The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1890-10-23
VISITORS IN THE SCHOOL ROOM.

One morning recently a parent ap-
peared at the door of one of the city pri-
mary grade rooms to "see about" her
child whom she thought had been badly
treated. She was evidently filled with
resentment against both teacher and
methods. The teacher gave her a hearty
welcome, persuaded her to remain, and
as time permitted, endeavored to explain
to her the principles and plan of the
exercises. At the conclusion of an
hours visit the parent, on rising to de-
part, shook the teachers hand warmly
and said, "I am go glad I came. I see
your work in very different light now ;
we shall understand each other better
after this, and I think can help you a
little" From that day forward the
teacher noticed a marked Improvement
in the child who had previously been de.
cidedly troublesome. A feeling grew
upon her that this parent who had been
in her room, instead of antagonizing was
aiding her in all her undertakings, and
thus common bond of sympathetic
effort was established between parent
and teacher and the child was quickly
lifted into the light.
This comparatively commonplace ex-
perience from actual school life, suggests
plan of reform which if. practicable is
fraught with great possibilities. If q
similar change could be effected in all
such parents how soon the enthusiastic
and earnest teacher would reach her Ell
Dorado On investigation we find that
the most serious objection to school visi.
tors arises from certain adverse condi-
tions almost entirely due to q mistaken
public sentiment.
These facts are the most clearly appre.
hended which are egperimentally k,,0,on,
and in the majority of cases public senti.
ment in regard to school consists in q
bundle of conclusions based upon im>
pressions made upon school visitors It
would seem then that the administration
of any remedy in this particular case,
depended upon the pfesiots partial re-
covery of the patient.
There will no doubt be days when,
owing to indisposition or for other rea.
sons, it will be almost impossible for the
teacher to be sat home" to visitors.
Even as the harmony of the home may
be disturbed by too many visitors, or Wis.
itors at inopportune times, 80 in q lesser
degree will the school be affected if the
doors are thrown open at all hours. Let
it be understood that parents are spe.
cially requested to be present on cer-
tain day of each week, not to see the
pupils ''show Off but to study the school
life of their children in its relation to
that of the home. Teachers who have
never tried such plan will be surprised
to find how quickly many supposed diff.
'culties disappear. That shrinking from
observation, experienced by so many
good teachers, soon gives place to a feel
Ing of positive pleasure at the entrance
of visitor. The teacher may find it
necessary, to revise her methods some.
what, go as to allow her mora leisure on
the visiting day. This will be a gain to
the pupils who will thus be led to see
what important spokes they are in the
wheel of progress.
There is something radically wrong
with "a class which cannot be left to itself
for single moment. All true education
is self education, and in system of all
sided natural and rational culture self
activity must ever be the prominent fea.
ture. One of the chief business of 8,
school is to develop character, and this
can be done only where the pupil puts
forth conscious effort to concentrate the
will upon those motives which will lift
him toward the highest ideal 1t is pos.
sible in every school-room for pupils to
receive Divine impulse which will
make the work glad, united search for
truth, and completely submerge all VIC.
lent cases of insubordination. The
teacher who tries will surely succeed and
will find that the presence of parents can
be used as a means to the attainment of
her highest euds.-Ry S. B. Sinclair, b.
a., Principal of the Teachers Training
School, Hamilton, Ontario, IN the Teach.
ers' Institute.