The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1912-09-12
TO STUDY CONDITIONS HERE
Teachers Work is Not Solely With a
View of Getting Pay Check at End of
the Month but to Aid in Development
of the Children Along All Lines.

vance work among the teachers of the
city schools in connection with an eff
fort to make the schools of the city an
agent to secure better conditions in
the homes. In an address to the teach
ers Mrs. Bradford says:
fFWe hear about the higher and low
err professions. The higher profess
sions are those in which people have
some other purpose in view than the
pay check solely. The pay check is a
desirable object and will be most ac-
ceptable at the end of the first four
weeks; but if that is the only or chief
object that makes teaching attractive
there cannot be the spirit actuating
your work, or the advancement charac-
terizing it that will place you in the
higher professional ranks. There are
many who are teaching because the
work of the teacher affords an oppor-
tunity for doing good unsurpassed by
any profession; they love the service
and are giving every day the very
best they are capable of. These are
the valuable teachers; school authori-
ties readily recognize such, and COM
munities are not slow in approaching
them.
GAS a teacher for years in normal
schools, / am, as you would naturally
expect, firm believer in the full daily
plan of work. It is the first requisite
to enthusiastic, happy work.
eff with all your care, pupils do MOI
advance satisfactorily, there are three
chief causes that should be investi-
gated:
ri. The home conditions.
"2. The physical condition of the
child.
go. The child's attitude towards
his work.
"I cannot discuss all of these, but
will summarize somewhat fully:
"The home conditions that most fire.
quently result in backwardness and
lack of interest are:
81: Insufficient sleep.
"2. Lack of pure air.
"3. Lack of adequate play and ex-
ercise.
"a. Exhausting labor before and
after school.
"5., Lack Of opportunity for home
study.
go. Lack of friendly sympathy on
the part of parents.
~. Malnutrition.
"8. Lack of an orderly distribu-
tion of time in the home.
"To change these home conditions
| it is necessary for the teachers to get
into touch with the homes. There are
several ways of doing this, as
81. By having parents come to
school and talk with principal and
| teachers.
"2. By having parents meetings.
"3. By visits made to the homes of
pupils.
"More should be done in Kenosha
with parents meetings. In some cities
parent teachers associations have been
organized, the initial movement to-
wards this coming from parents them
selves, who assume the work incident
to the organization, thus relieving the
teachers Of this added care. 1t will be
a fortunate day for Kenosha when the
Parent-Teachers Association move
ment reaches Kenosha.
Parents who won t go to meetings
must be reached in other ways. Teach
ers must visit them in their homes. All
kindergarten teachers are trained to
regard this as q regular part of their
work, and time is allowed them during
the school day to do it. Other teach
ers could follow the same visiting
practice, with benefit to themselves
and their work, as well as to the par
ents.
II have known many instances
when such visit has entirely changed
teacher s attitude towards a child bv
bringing an understanding of the con-
ditions under which the child was do
ing his school Work-and sympathy i'm
mediately took the place of i'm
patience. Let me say in this connec-
ton that I have found that it is not
the poor alone who need advice about
the up-bringing of their children.
" Kenosha is IN position this wear
to attend more promptly to physical
conditions than ever before. There
will be the medical inspection as usual,
and with the health commissioner. DR..
McShane, ready to advise ands assist.
I'VE hope to be able to follow up more
of the cases, and help children to get
1 ppliaf from {ha