Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1907-03-22
The Teacher and the Parents.

The relation of the teacher to the
parents of her pupils may be discussed
under two heads; the relation existing
in time of peace and that existing in
time of trouble. II a teacher fails tC
secure the cooperation of her parents,
she will fail in a large part of her work.
To begin with, the pupils are chips of
the old blocks, and the teacher who
wants to understand the nature of ber
pupils must begin by understanding
their homes. Johnny's daydreamirg G.,
Mary's temper, Tommy's bullying.
Susle's tattling may all receive more
knows that these traits are either
Inherited or the results of the home
neglect of the pupils rather than the
cropping out of 80 much general de-
pfavity. A child spends nine times as
much of his existence at home as he
does in school. 1t is to be expected,
therefore, that the influence of the
home on the formation of the charac-
ter of child must be much greater
tnan that of the school, no matter how
strong the latter may be, and that I'M
less the two agencies work in harmony,
the effects of the school will in large
measure be frustrated.
Two boys went to school in a Ger
tain district. Their home was near a |
river, but for all use they made of it |
they might as we'll have lived in the
middle Of Sahara. The teacher sue
ceeded in getting them to try the civil
izing chemical experiment of soap and
water when in school, but the influence
of the home baffiad the influence of the
school and the boys sank back i to
barbarism as soon as they left the school.
This is simply homely example of
the results obtained when the school
and the home exert! opposing influ
ences.
There are some legal relations be-
tween teachers and parents which it is
we'll to understand. In teaching school
the teacher is looked upon as occupy
ing the place of the parent and is Civ
en- the same authority to enforce the
obedience of the child. This covers
tue whole Internal managem ent of the
school. the assignment of pupils to GER
Tain grades, the designation of the stu
dies they are to pursue, means of dis
cipline. etc. Where pupils get notions
that they do not want to study certain
subjects, the teacher has the right to
decide. The law is very liberal In up
holding the authority of the teacher in
the school room, and rightly SO, for
without it there could be no school OF .
my value; but the teacher should be i
;areful to exercise her authority only |
,or the benefit of the pupils, never for
,he satisfaction of her own pride or 9
Nhims. r
There are many cases where older pu I
pills. who come to school Tor a month Z
)r two, desire to take only certain sub. q
ects and omit others. In such cases : i
'ne plan which will yield the best re- G
llts for these pupils should be follow q
ID even if 1t may not be the regular
plan of the school, 1t is one of the | t
special advantages of an ungraded +
'chool that it can adjust itself to a t
arge extent to the individual needs of n
Is pupils. 1t is well to remember, too, f
mat the child after all belongs 20 his o
parents and their wishes should be Civ @
n all the consideration possible. By v
md by when teacher has quit teach 8
ng and has settled down in home of 4
Ter own she will be very positive that t
he parents wishes should be respect G
sd. 1t has seemed to us that parents b
who have been teachers themselves are
ally as pronounced as others in insist
ng on the rights Of the home.
ITO be continued next week.