Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1907-03-08
Sbapinq the Children.

, child's life we wonder which is I'll
most potent--that which comes du
ing the hours in the schoo
room, that which shapes lii
on the playground, or that infiu
ence which should abound in the hom
circle dominated principally by th
mother.
Experience teaches that the infiu
ences of the home are strongest whe
the conditions are formal; and ever
teacher should feel glad to know tina
under such conditions the work in th
school-rOom only supplements that o
the home, but how many mothers an,
teachers ever have the time or the in
clination to sit down and talk ovel
the child problem in the home and tn,
c7ild problem in the school, and out o
the two weld definite plan which shal
benefit the object of their c0nsidera
tioD.
| The mother does not know the teach
| SAt oAd cOHGOlbCS euC tcdCucl tt6IS lud
she has been trained for her work anC
| the mother has not been, therefore
| they can hardly consult, it will take
extra time and SO little will be accom-
plished. But until we can come to the
point of looking upon child study as a
matter ofprimary interest to the teach
er and to all others engaged in the care
of children, as affording basis for the
methods Of education, giving a source
OF perpetual interest to work in school,
an interest in the individual child, and
a means of working out in practice the
best that can be done with the child at
various phases of life, our work is
only half done. For without an ulti.
mate knowledge of children there is
always difficulty in the presence of a
peculiar child, and to understand that
child we must know children in school,
at home, on the play ground. Biolo-
gists know that IN studying any living
thing its parts must be observed; at
tention to weight. size, action. habit,
are all studied in order to know that
animal. Many traits of char
acter are common to them. These we
know as the universal characteristics
and surely these must be recognized
before the especial or individual traits
are known. In SO limited a paper as
this there Is no time to speak of the
child on the play ground, although VS.
must recognize the fact that, until we |
have perfect supervision there, we |
cannot expect to save the child, and |
% only one phase of the very broad |
Iubject'of child training shall we be |
confined. The value OF child study
circles is great when every available
means at hand is used. The Mothers
congress of national scope is doing
much to bring to the teacher the mes.
age from the home. The mother is
aging, there is my child; let us study
lin together" At the beginning there
vas no thought of studies in psyche
ogY. 1t is only upon the very broad
st lines that the mothers and the
eachers have met-broad in the sense
hat the subjects touched the universal
'hild. Methods of punishment have
'een discussed and changed to more
nearly fit the offence. The subject of
llet and its relation to work in the
chool-room has been discussed. Chill
ren are sluggish or alert as they are
ed. The little boy who carried cold {
'uckwheat cake to eat at recess because {
10 slept too late to eat it warm, for bis (
reakfast can hardly be expected to
ecite as we'll as the child who was up
'etlmes and ate bis porridge slowly and
atisfied his stomach before he left his
lome. The teacher does not always
now of these conditions, but if she
we're to invite the mothers On a Fri
az afternoon this very careless moth
r may hear something that will cause
be scales to fall from her eyes, until
he begins to realize that 1t Is human
oul she has to train, not. merely lit
lie animal.
In few Instances work has been les.
ened for home study. Teacher and {
1other understanding each other, the I
ONE duties have been curtailed that &
be Child may have proper time for rest /
nd recreation. Ia several instanes S
epUrted teachers have become ac- t
uainted with the physical condition
t children when it would not have oc- G
urred to them to look for physical de-
,cts. had they not met the mother-I
mall beginngs have led to wide study. t
II course. one must take into consid
ration the class of patrons and act ac- I
ordingly. Sometimes the teacher I
ads. and again the patron, and in the L
eginning it depends upon the leader
alp how effective the work W ill be. I
he various experience meetings that {
sually close the sessions are food for {
l
ONE life of the child. She sees how g
er own work may be made easier in 9
} many ways. Sometimes, alas the I
Ood that is in the child must be point
out by the teacher. Only a few q
eeks ago when a bit of hard work !
as pointed out by the teacher the 9
lother said: ''Oh, guess you did it
or him" The teacher replind: mo,
ohm did it all himself.' That teach
r will not soon forget the look of de-
ght that poor tired woman gave her
8 she said, Il did not know John
ould do that. y The home where the
7ash-tub was the most conspicuous
rticle of furniture gave little time to
nd out what John could do-and here
vas the teacher opportunity. Truly