the school, because, as he says, he studied "single handed," —and he is unwilling his child should be compelled, by any such "machinery," to go beyond the limits prescribed in his own mind.

3.

A suspicious spirit on the part of parents, is another cause of misunderstanding. So universally does this operate on the minds of parents-induced, perhaps, by some failure or deception in a former teacher - that, for some weeks, in many districts, they seem to stand on the opposite side, to watch for the appearance of some fault. It would seem to be their motto, "We will believe no good till we see it." The children, always ready imitators and quick of discernment, catch the same spirit, and watch for some imperfection, which they feel encouraged to report at home as soon as they see it, or think they see it. Faults, then, and not excellencies make the first impression both at school and at home; and that teacher, under such circumstances, must be a wonderful man and wonderfully fortunate, if he can ever attain to a good degree of their confidence, which, if gained, must be gained after long trial, patient effort, yet so as by fire.

4. A disposition to dictate, is another cause of the difficulty. In New England, men often have some adroitness in various kinds of business. The farmer, for instance, if he be a true Yankee, may at the same time be a carpenter, a wheelwright, a shoemaker, and a blacksmith — for all his own purposes. If he do not operate in all these departments, he feels perfectly at liberty to direct how the work shall be performed for him. So most parents feel disposed to give lessons to the schoolmaster. If they call a physician, he may administer to his patient either calomel or lobelia, as he chooses; but the teacher must first hear their direction in his profession. And the most unfortunate part of it is, that the dictation usually comes to the teacher through the pupil, who, by the time he delivers his message, has pretty thoroughly imbibed the spirit of it, and what part of it might be yielded by the parent, is sure to be insisted on as a matter of right by the child.

5. A want of personal acquaintance between the parties. Teachers in many of our schools spend months, and in some instances years with youth, whose parents they have never known. The parents during this time have probably formed their opinion of the teacher, perhaps have expressed it freely either for or against him, and yet, have never spoken a word

with him, and very likely may not even know him by sight. They can understand but little of his character, of his temper, or of his interest in his school. All they can know of him is derived through their children a knowledge which, to say the most for it, may be right or it may be wrong.

Let us not, however, be understood to place all the causes of these evils at the door of the parents. We say it with sorrow — teachers have too often rendered themselves unworthy of the confidence and co-operation of parents. It must be admitted, however humbling the fact, that the office of the teacher has not unfrequently been filled with the personification of indolence, selfishness, and imbecility. Men have sometimes. entered upon the business of teaching from no higher motive than their incapacity to gain a livelihood in any other way. Through the supineness of school committees, and the misdirected sympathy of some of their influential friends, there have been not a few men, who have gained their situations by the paper qualifications which they carried in their pocket-books, and who, so far as usefulness in their schools was concerned, might as well have been themselves paper men.

There is another order of teachers found in our district schools, who, it seems to us, except from motives of heavenborn charity, rarely ought to be employed. We refer to that large and very respectable class of young men, who are members of some college or other seminary, and who resort to school-keeping solely for the purpose of obtaining the pecuniary means to meet their further expenses. Many of these intend to prosecute their own studies to keep pace with their classes, while they have not the most distant thought of ever becoming permanent teachers, of course their success and their reputation as instructers are minor considerations with them, so they find on rejoining their classes, that they have not "lost ground." Some of this class may faithfully discharge their duties, but many others manifest more interest in the progress of school hours as indicated upon the dials of their watches, than they do in the proficiency of their pupils ; and spend more of their strength in their own service than in that of their schools.

The regular teacher too, may have his faults. He may have but little in his character which is attractive or conciliatory. He may be too self-sufficient, too pedantic, or too haughty. He may announce his plans without any apparent

wish to explain them, should he be reasonably requested so to do. He may be an off-sided man. If the people among whom he resides put the wheel in motion and excite the electric fluid, he may refuse to hold the conductor, and so no spark would be kindled. Should they bow in the street, he may "set his face like flint," and "let his course be right onward," and thus chill all their good feelings in the very bud, and seal up by a relentless frost all the fountains of mutual sociality.

Where the foregoing causes exist they must always produce a most unhappy state of things; and the teacher who attempts to go forward while they operate, will most certainly "rue the day" when he first set his face upon school-keeping.

It is desirable all should understand the means of avoiding these evils, if they do not exist, or of removing them where they have gained a place.

In education, as in all other things, prevention is more valuable than cure. The teacher will, therefore, spare himself many pangs, and secure the foundation of much usefulness, if he can so conduct matters, as to prevent the existence of any cause of difficulty between himself and the parents of his pupils. This business of prevention lies partly with the teacher, and partly with the parents themselves.

