The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1920-01-02
The Teacher
/ and the Parent.


Isystem and its universal benefit to the
youth of this generation and the OPP
portunities it offers for Improvement
and advancement in all the walks OF
life. Our Pennington public schools
we believe to be among the best con-
Quoted in the State and their corps Of
teachers excel in their several de-
partments. They are all faithful, eff
ficient and earnest in their work, and
lare entitled to the most encouraging
consideration from parents and the
Ipublic generally. Sympathetic coop
Ieration between teachers and parents,
or the home, is necessary to the best
results.
The teachers cannot do ii all. They
|cannot single out individual pupils
land push them along, nor can they
give special attention and instruction
Ito each and every individual pupil in
any one department, ranging from
tfifty or sixty and up under the care
land direction of one teacher. the in
structions given them in their stu
I dies must be general and in classes.
The pupils are of varying tempera-
Iment and disposition--some alert, ann
ibitious to stand well in their classes,
Others less eager to go forward or TO
excel, and still others prone 10 lag.
Thus among pupils of the same grade
Imeritorious advancement is made by
some while others are a disappoint-
rnent to both teacher and parent.
L Parents, of course, are anxious TO
see their children make progress,
stand well in their classes and In their
grades of study and department. This
Z t,da is natural. and when they do not
iionh this and the monthly reports
rsliow a low grade in their children's
study. they are disappointed and are
disposed to place the blame on their
| teacher. Not infrequently parents
approach the teachers-as perhaps all
| the teachers in our local public schools
can attest-and complain or request
that closer individual attention be
paid to their children, that they be
more specifically helped in their stu
dies so they NAV make a better show
| ing in advancement. Do such parents
Irealize that they are asking special
privileges or fayoritism for their chill
| dren which cannot be given to each
and every individual in their depart
ment or grade?
Every conscientious teacher does
give ali the assistance and instruction
possible to the duller pupils, for he
or she. as the case may be, takes a
/ s.ide in having all the pupils make the
very best showing. The remedy is
not to complain to the teachers or
ask that they do the impossible, but
Gar. the parents to cooperate with the
teachers by assisting their children
with their studies at home, encourag-
J ing them to prepare for the next day
and, impressing upon their plant
minds the great pleasure to be got
ten out of being prepared when their
classes are called to recite.
The trouble with all of us, perhaps,
is that we do not pay enough atten-
ton to our children at home in the
way of helping them with their les
sons as well as in many other little
amenities of life that should be i'm
pressed upon their minds and hearts
in their early years, when impressions
are made that will prove most lasting
and affect their after lives. The edu-
cation of the child begins at home. 1t
is there that the first stones of the
foundation of his character are laid
and which may make for his veal OF
woe in the years to come. The func.
tion of the teacher is the disciplininp