The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-05-12
CONTINUED from first psge.)


Many times and in many places the
school officers utterly refuse to make
any rules by which the pupils may be
made to comply with the wishes OF the
teachers, leaving the teachers entirely
at the mercy OF the pupils and parents
Order in the school room, and about it,
is the first great law; and it cannot
always be secured, and | might say, can
never be, in its true spirit, without the
sympathy and assistance of those whose
children crowd the school room. When
parents feel the responsibility which
really rests upon them, and lend more
ready helping hands to the teachers,
especially of our common schools, there
will be fewer complaints of worthless
teachers, and Of money thrown away,
etc. Teachers and parents too often
consider themselves perfectly independ
ens of one another, after stipulations
are made between the board and the
teachers after the teachers are hired
and installed with due authority within
buC WdiiS VI tuC oCuOOl lOOuI nio 10
wrong, for no teacher can be perfectly
successful without the practical sympa-
Thy of all patrons and pupils and the
teacher who has not the sympathy of
the majority is weak indeed The
teacher must be also in sympathy with
the parents and his pupils indeed this
sympathy must be mutual then and
not till then can the highest object of
our schools be approximately attained
The school aud the family certainly
should have kindred sympathy. In "a
peculiar sense the school may be con
sidcred large family, the teacher re-
siding, in loco, of the parent; and he
should ever preside as an atfectionate
paren: desiring the utmost present and
future happiness of all his pupils. This
sympathy should extend outside the
school room-even into all the walks of
life. Narrow, indeed, is that interest
which does not 60 out for the pupil from
the teacher, after the school room door
closed between them. We should be
anxious for the success of our pupils in
active life, in their business and profes.
sional enterprises. In their good we
may see more or less of our own sue.
cess, in their failures our faults. For
years | have kept a sort of historic
record of my pupils. In a book de-
voted to that purpose, containing list
Of their names, l give a brief descrip.
ton of their character, and their habits
while in school, and after We separate l
make note of what | hear concerning
them from time to time. l thus write
down the most important events in their
lives, and you may be sure have quite
an interesting history. This keeps me
in lively sympathy with them, and l
love them with a love, | think, akin to
that which father cherishes for tue
children whom circumstances have taken
from his hearth. Teachers should cher
ish an earnest sympathy with parents in
their efforts to give their children an
education. Many poor parents are de-
priving themselves the common luxuries
OF life for the purpose of benefitting the
condition Of their children, raising them
above the limited sphere in which they |
have to act. Great is their labor and
hard is their self.denials, though self |
imposed for the good of their offspring |
and the world. We should teach the
children economy, both by precept and
example, and show them how to appre-
eiate the many favors conferred upon
them by their parents. l am not of
that number who think that the teach
ers are the only persons whose rights
arc to be observed and respected, or that
the teachers arc the only persons need
ing sympathy. This sympathy should
be mutual and based upon good under
standing without which there can be
no perfect cooperation. Teachers and
parents should be we'll acquainted with
one another, and hold frequent consult
atoms for the good of the school and all
Troubles arise from misun-
and the character of the
school is injured, and its good influence
lessened, when few minutes
friendly consultation between the par
lies might set all right and make them
satisfied. 1t is not strange that in such
arge families, differences of opinion
should arise, for in no school district
IAN we find teachers, parents and chill
lren, all perfectly free from fault; but
We should have abundance of charity
or one another, and no ones motives
hould be impugned till fully under
TODD. The good character of our
ohool should be sacred to us all, and F.,
70 should be as careful of its good {
lame, and of the ties which bind us to. 6
,ether in school, as we are of the ties ,
Vhice bind us to our homes; for here {
IS there, habits and character for life {
re forming and We cannot estimate the G
influence of impressions made upon the t
ninds of young persons. The course c
# some lives may be entirely changed, s
or good or evil, by a single word or /
ingle act, or even by an indefnable c
pirit pcrvading their homes and their a
chools during that peculiar period of a
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