The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-03-25
Responsibility OF PARENTS,
SOME THINGS THAT TEACHERS
HAVE A RIGHT TO EXPECT
OF PARENTS.

~~>s Va " OSTiSS VI fNptrS 1tcdO
Before Meetings of the Teachers of
the City Schools by Superlnte en(:ent
EdmuUds.
AS stated In the first paper of this
series the child Is the chief asset OF
the school its one excuse for being.
Around him as the centre revolvc
the home and the school. We can
not too strongly impress upon beth
OF these agencies working together
for the, child's welfare this truth:
When the heart of the home is in
league with the school, 1t is well with
The child I oeiieve that there is
not that intimate relationship be.
tween the paren, and the teacher that
there should be. The attitude is too
impcrsonal and therefore too criti-
cal. due frequently to lack Of SYM
pathy engondered by personal ignor-
ance Of the teachers motives and in
creased bS partizan prejudice pro
duced by the child's statements fre-
auentiy inadequate and often unjust.
1t Is singular that in all questions ex-
cept those concerning the school
child's judgment is considerei ! imma-
ture and his opinions Of little moment;
but in matters pertaining 20 the
school a teacher is condemned OH ac-
count Of the expression OF opinions
prejudiced by personal interests and
desires. A child's statement to the
effect that he is not learning anything,
or that his teacher treats him harsh-
ly-much more 90 than any other pu-
Pill OF the class-or that there are GER
tain pets and favoritcs An the class
and 1t happens that he is not one
anyone OF these things Is often sufTi-
cient to bring about a conds mnation
OF the teacher entirely undeserved.
Would 1t not tc fairer for the parent
To say' my child persists in making
thsec statements. His interest ard
welfare ore my chief concern and
my gravest responsibility. shall
not condemn his teacher even II, my
own mind. until after q careful inves.
tigati"n I have satisfied myself that
q mistake has been made. What
shall do Is to have an interview with
the teacher and feel sure that we
can reach some conclusion that viii;
provo satisfactory. This will taxa
time; but Is there any interest Of
mine more important than the vel
fare Of my child? I will CO." And IL
the parert approae hes the teacher not
with show Of antagonism. hut with
nm earnest desire to as certain the truth
an1 II. as indicated in the previous
paper. tho teacher will receive the
parent in the spirit of cordial CO.
operation the result will surely bs
salutary: 1t will be well Off the child.
1t Is true In life as in nature that
"a contiaual dropping day by day
will wear the hardest stone away"
and when q parent permits himself
to hear the same complaints concern
In the child's teacher repeated every
day an impression Is made. and q
prejudice created difficult to remove.
1t is far better not to hear these COM
plants every day. but to determine
to seek the truth before an erroneous
and misleading impression ls made.
The parent should determine to see
his child's teacher mention the state
mcnts that have beon brought to him,
ascertain whether there is any real
foundation for th% misapprehcnsion
that exists In the mind Of the CHILD
In other words have IN harmonious
interview whose result can be only
henefici'tl. A parcn' nay find that
tho teacher does not understand the
child, that there are some ncculiari-
ties OF disposition or temperament
which sho may have overlooked, tha:
thcre are certain drawbacks -: en-
or OF previous training of
which she Is ignorant A satisfactory
interview will threw light upon all of
these questions and thu management
of the child will be always easier
thereafter.
Not only Is this true, but these in
terviews will result In an acquaint.
that substitutes the personal
element for an abstract and imper-
sonal prejudice. The very fact that
a child knows that his parents and
his teacher are personally acquainted.
that tnev have nhd Interviews look
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