The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1884-02-06
Parents and Teachers.

Some very crude and ili'considered
notions prevail with many people in re-
gard to the schooling Of their children,
which are not only annoying but dis
couraging to the panstaking and con-
sclentIous teacher Some parents are
prone to complain continually that their
children ace not advanced rapidly
enough. They forget that while
teacher may be doing bis best to adj
vance his pupil. he cannot furnish
brains to the dull child, and that his
powers Of coercion ls necessarily limited.
Besides, in nine cases out Of ten where
such complaint is made, the child, who
seems to be getting along slowly, may
be making really the most satisfactory
progress He may be learning thor
ougIy what he does learn, while the
brighter and aptsr pupil who turns 50
many more pages Of his textbook may
be getting only a smaltering Of knowl-
edge.
When your little girl comes home
with rneful countenance and tear III
her eve, and tell you that she has been
turned back in her grammar or arlth'
mctic, YOU should feel like sending a
note of thanks to her teacher You
may know by this action that the teach
er is trying to do his duty and is aiming
at thoroughnc.s in his Instructions. The
good teacher never turns II child back
without sufficient reason. 1t is great
pity that more children are not turned
back. The process Of examining is too
common in many schools, and the re.
suit is that thousands Of young men and
women arc graduated from colleges with
only the semblancc Of an education.
OF course, when We speak of thor
oughncss in learning, We do not mean
that child should have a perfect
knowledge Of all that is comprised in
the lesson it has been given To require
such knowledge, and refuse advance
ment without it, would, in numberles'
instances, be gross injustice to the lit
tie learner. BY thoroughness we meal
real understanding Of all that the pu
pil should understand in order to ena
be him to proceed further intelligently
and satisfactorily. The child cannot b'
expected to learn at first all that thu
teacher knows.
TAX Arithmetic, for example. Their
are principles underlying some Of tn
simple operations in Arithmetic whicl
the learner cannot thoroughly grass
until they have been gradually brough
to his comprehension in his progress up
wards in the science Of numbers. Th
wise teacher will know to what dcgre
the people should be informed, and wi
base his action upon this mental capi
blity and aptitude Of his charge.
While parents, therefore, may be dis
appointed because their children hav
not been advanced to higher grad
with other children in the same elias!
instead of blaming the teacher the
should be glad that he is conscientious
, performing his duty.
There is another wrong idea whic
some parents entertain, and that il
that when they start their children t
school they are themselves relieved {
all further responsibility. They thro'
the burden upon the teacher and Civ
little further thought to the educatio
Of their children. They forget that tn
active, constant and harmonious co-oI
Grafton Of parent and teacher is necessi
~ TO secure the best results. If tn
children are not encouraged and stint
lated to make the best efforts at home
the teacher will have hard and unsa
istaclory experience with them.
Without the home influence for goot
he teacher, be he ever 50 earnest ant
panstaking, will find his best efforts o.
ten lrui'lcss. Children that are not er
Outraged to study ut home, and whe
mental AMI moral Development is 1T
fostcrcd in the family circles, are no
likely to be studious and diligent q
school. This is the case alike as it r,
CARDS mental culture and the inculca
ton Of correct IDEAS Of department,
People, as II general rule, expect ia
much Of II teacher. If they have ba
boys they expect the teacher to max
them goJd. Yet without the propt
restraint at home aud the salutary il
ilucncc of parental instruction and ex
ample the teacher can do little in clova
ting the tone and temper ola child, Th
moral atmosphere Of the school room
should be pure and wholesome, but I'm
less the home atmosphere is sweet, w
cannot expect our children to grow il
all the graces which are requisite fol
making other homes happy and brigh
and beautiful in the future which is be
fore them - Peoples Paper, Chatta