Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-11-12
A Word to Parents.


If you wish good schools, and your chill
dren to improve in them and grow up ODE
dent to law aud order, give the teachers
your hearty cooperation in sustaining order
in school. Don't take your children out
nor inspire in them spirit of mutiny by
your own talk, because the teacher requires
them to stand in the floor or remain after
school to perfect an unlearned lesson.
Don't believe too implicitly your own chill
drens version of story of their wrongs in
school, even if you know them to be always
truthful. l find among grown people, re-
liable people, too, that the two sides of a
quarrel sound very differently, and with the
easily excited Imagination of child, is il
strange if he sometimes exaggerates one
point and entirely forgets another Two
children were playing at noon-time and
quarreled. The little girl called names and
talked abusively, the little boy threw stone
at her, hitting her bare foot, and hurting
her quite badly. The teacher, girl of six
teen, was sought, and heard the girls COM
plant and the boys reasons, together with
the testimony of the other children. She
shrank from using corporal punishment, but
talked earnestly with the children, accord
ing to her ability to talk, condemned the
boy heartily for his passionate act, and
closed the case by saying: 81 hope | shall
not hear of such a thing happening again
during the term" In a day or two she
found nice breeze blowing at her expense
The girls mother condemned her course
without seeing her at all, ands talked OF
Withdrawing her children from the school
or did withdraw them for a time. The
teachers words were reported as follows
If anything of the kind happens again, |
hopo eholl not hear of it,"
If you love your children, don't foster in
them spirit of suspicion and jealousy by
encouraging them in any way to notice
sights or Partially from either teacher OF
mates. The disposition will not only be an
injury to them now, but curse through all
their lives.
Teachers need encouragement as other
people do. You would not think of putting
boy into field, and at a work in which
he had had little experience, and never 60
near him to see what he was doing and how
yet young girls are trusted term after term
with the education of your children, and
toll on in the school-room amid the noisy
bevy without word of encouragement
from you. So far as book knowledge goes
they may be qualified, but their very age
aud experience prevent them from under
standing human nature sufficiently well to
be eminently successful in training, un
aided, fifteen or twenty different minds al
their most susceptible age. They are paid
for their work about the same you pay
the girl in your kitchen, and you think il
quite enough. What if they have not tact I
How much do you pay for tact ? How
much for care and WEAKNESS of heart aud
brain 2 You are often perplexed in man
aging your own little ones does it make
you more charitable toward the mistakes Of
their teachers, who know and love them fal
1850 tudu you w, huu nave ocNcidi tiIito VIZ
lumber with whom TO deal ? OF course
teachers often err who of us do not We
al make some humiliating mistakes, and
sometimes pass through failures before WI
acquire anything like eminence in any
work. If they seem little interested in thei
work and hence do it poorly, would it moi
be well to make their acquaintance and
learn for yourself the state of things You
own interest and enthusiasm may inspire
them.
Those children, whose parents sustain tn,
teachers, who are taught to respect then
just because they are their teachers, thu
early instructed to be Subject to the highe
powers" make the most satisfactory pupils
and are fitting for the best citizenship here
after.