The Somerset reporter., 1905-06-22
For the Reporter.
Teachers Meeting at Athens.

- SSe hSahchl9s ldsl ohluiuh1s huu Wds
well attended, all the teachers of the
town being present except Helen NJ.
Barker. Several new members were re-
ceiVed, among them were Evelyn Hol
man, Gala +. bore, and Jennie Fox.
Among the topics treated were "School
Music by Evelyn Holman, Teaching
Geography III Rural Schools" by May
hayden Emery, "Punishments for Slight
Ohenses" by Mrs. Bernice d. Hight, and
some Methods of Teaching Arithmetic"
by q. 4. Ball. There was the usual
question box, an able and thoughtful
paper, "Relation of the Parent TO the
SCHOOL, by Mrs. G. H. Jones of the S.
>. Committee, who WAS too i'll of measles
to be present, and an impressive talk ny
Rev. l.. e. March of the S. S. Commit.
tee on "rhe Morals of Our Pupils"
MISS Holman In her paper and Mrs.
Brown In the discussion dWelt upon the
quoting and restraining power OF music
upon the pupil, citing instances OF rest
lessness and idleness in the schoolroom
and OF anger caused by quarrels outside
that were dispelled by singing. The,
also dwelt upon the use of songs ana
hymns as means of teaching truth,
POihJA JuellAts DClN}s phbI1Ollsu, hlu
reverence. The superintendent suggest
ed that music cultivated and nourished
an important and much neglected ell
ment OF child nature, leading to delcacy
of feeling and fineness OF perception.
Mr.. Ball also ventured the prophecy that
ere many years music and drawing
would be included in the curriculum OF
rural towns and that such FOWLS would
mite in pnnlnu fpanhprG n
pass from school 10 school, instructiDg
the teachers in these branches and the
teachers instructipg their pupils.
The leading thoughts brought out IL
Mrs. Emery's talk on geography and in
the resulting discussion were that we do
not have suitable appliances to enable
us to teach this branch properly but
that in the absence Of such means, We
should lead our pupils to observe, com.
pare, discuss, and reason about what
they study, TO make the study living
rather than formal one.
The Question Box brought out many
practical answers and suggestions, one
of the best of which was by Gala +.
Dore, II make them learn it," The
failure to do this lies at the foundation
of much that is wrong in our schools.
One OF the most promising things of the
school work ia Athens this term is thu
increasing power of meme rizipg and res-
soning.
Mrs. Jones paper we trust will be
published in the REPORTER and that Mr..
MARGINS talk struck responsive chord
in the hearts of all was shown by the
rapt attention given to his words.
The association voted unanimously TO
request the publication of the following
paper, "The Relation Of the Parent to
the School, written by Mrs. c. H.
Jones:
81 believe one of the most essential things
needed to insure the full success of our pub
lie schools is the cooperation of the parents,
as it encourages both teacher and pupil il
parents manifest hearty personal interest.
1t is astonishing to see to what an extent
parents are willing TO remain ignorant Of the
work of the schools their children attend
In large number of cases they seem to
know little Or nothing about the teacher, the
work their children are doing, or Of the way
ii is being done. Whether this is due wholly
to a lack Of interest or to their unhounded
confidence in the teacher, leave YOU 10 de-
eide
Each new teacher IS obliged to spend
quite portion of the first term in stumbling
upon the characteristics OF the children whom
she has tired to teach and think, # the pa
rents would take the trouble to WISH the
school and, in a kindly, truthful way, confer
frankly with the teacher as to the abilities,
deficiencies, and dispositions Of their chill
dren. most teachers would welcome il and
many misunderstanding would be avoided.
| also believe that if parents would invite
teachers into their homes and treat them as
persons in whom they have personal inter
est and for whose work they entertain the
highest respect, the efficiency Of our school
would be greatly increased.
Too often criticisms are pronounced upon
the teacher and her work in the presence Of
the children, based entirely upon reports
made by those children who have been Of
Tended by wholesome restraint or necessary
requirements. The favorte child comes
home complaining that he does not receive
the assistance that he needs or has been pun
ished for some misdemeanor and, at once,
the whole family take up the cudgels against
the sorely tried teacher, all Of which inficts a
fatal injury to the child. Is it not strange
that parents can not see that every interest
which they have in the education of their
school the most useful that cooperation can
rents, superintendent, and teachers work
together in harmony and sympathy with each
other and the parent feels that the teacher
IS the child's friend and guide
On the other hand, the teachers position
is a responsible one in the way Of character
building, but it is impossible for one to give
her best service if she feels that she has not
the confidence and respect Of the community
for which she labors When teachers find
that parents keep strict watch Of the school,
not for the sake Of adverse criticism but to
aid by their encouragement and support, an
increased interest will be manifested, the
conditions will be made favorable for the best
work for all, and the mutual relations he
tween parents and schools will be So cordial
that all embarrassment on the part of pupils
when company is present will pass away.
The School Improvement League IS doing
much along the line of awakening an inter-
est in the school on the part Of citizens and
pupils.p "B.n