The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1935-09-05
~ YOUR
CHILDREN


II Having been both parent and
eacher, can review both sides
NOW with ripened and melIowed
Irrespective. I remember the
things I dreaded as a teacher, and
those' ! resented as a parent.
The school fracases ! took ex-
3eeption TO when my children were
little were naturally few because
Id had once been the teacher. The
lone ana only time / felt called
lnpon to battle was when one
fyOung woman insulted my sensi-
tive quiet daughter by attacking
her through me. You think you
lmre smart because your mother
WAS q teacher and now writes and
belongs TO the country club" In
leredible, isn't It? But 1t happen
cd. Fortunately, her numbers are
livery few.
back still further TO those teach
sng days OF my own and try TO
register on paper my own impress
lsions. Having felt the call at diff
I1erent times to resume my pro-
lfession, 1t cannot be said that
youth and lack Of experience were
Irresponsible for the way / felt In
the school room.
Feared Parental Opinions
And this is the way ! almost
Invariably felt: l WAS afraid. /
TO sleep well at night. dreaded
| every wrong answer. / had 10
! mark. When a child failed, 1t was
| myself / accused. What were par
ents thinking of me? IL 1t hadn't
been for that shadowy rank be-
| hind the class that faced me, !
could and would have done my
work 100 per cent better. | never
| taught school actually | was
teaching parents. The principal,
superintendent, inspection--all of
| them mental hurdles though they
were-never touched me In com
| paris0n with the mothers and
fathers ! was aiming to please.
have lived intimately with
enough teachers In my time, heard
them pour out their hearts, to
know that almost to a. soul they
were with me on this. Even the
veterans, hide hardened and vic
tOrious, felt the constant presence
of the parent. They were not
afraid of direct wrath, or notes or
scenes or complaints so much As
/ a large and vague antagonism
that in most cases never existed. q.
A kind note from a mother was
like mama from heaven. A visit
TO tell me that child was strong
err, or happier or doing better
work was like a benediction.
Seldom Was Happy
/ stood my ground and actu-
ally was energetic and rather
proud of my work, but / was sell
dom happy. lived. ate, slept. and
breathed school, school, always
school.
To this day, however, very pos
sibly not even my own family
knows how ! felt about teaching.
loved 1t, but dreaded 1t. ! want
ed those parents whose children
worked so hard over not to
blame me but to sense my difficult
ties, and they were many; to real
lie that IL mother has her trOu-
bles with two or three children
the teacher has infinitely more;
10 appreciate a little what / did.
Parents feel at liberty to dis
pense small punishments or de-
priyations. but the teacher knows
that In 800 hours a day (multiply
hours by 60) IL she exercises
her power of monitor, there IL
likely to be resentment. This,
however. IL only a small fraction
of her worry.
TO grade the child as highly as
possible, to feel that her class Ii
the stronger for semester in her
room-that is her goal. But how
much better she could function IL
she did not feel that SO fathers
and 30 mothers with critical eyes
were Judging her entire work
through their own Mary-Anns or
Juniors.
copyright 1895 NEA Service Inc