to ascertain more infinitely the
progress of their childrcn-of seeing
how they work, how they behave, how
they recite, how much they improve,
how they stand relatively with others -
with q view also of determining how
they can best cooperate with the teach
ers. Children love to be appreciated,
and especially by those most dear to
them. They are perfectly delighted to
have their parents visit them in the
school room. | have sometimes been
made glad and have been very happily
amused to see the high degree of salts
faction and happiness pictured, as it
were, in the face of the boy or girl who
was able to say to me, g Pa and ma are
coming to school to-day" We gener-
ally, am sorry to say, find too much
truth 10 the following words, Which the
children occasionally sing with lad be
Coming pressiveness
"They visit their focks, they visit their neigh
bors,
They visit their farms and the servant who
labors,
They visit the soldiers with murderous sabres,
Now why don't they visit the school !?
They care for their horses, they care for their
dollars,
They care for their ladies, and fancy fine cal
lers,
Because they don't visit the school,
Children, Of course generally have a
natura inclination to be Interested in
that in which the parents show them.
selv. Interested If Won do not visit
the school frequently, from the outside
you may possibly oct wrong impress
ions concerning what may be going on
inside the school room There is pos
sibiIity at laas:, ! think, that false
statements will be credulousl y received
ADD disseminated by those whose forms
never darkeu the school room door-by
those, YOU see, who have not the slight
est means of judging, except through
others, and II may DC sometimes through
those who are even enemies to truth.
| kuow that the general spirit of the
school ~lll manifest Itself outside, and
we shall be judged mainly by our fruits,
but ut the same time. little things mis-
interpreted and misunderstood often
lead to 40 little trouble In fact, most
Of the cases which vex the school room
most sore y have their origin usually 10
little things, which from lack of under.
standing, and true knowledge O. resl
facts, become great by exaggerati
Patrons 10 all cases Of grievs IS,
either real or fancicd, would do W. to
consult the teachers previously t, Ell
,aging the attention OF the Boar. or
making public talk Of what, in mes
Eases, will prove upon investigation to
nave beeu planned for the GOOD of all
As far as we are concerned |
here, we have 90 fault to find with the
parents generally 10 this respect, bat
should any occasion arise IN the future,
We cordially invite them TO visit US, and
ever hnIe 10 meet those for whom We
lesire TO do good work, in right and
friendly spirit. If you have grievances
come. If you have no grievances come
At sny rate, come. Your very presence
n the school room will do us, the chill.
'ren and teachers, good Get into the
labit of spending some of your time
zach term ia the school Ladies who
rave work which they can carry With
hem might come and sit with US, hear
'ar recitations, encourage and do US
,ood, aud ye, lose but little time them.
elves.
Though we may not be able to treat
hem with cup of their favorite bev-
rage -tea-we shall try to entertain
hem to the best of our ability, in what
heir children are doing. Some may
ay and may think that they know the
school is doing we'll; that they have the
tmost confidence in the teachers and
he ability of the Board to manage af.
airs, and that they do not see why it is s
ecessary for them to interest themselves
ny farther. One may say Il have
OF been in the School for so long that |
would not know what to do; l do not {
Understand their new tangled methods {
verything is so changed that l would 7
e confused and | would not be able to '
ldge whether the school is doing good {
ork or not" Another may say: II S
annot get time to spend half day in G
;hool, and in kindness to the school | Il
ould not wish to 90 in and come out t
uring study hours" So excuses after b
zcuses are made some going r
zen so far as to say that they once t
'ok a great interest in school and edu. ?
'tional matters; but amid the busy u
enes of active life they have gradually a
st all. Yet all these persons have n
lildren to edurate, and it seems to me h
| these excuses might be fairly met v
ID vanquished, if tested in the light of d
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