Mexico weekly ledger., 1879-02-27
How to Secure the Cooperation
Of Parents.
BIT CHARLES D. ROGERS.

MLAE
BIT CHARLES ID. ROGERS.
This Is a subject of vast impor-
lance, and demands the careful con-
sideration of all true teachers; for
without the cooperation of parents,
q school can never be a success. 1t
may be well before proceeding to dis
GUS the subject, to state what 1 un-
derstand by the tern. ttco-operation''
OF parents as used in reference to
schools. When / saylthat the teach
er must have the hearty cooperation
of parents before he can make his
school a success, l do not mean that
the parents are to help him organize,
classify, and grade his school; neith-
er do | mean that they are to make
rules for the school and advise the
teacher on all points that may come
under his consideration.
The idea which / wish to convey
is, that the teacher, if he makes a suc-
cess of his school, must have the
friendship, respect, and confidence
of patrons. The parents must be
made to feel that the teacher is mental
ly, morally, and physically qualified to
rightly govern and instruct their
children, before he can demand, or
even expect, parental support or in
~fiuence.
Admitting that the teacher has the
friendship, confidence, and respect
of his patrons, he will secure their CO.
operation. The question arises, how
a he ecu those points p In the
first place, / answer, the teacher
should endeavor to make a good i'm
preston on his pupils and patron,
and if possible, win their love at the
beginning Of the term ; he should let
them know that he is no tyrant plac-
ed there to rule over them with an
iron rod, but that he is their true
friend and intends to work for their
best interests. He should let them
know that he is wide awake teach
err, and that they are tc be wide
awake pupils. He should give them
plenty to do and see that they do it
promptly and correctly. lie should
have no favorites among the pupils,
and be fair, just, and impartial to all.
Should there a difficulty or misun-
derstanding arise in. the school, he
should meet it without hesitation,
but with prudence, and settle it fair
ly without regard to age or sex. He
should have few rules, only such as
there is a positive demand for, and
enforce them rigidly. In other words,
the teacher should, at all times and
under all circumstances, act the true
man or woman, and such q course
will generally win the esteem and re-
spcct of the pupils and thereby Sc
cure the cooperation of the parents
for in most cases, where the pupils
think we'll of the teacher, the parents
do also. After having pursued such
a course, should the parents fail to
appreciate the labors of the teacher,
he should have them visit the school
and see the actual work done in the
school-room he should ask their
opinions and advice on topics of spe-
cial interest to the school; he should
make them see that he is deeply in
terested in his work and is trying to
do the most good possible for their
children. The teacher should visit
the parents and talk earnestly and
confidentiolly with them about the
best interests of their children and
the school. He should endeavor to
T rncm mat IN faporrng 10 ueyet-
op the mind of the child, he is serv-
ing the parents best and most sacred
~x1terest. He should impress on the
4Parents' minds the value of an educa-
ton and the importance of educating
their children. He should call up
before the parents minds the re-
sponsibility resting on them, and
show them that they are largely re-
sponsible for their children's conduct
and progress in school, and their con-
duct in school is but an index to
their conduct in after lite. He should
make the parents see and feel that the
teachers work is a heart and soul
work that he is laboring to elevate
the moral and mental standing of
humanity f; labonng to make better
men and women-better citizens in
every respect-that the way to do
this is through the school, and the
means with which to do it are the
combined efforts of parents and
teachers ; that this, and only this,
will secure the desired ends.
Once make the parents view this
subject in It's true light; let them
fully and clearly comprehend the re-
sponsible position they fill in refer
ence to the education of their chill
dren, and, in my opinion, the true
hard-working, persevering teacher
will receive a fair share Of parental
..o -opnrafio,a tt- - .s' 4s H