Graham guardian., 1912-10-11

ceases to study, he loses the keen relish
for the knowledge that he deals out that
is the finest part of an instructors equip.
ment. If he prizes the facts as the
miner does the rich lead he finds after
days of hard labor, his voice and emo
tions will all be enlisted in their deliv-
cry. Like the Greek scholar he goes
crying, Eureka! Eureka" His Joy
will be infectious. A like love for
knowledge will be kindled in his classes.
A sweet spirit of knowledge hunting
should pervade the school, and the
teacher should lead the pupils.
2. Another way in which the home
may help the school is to aid the pupil
in the preparation of its lessons at home
The lesson preparation is the great busi-
ness for which we keep schools. 1t is
for this business that we lay plans,
state and nation wide, for popular edu-
cation. 1t is for this that we tax the
citizenship of the state, build school
houses, equip and maintain normal
schools and universities and colleges.
If the lesson is not prepared all our ed
ucational superstructure will fall to the
ground.
Our free institutions are dependent on
our free schools. Does the parent know
| that when he explains the lesson to his
child that he is preserving our liberties
and establishing more firmly our demo-
cratic form of government? The cor
nerstone of our government "of the
people, for the people and by the peo-
ple' is the public school. The enemy
to our public school system is not a
patriot. If the lesson preparation fail,
all fails. How necessary that it be
learned well! Parents who make every
thing about the home bend to the study
hour, are wiser than those who build
great houses for their families and yet
neglect this exceedingly important duty.
1t is of more value to teach your child
his lesson for the next day, than to
teach him all the tricks of trade or the
arts of society. Better teach him to
study than to leave him fortune in
lands and bank accounts.
Oh, but you say that is the teachers
duty. Yes, it is the teachers duty to
do this if you will not. He is only your
helper in making great man or woman
of your child. II you quit the work will
go forward much more slowly. Nothing
you can do for the child would count for
more than right here. am sure you
do not mean to turn your child over to
another person. You are very far from
believing in this. If you had a bunch
of cattle to be fed, you would not turn
it over to another person, but you
would use another's service under your
strict supervision and direction. You
have money invested in these cattle and
you cannot afford to leave them wholly
to another. You are to wise financier
to do such thing. 1t is absurd.
Is not your child worth more than
cattle? Have you not more in them
than in herd of cattle? Certainly,
unless you are a COW.
You should know intimately the kind
of mental pebulum your child is getting
at school, This you cannot do by let
ting him go without your help.
But you say that some parents have
but little education and cannot help
their children. Then there are few
things you can do, if you are one of
this kind of parents.
You can see that your child has a
good study table and good soft light,
and that he is not interfered with while
he gets his lessons for the next day.
You can tighten the home tasks 50 as
not to Overwork the child, and thus
take away his energy for study. There
is just as good reason that you should
not overwork them during their school
life as before it began, for they are
still babes before their tasks. You
taught the little toddler to walk and to
talk, but he needs your formative hand
now more than then.
But you say that you need their labor.
Would you squander the blood and mind
of your own offspring? You had just
as we'll open his arteries and let out his
blood as to use up his youth in doubt
full toll to the neglect of his education.
If the youth passes without the compli-
ment of training, your child has forever
lost out. Youth never returns. / do
not advocate heavy studying for the
tender child, but study as he is able and
as the case requires. This is the STRAIT
egic point in the joint experience of
parent and child. Parental comrade-
ship here will beget love in the child
for study and will dignity the business
for the child. During the rest of his
life many of his sweet home memories
will be connected with help father and
mother gave him in the preparation of
some lesson. The best place to learn
father or mother.
This leads me to say that the school
can help the home by lifting up the
parents ideals of parental leadership.
Very many parents have a limited and
inadequate education and cannot go far
along the path toward knowledge as
the child's instructor. The teacher can
not probably teach the parent arithme-
10 nd h,tf
things he can do to help the parent.
ers and parents meetings. By means
of this occasion the teacher can be-
come better acquainted with the par
ents and they with him. Thus better
understanding between them will be en-
gendered. Many things that the par
ent has to guess at, may be talked over
a chance to unfold his methods and
when they are understood by the par
ent, he will lend the teacher his best
efforts to make them succeed.
There are some lines along which the
parents would be glad to have the
teacher instruct them. For instance all
wise and intelligent parents would de-
light to hear alks or papers on some
phases of psychology as related to the
child mind. AS the teacher pours forth
his knowledge, the parent will feel that
his school days have not yet ended, or
that they have returned. 1t would be
the fulfillment of the universal dream
of intelligent parents to be some day
situated so as to continue their studies.
Suggestion as to how to beautify the
home, or to keep the boys at home, and
how to inculcate family religion and
talks along lines of aesthetic culture,