We are now prepared, in consideration of these mutual deficiencies, to enter more particularly into the subject assigned. We shall, for the sake of arrangement, treat of the duties of each party separately, and shall commence with the

DUTIES OF THE TEACHER.

1. He should imbue himself with a feeling of the importance of his work. If he would gain the confidence of his employers, he must be prepared to show to them evidence of a living interest in his profession. But this cannot be shown unless it be deeply felt. In contemplating his duty, the teacher should form elevated conceptions of his sphere of action, and he should aim at nothing less than such an ascendancy over the minds of his pupils, as will enable him to govern, to instruct, and to elevate them as moral beings, as these several acts should be done.

2. He should seek frequent opportunity of intercourse with the parents. Though the advances toward this point, by the strict rules of etiquette, it would seem, should be made by the parents themselves (as by some it is actually and seasonably

done) yet, as a general thing, taking the world as we find it, the teacher must take the lead. He must often introduce himself uninvited to the people among whom he dwells, calling at their homes in the spirit of his vocation, and conversing with them freely about his duty to their children and to themselves. Every parent of course will feel bound to exercise courteous civility in his own house, and, by such an interview, perhaps a difference of opinion, a prejudice, or a suspicion may be removed, and the foundation of mutual good understanding and cordiality may be laid if done in a right spirit it certainly will be laid - which many little troubles can never shake. It may be very useful to have an interview with such parents as have been disturbed by some administration of discipline upon members of their families. Let us not be understood, however, to recommend that the teacher should ever go to the parent in a cringing, unmanly spirit. It would probably be far better that the parties should ever remain entire strangers, than that their meeting should necessarily be an occasion of humiliating retraction on the side of the teacher. Neither should the parents ever be allowed to expect, that the teacher always will, as matter of duty, come to their confessional. This is not our meaning. But in our opinion the meeting of the parties as men, as gentlemen, as Christians, as coadjutors for the child's welfare, will always be attended with good results.

3. He should be willing to explain all his plans to the parents of his pupils. If they had implicit confidence in him, and would readily and fully give him all the facilities for carrying forward his designs without explanation, then, perhaps, this direction might not be necessary. But as the world is, he cannot expect spontaneous confidence. They wish to know his designs, and it is best they should be informed. The readiest way for the teacher to interest them in the business of education, will be freely to converse with them concerning the measures he intends to adopt. If his plans are judicious, he of course can show good reasons why they should be carried into effect; and parents in general, are ready to listen to reason, when it is directed to the benefit of their children. Many a parent upon the first announcement of a measure in school, has stoutly opposed it, who upon a little conversation with the teacher, would entertain a very different opinion, and ever after would be most ready to countenance and support it. It seems to us a teacher may safely encourage inquiry into

all his movements in school. There is an old saying in our opinion a mischievous one-which enjoins it as a duty upon all, to "tell no tales out of school." We see no objection to the reverse of this. Why may not every thing be told, if told correctly? Would it not do away very much of the existing suspicion already spoken of, if it were understood that there was no mystery about the school? Let this be the case, and the teacher would be careful never to do anything, or say anything, which he would not be willing to have related to the parents, or even to be witnessed by them. We would that the walls of our school-rooms were transparent as you look inward, so that any individual unperceived might view with his own eyes the movements within. We believe there has already been too much mystery within our school-rooms, and the sooner we have daylight the better.

In this connection it may be proper to suggest, that the teacher should encourage the frequent visitation of his school, by the parents of his pupils. When this takes place, let him be exceedingly careful that he does not, in any instance, deviate from his accustomed usages on their account. Let all the recitations and explanations be attended to, all praises and reproofs, all rewards and punishments be as faithfully and punctually dispensed as if no person were present. Such visitations, it is believed, would be highly useful under such circumstances. But if the teacher make them the occasions for the exercise, before his school, of ostentation and hypocrisy, then no good results may be expected.*

4. The teacher should be frank in all his representations to parents, concerning their children. This is a point, upon which many teachers most lamentably err. In this, as in every other case, "honesty is the best policy:" If an instructer inform a parent during the term, that his son is making rapid progress, or, as the phrase is "doing very well," he excites in him high expectations; and if, at the end of the term, it turn out otherwise, the parent, with much justice, may be

*The question has been started, we are aware — “ "Should punishments ever be inflicted in the presence of strangers? We are strongly inclined to the affirmative of this question. If the teacher is known to deviate from his common usages on such occasions, he may always expect more or less idleness and confusion when he has visiters in his room. If, on the other hand, his pupils know where to find him, they will very seldom need reproof or correction before strangers. Something, however, may be said on the other side.