Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1913-01-23
JOHNNY's TEACHER.
From Emporia Gazette.
: eAAAAAAAAAeA
Do you know Johnny's teacher

good estimate OF her character Il
general. and her ability as a teache
in particular, from the. things john,
tells you about her.
For instance, you know she is un
fair in her treatment of her pupils
for only yesterday she kept you
Johnny in after school for yelling ou
when he sat on the pin Jimmy Smith
had stuck through a crack In hi
seat, and didn't do thing to Jimmy
who was the real culprit. You know
that she is partial. for on Johnny't
report card she gave him rs in de-
pertinent, while Willie Jones, who
Johnny assures you is twice as bad
as he is, got 80. You know that she
is not a good instructor, because
Johnny's father had to explain John
ny's arithmetic problems to him ev-
cry night after supper-the problems
the teacher should have made clear
to him in class. Altogether you are
sure she is incompetent and unsatis-
factory and you wonder why the
school board retains her.
Johnny being your son, of course
is strictly truthful. But all human
creatures make mistakes. And John
ny, who is ten, is intensely human.
1t might even be possible that John
ny should be slightly prejudiced.
Humanity at ten has hardly reached
that stage in its development where
It can see impartially both sides of
question in which the first person
singular is an interested party.
Perhaps Johnny might have told
you last night, II he had seen fit to
take you into his full confidence,
that the only reason Jimmy escaped
was because he didn't
get caught, and Johnny didn't dare
tell on him" because Jimmy knew
things, too, that wouldn't bear tell
ing. Johnny might have told you
further. that for one time he Is pun
ished unjustly that are dozen times
when he is sharp enough to escape
And about Johnn's department
grade; Leaving out the relative VAL
nes of Johnny's and the teachers
Judgment as to what constitutes good
and bad deportment-if you have
never taught public school you have
not the faintest inkling Of the work
I takes to average up the grades
or those fifty report cards at the
md Of every six weeks. But you
probably do know that there Is no
lccurate percentage system of de-
ermining the department grade: It
an be but a general estimate of the
during the month. II in
making that estimate. along with all 4
he other work of grading and aver ,
ging the work Of fifty pupils, the
eacher makes a mistake of 5 per
emit in Johnny's grade or Willie's
rade. is 1t necessarily q proof Of ,
err Partially to Willie?
In regard to the teachers incom- /,
stency as an arithmetic instructor, !.
aturally you have taken II for
'anted that Johnny always pays the
rictest attention when the arith- ,,
etic class is in session. His eyes :
q glued to the blackboard, wheth-
the teacher is looking or not. He
flows each step of the problem :,
stead of watching his chance to :.
inch Jimmy Smith in the ribs. But :,
ppose you ask Johnny a few search
& questions about it. =
The trouble with Johnny's teacher :
that she is not getting enough
operation from Johnny's mother,
d Willie's mother and Jimmy's -
other and forty-seven other moth
) who show no interest in her work
cept when they find it necessary
criticise her treatment of their =
n particular hopefuls.
AS Johnny's mother and Johnny's -
her, it is to your interest to know =,
hnny's teacher-as she is, not
hnny's version of her. An occa-
nal visit from you might give you =.
insight into her work that you ~
We wholly missed while looking =
her from Johnny's viewpoint. ~
You might find, among other -
ngs, that Johnny's teacher is at
npting more for smaller pay than
she had entered any other pro-
sion on earth. How would you 80
e the job of experimenting the ;.
ntal. moral and sniritual velfare "A'