Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1906-11-16
MOTHER AND TEACHER.

| teachers and children Of Virginia and
| conducted alternately by Miss Margaret
| Fallon and Mrs. l.. G. Ware.
MOTHER AND TEACHER.
1t is the duty of every teacher to pu
forth every laudabIe effort of whic
he is capable to bring about the hap
piness OF the human race through In
telligent and moral development.
There is broader field of usefuInes
for the teacher 10 the small district
han is generally conceded while th
American farmer represents fully thre
fnurths of the vocatiOns of the people
of the nation. The children of the s.
farmers are the backbone Of the futur,
American citizenship. VI hat privi
lege it is to take these bright younf
minds clean and clear as a fresh blot
ter and commence to make Impressions
Our methods are new to them, hence
attractive. There is tendency among
the youth of today to hasten to bust
ness. along some line-the S mark ls
too much the ideal Tor the good of edu
cational advancement. Nothing but
time and systematic study can give
boys and girls thorough knowledge
of books. The restless eagerness to do
much work in little time only gives a
slip shod idea of the whole and moth
ing perfect-then We see the result of
little knowledge being dangerous
thing.
The conditions are made more favor.
able to study by improved methods in
teaching, is true, but the textbooks
are to my way of thinking not so i'm
pressive as they We're ten years ago.
hope l am not just inclined to fuss at
a new order of things generally. The
new books are not lasting-but the
uniform text book law is 6. blessing to
the country children. People who
have always had books and an oppor-
tunity to study them can't know how
Indifferent hundreds of people are about
buying books. They send to school
when it is free and rever buy q book.
l once taught bright boy half way
through arithmetic by sending him to
the board. His father was able to buy
books. but said be wanted b. to learn
to be a good speller. and hu led up an
old dictionary that was prn i in the
seventeenth century, the If and rs"
were alike. The school work over the
State progresses just in proportion to
the interest the mothers have In the
mental improvement of the children.
The father of course is an l.nportant
factor when it comes to settling bills,
etc. but he is the bread Garner and
must be out in the COZ fict, along his
line OF work-aDd the children are left
TO the mother and teacher.
Every mother should teach her child |
that public punishment is most hu
ordeal ana to be guard ed |
against. have heard children after
some punishment in school FAY, lit |
didn't hurt" 1t always makes a chill |
come over me to think of the impres.
sions of life already made on that |
child g mind
''SchOOl will open soon and | am so |
glad" one mother will say. "for Willie
is just too bad, 1 can't do anything |
with him." 1t is this kind of boys that
make teaching terror, and calls for
reserved force, physically and mental
ly. If child knows it's mother thinks
it bad, and says so, it is never inc lined
to disappOint her or teacher. The child |
lives up to expectation and grows and
,dvances along that line.
As rule we do not need young pri-
m larry teachers, Though have known
,ome good ones) they have not lived
long and observed wisely. The prima-
~ work in any school should be the
best, there the child gels his first i'm
preston of school life and if it is
one. very naturally it will con.
tinue go to the end. ''As the tWlg is
bent the trees II clIned.' Could the
mother aid teacher like Nogi, the
great Japanese hero, study out and
sum their mistakes for the benefit of
those who follow it would at least show
"a rnest aud conscientious effort.
Teachers should be in touch with
The mothers and know something of a
child 3 home life in order to know what
10 exact of him No .hougntful, earn
est mother can ford to reii, quish for
q NONE Mt the great ilust wi ich God
has given into her keeping. She must
know the hopes, fea's and aspirations,
bis little frailties aud shortcomings,
which are natural, and be prepared to
meet them patiently, yet firmly. Help
the teacher by exacting strict Obedi.
ence of him at HON e.-MfE. J T. M