(Ueekly Cbcmawa American
VOL. VIII.
The Co-operation of Home and School
By Superintendent Thomas W. Potter,
i xtrnct of paper read before the teachers' institute
at Twin Kails, Idaho.
"It is not too much to 'say that, all
other things being equal, that school
succeeds best which is able to secure the
interest, enlist the support and bring
about the occassional, ay, frequent, pre
sence of the parents in the class room
and the class room work. There are
many reasons why this is so and should
he so. In the first place, the school
stands in an intermediate relation be
tween the home of the pupil and the
place which that pupil is to occupy in the
world. It is the home which has put
the child in the school and it is the
home and the school combined which is
to put that child into its future place in
the -vorld. If the child's interests are
to he considered and if the' are not to
he considered we had better abolish both
the school and the home at once, for we
are now touching upon the chiefest func
tions of both if the child's best interest?,
are to be considered, then neither the
school nor the home alone can place
that child, after having prepared it, to
host advantage in the world. The dwel
ling place of education is nit within the
NO. 38
pages, between the covers of a book, nor
is it encompassed within the four walls
of a school room not even altogether
within the comprehension of the teacher.
.Education does not mean teaching, nor
does teaching mean education, though it
is a component part, and an important
component part, of the latter.
"Example, sympathy, encourage
ment, enthusiasm, interest these are
bread and meat to the hungry soul, and
when we have all these things from those
who love us most, then all things he
come possible. We reach that happy
condition referred to by Virgil, 'Possunt
quia posse Videntur' 'they can do be
cause they seem to be able to do."
"Here is a task worthy of any faith
ful teacher, and one which I am sure we
will all endeavor to perform. To ac
complish the greatest amount of good
we must gain the sympathy, confidence
and respect of both parents as well as
pupils. If parents will not visit the
school, let the teacher visit the parents,
form their acquaintance and gain their
confidence. As before s'ated, it may be
difficult for many of the teachers to find
time to do this. Yet I am convinced it
it will be time well spent, and indeed
JANUARY 12, 1906