Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-10-24
A TEACHERS TALK.
INDIFFERENCE At HOME Is WRONG
FOR THE CHILDREN.

Prerts' Neglect or Lack Of Interest-Too
Much r. Expected of Teachers-Some
In the Schools.
The one thing In teachers life that would
be amusing if it were not too often q source
of despair, is the remarkable statements per
petrated by scholars For instance. one
young person talks in all seriousness OF IAN
illustrated sore throat" and thinks an inter
nittent fever is something catching
Another classes the ''laryn1" among the ami
mails OF Maine, ard declares the ''hypothe-
muse TO be huge animal peculiar to Africa
Another is firm in the belief that the
weather bureau is an article Of furniture,
and cites as an example of vegetable dyes
Der couneenance iuunined with the inspira-
ton that has just come TO her-"Diamond
Dyes" Still another jumps ct the tra-sla-
ton Of the French word s'corne" C'hcrnf1,
and announces IN a certain festival ''the cor
ners of the cow were gilded-" Fancy the
establishment of a worthy friend on learning
that 1.-THE sect of Quakers was founded by
Guy Fawkss" The difference between col
lego and g university has been Illustrated as
and young women go to Wellesley college,
but both so 70 Boston university"
These mistakes were all made by high
school scholars, varying in age from Il to II
years, and in ability from the brightest TO the
duIlest The stories are all very amusing.
and can be matched and distanced by teach
ers and by parents who remember stories
brought home from school by their children.
H., r-la rHa-p
anecdotes and over English as She Is
Taught" ever think that the fault of such
blunders is not due entirely to the child, NOT
entirely to the teacber' Do they ever think
that many bull like the above might be
prevented by a little care taking ct honei
A hard working, faithful scholar of good
ability asks If it wasn't Alfred the Great
who invented the cotton gin" She would
never have asked that question if her father
and mother had taken the trouble TO make
their general conversation in the house Of
some interest and instruction Would the
weather bureau ever have been mistaken for
a chest of drawers if curiosity about "Old
Prob" and his coworkers had been stimulated
and then satisfied The cry is an Old one,
lack OF interest az home, but it is none the
less a CRY that demands attention. Too many
parents select schools for their children, see
that they are properly clothed TO go TO them,
and consider their duty thereby done. The
teacher must do the rest.
Now, in the first place, this IS much too
hard on the teacher. The time she can de-
vote to each scholar is limited, and she is but
human in capacity. Your son may be a boy
Of but average ability; he needs to have the
preparation Of bis lessons superintendent as
well as their recitation Or he may De clever
but careless, and that fault must be attacked
In every act of his life and at every hour Of
the day. The five hours day in school
won't cure him, and until the circus comes
again he viii cali lynx larnyI and hip
popOtamus hypothenuse. Or, he may be
quick TO learn, but lazy and unwilling TO set
himself about his tasks he cannot be cured
Of that fault by his teacher working unaidad.
Parents ought not to ask teachers to do what
they cannot accomplish themselves, or expect
the few opportunities of the school roora TO
surpass those OF the home
Then, again, this Indifference at home Is
wrong for the children. They do not take
the stand ID their classes that they should;
their powers OF thought are not developed;
they cannot apply themselves 60 their work
and concentrate their attention; they are
not stimulated 30 read out of school Take,
for instance, the habit of thinking. The
teacher LAYS before her scholars certain facts
with which they are all familiar, and which
Illustrate some point. She asks them TO
make q similar general statement drawn
from their knowledge Of those particular
facts. You may be very sure that the an
swers viii come chiefly, II not entirely, from
those who have parents who talk TO them on
the questions OF the day, and the great ques-
tons OF all time, and who thus encourage
thought in their children.
Again, take the matter OF reading. A
teacher may recommend book, may give
eli account Of its author, and by describing
its connection with and interest for the work
in hand, Try TO induce tha pupil 10 read it.
But she cannot go to the ht<ary and get the
book and put it into the pupils hands There
is where the work OF the parent should sup
plemeut that of the teacher. Let him see
that the book is brought into the house and
let hin excite interest in the reading By
having it reao aloud or by reading 1t with
his son
Visitors are not always desirable in q
school; they are sometimes a hindrance To
the conducting Of recitation. But there s
certainly no excuse for a parents not visit
ing the school where his children are taught
/ at least once during the yesr, and there IS no
teacher who would not feel pleased rather
than annoyed at such manifestation Of in
terest. 4 high school teacher carrying on
twenty-five Rotations a week states that
during the last school year not single call
! wss made upon Der room By parent. This
( is not an unusual statement, and it merely
illustrates the lack OF interest OF the average
parents whose average children fill our aver
age schoois--Aabel S Clarke il Boston
Globe.