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a school of twelve hundred pupils, I want to know how, under the canopy, we can visit the parents of all of them, and do our duty in the school-room. Let us exercise a little common sense. I do not believe it is our duty to seek them out, they should be educated to believe that it is their business to come to the school-room, and see what we are doing. If a farmer employs a hand to work on his farm, he does not expect the man to come up to him and report proceedings every night; he goes down into the field to see how the man is getting along; and that is what he should do. I do not care how much effort is directed towards securing the coöperation of parents by getting them to come to the school-room, and make the acquaintance of the teacher. That is all very well. But this idea of making the teacher a missionary, a colporter, or what not, to go roaming through his district, from Dan to Beersheba, merely to cultivate the acquaintance of parents, is simply absurd. It may be the duty of the teacher in some cases, where he has a very difficult case of discipline to attend to, to go and see the parents. In such cases I would waive my prerogative.

I would rather sit under the ministry of a man who spends his time in his study, and, when I go to the sanctuary, gives me "beaten oil," than sit under the ministry of one who spends his whole time in visiting among his parishioners. Visiting among them is all very well; but the thing may be, to use a common expression, "run into the ground." I certainly would have the teacher, in some cases, go to the parents; but what I deprecate is that such a body as this should lay the laboring oar upon the teacher, and give its countenance to the idea that it is the duty of the teacher to seek out the parents. I think the cause of education is suffering because parents are taught to think they ought to wait until the teacher seeks them out, rather than that it is their duty to go after him. (Applause.)

Mr. Hedges. I took part in the discussion to which Mr. Sheldon has referred, eight years ago, but not in the spirit which he criticised, and I told the story of a long-tried teacher in New Jersey. I became acquainted a few years ago, in Newark, with a great many business-men, who spoke of a Mr. D. with the utmost respect. They brought me their children, whom he had taught; and it interested me to know what his method was. I have a love for a good teacher, and I wanted to know what kind of a man it was who had left this impression upon those fathers and mothers. I found that in 1814, Mr. D., who had been endeavoring to get a living keeping books, strayed into a village in New Jersey, and went to teaching school; and having no wife, and no money to support one if he had, he "boarded round;" and I was told that he was at that time (1856) still "boarding round." From 1814 to 1856, he had constantly followed that method, making friends in every family, and had raised up two or three generations of excellent business men. All I have to say is, that that same Mr. D., in that same place, is to-day still "boarding round."

D. C. Brown, of Boston. I have always advocated, in special cases, the visitation of parents; but, as a general rule, it does not seem to me so desirable as we would be led to think from the tendency of this discussion. In many cases, the parents of my pupils have been introduced to me for the first time, when they graduated; but I always knew that I had the cooperation of the parents. In the first place, there were the appropriations which were generously made for the support of the school. Then there was that personal connection between me and the parents which was manifested every day by the presence of the pupil in the school-room; by her tidy appearance; by her disposition to do everything that was necessary to the discharge of the duties of the school

room. That is all, in many cases, that is needed; but of course, when we have a hard case to deal with, it is well to advise with the parents in regard to the best methods to be pursued.

There is an evil connected with a general knowledge of the parents of the pupils. As I understand it, justice in a schoolroom, toward all the pupils equally, is one of the first elements that should enter into the control of that school-room. Now, sir, is there no danger that, if a teacher knows that one of his pupils comes from a mansion and another from a hovel, he may see in the person of his pupils the mansion or the hovel? For my own part, I somewhat dread the knowledge, and never in ordinary circumstances have I sought it.

Mr. Lathrop, of Waltham, Mass. I think that parents are interested in having their children succeed in school. Thorough scholarship is what is desired; and if the master is faithful, and awakens a lively interest among his pupils in the studies pursued, so that they call upon their parents to assist them in carrying our their investigations, the parents are pleased. I hold that that means of securing the coöperation of parents should be relied upon more than the popularity that may be acquired out of the school-room.

W. A. Mowry, of Providence, R. I. This is certainly a very important question, and we are all very anxious to learn how to answer it correctly. I like very much most of the remarks that have been made. Our good father from New Jersey has given us an illustration of his idea of the importance of making the acquaintance of parents. I recollect a story that is told of one of the Beecher Family, who adopted the plan of "boarding round." He had a wife and family; but he went to one parishioner's house and remained a week, then to another, and so he passed round I believe his stay was not from 1814 to 1864. I think there would be two sides

to that question. There must certainly be some other elements of success in that good man who has taught so long in one place, besides the simple fact that he has "boarded round." I do not think it would be within the range of possibility for us all to do that.

It seems to me that circumstances make a very great difference in this matter. I have been thinking how I could carry out the views of those gentlemen who would make it the duty of teachers to visit the parents of their pupils. I have pupils whose parents reside in New Brunswick and Rio Janeiro, and all over the State, to say nothing of the city; and I am sure I cannot visit all those parents. I do not believe it is my duty to do what I cannot do.

We should remember this: that there are many things which belong to us to do as matters of duty, and there are many other things which we may do as matters of policy. I do not understand it to be my duty to visit the parents of my pupils once in three months or once a year; it seems to me that duty would dictate that they should call upon me. I have found that the best and most cultivated parents, when I have taken a new school, have called upon me at the schoolroom, if not at the house. They have desired to make my acquaintance, and in such cases I certainly would return the call; but I do not think that politeness requires that I should first go and visit those parents, before they have manifested any desire to see me. Still, there are many things that I may do as matter of policy. I have found it to be good policy, when I have any difficulty with a boy or girl, when anything occurs which demands the special coöperation of a parent, to call on that parent; and in almost every case I have gained the coöperation of the parent. So, if I find that by the cooperation of the parent, I can draw out a scholar's mind, and satisfy myself that he will improve more rapidly

with such coöperation, then I will call upon the parent and state these things, and endeavor to secure his coöperation. I cannot remember a single instance where, in either case, I have failed to secure the coöperation of the parent when seeking for it. That is a matter of policy: it is not always a matter of duty. We must judge between the two.

There is another view of this question which should be brought out here. I have always found, from the first, that the best method of securing the entire coöperation of the parents is first to get the coöperation of the scholar. I have almost invariably found that when scholars were pleased with their school, pleased with their own progress, satisfied with the faithfulness of the teacher, I have had the parents' coöperation in full.

I was intending to ask the question that has been asked by our friend from Brooklyn: How many of the teachers who are impressing upon us the duty of visiting parents do it? We should not recommend a theory that cannot be applied in practice. The difference between schools in the rural districts and in cities, between primary and high schools, between public and private schools, should constantly be borne in mind in such a discussion as this. No one rule will apply to them all. No single principle that can be advocated here will apply to all these various cases. We should endeavor to receive the coöperation of parents by all the means possible, because without it, we cannot be successful in the highest degree; but I deprecate the idea of allowing the impression to go out from this convention that it is the duty of teachers to visit parents, without our saying also, that it is the duty of parents to visit teachers.

Mr. Stone. I should like to make two remarks with reference to what has been said by the gentleman from Providence. In the first place, I will answer his question. He

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