Year: 1863

MIR. PRESIDENT:


Having the honor to be selected by the
Committee, to write a composition upon some
topic pertaining to Education, have selected
from the broad field, for my subject, the Duties
Of Parents, Teachers and Pupils to the schools


1t is subject of vital Importance to each
and all Of us; for if we had a clearer percep-
ton of our several duties, we, certainly, would
not be so delinquent in performing them.


1t is the duty Of parents to instruct their chill
dren with regard to their manner of conduct in
the school room. They should teach them to
respect and obey their teacher, and regard him
as friend who is lnboring 10 promote their
welfare; and not as :: monster sent there by the
directors to punish them certain number of
times each day; and when he fails to do that,
he is unfit for his station and deserves to receive,
at the hands of his pupils, that punishment he
neglects TO bestow upon them. 1t is also their
duty to teach their children obedience, not thro'
fear of punishment, but from sense of duty,
and desire to do right. If parents would do
that, teachers would find little difficulty in gov
erning schools.


Parents frequently commit great error, by
sending their children to school too young;
thereby greatly injuring the child and annoying
the teacher. If parents consulted the interests
of their children, and also that Of the school,
they certainly would not think of sending
child to school, to sit for six hours a day. con-
ming over the alphabet for days, perhaps, for
weeks, breathing the impure air OF an ill-ven-
tiated room, perchance contracting diseases that
death alone can deliver it from.


1t is the duty of parents to furnish the nee
cssary books It is impossible for teacher to
advance school in which the pupils cannot be
,lossed for SO much time is consumed hearing
the different recitatons, that there is no time for
sfgenaral sxercisesr o. demonstrations of any
kind, AS long us parents continue to purchase
old, dlapidated books, because they can be had
for 20 or 80 Fer cent less than good ones, the
Common School system" as and uqW be hum
bugi


But who makes it so? The fault does not
lie in the Common School System, nor in the
teachers, but in the parents.


1t is the duty of parents to send their children
regularly to school. If many parents would
examine the reports of the teacher, and see
how many ''absent marks" their children have,
they would not be surprised that they know but
little more at the close than at the commence
ment of the term.


1t is the duty of every parent to visit the
school frequently. Not as critic or fault-find-
er. but as a friend of both the teacher and pu-
pills. IF parents would visit the schools often
er, we would have better schools; for the faith
full teacher would be encouraged to persevere
and the malignant and unfaithful would be a.
reused to action


But the duties Of the teachers are no less I'M
,l fi tba
First the teacher should possess a thorough
knowledge of eeeythaag he undertakes to teach.
Many teachers 60 forth to impart instruction
upon the subjects Of which they have only
gained slight knowledge they merely teach
what is contained in the textbooks, and are
unable to illustrate OF render the subject inter-
esting to pupils. He should strive to teach at
any and all times; and teach everything that is
of practical Importance to his scholars, when
ever and wherever the opportunity is presented
He should be n model OF refinement, for pupils
naturally initiate their teacher. He shonld be
kind and courteous both to his pupils and pat
rons, and win the esteem and affections of both.
He should visit the parents of his pupils fire.
quently, and converse freely upon educational
TOPICS ard the best methods Of imparting in
stroction. He should express his views and
learn theirs. And by these means obtain their
cooperation; for without the aid and assistance
Of the parents, it is beyond the power of any
one to teach successfully. He should be honest
and caadm with his patrons. No teacher should
conceal from the parents the true state of prog
ress made by their children, through fear of of
Tending them. lie should be as frank in re-
Iorting failure as success; for in many in
stances the failures might be remedied by the
parents; and perhaps would be if their atten- |
ton was incitod to it, and the necessity pointed
out in respectful manner by the teacher.


lie should stree TO make the school interesting. |
Children like change, they grow weary of
the same routine every day; and it is the duty
of the teacher to exercise his ingenuity in devil
sing ways and means, to relieve the monotony |
of the schoolroom 1t is not necessary to speak
of the different methods by which this may be
accomplished; doubtless, each teacher ''would
be most successful in his own peculiar way
Prof Ogden said that ''the most successful meth
DDS are the results of the teachers own origin
atty" The teacher should tmproCe himself. =
1t is duty he owes to his pupils and to the
profession. IT is not enough that he teaches as
good school this season as he did last he
should teach better one. In this age OF inn
teachers should not be content to
stand still and let everything else outstrp them.
There are SO many opportunities for obtaining
that no teacher can form the shad-
ow Of an excuse for remaining ignorant There