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Children’s Hours at Home
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However important we may regard school life to be,
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there is no denying that children
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spend more time at home than in the classroom.
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Therefore, the great influence of parents cannot be ignored
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or discounted by the teacher.
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They can become strong allies of the school personnel
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or they can consciously or unconsciously hinder curricular objectives.
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Administrators have been aware of the need
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to keep parents informed of the newer methods used in schools.
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Many principal have conducted workshops explaining
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such matter as the reading readiness program
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and developmental mathematics.
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Moreover, the teacher,
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with the permission of the supervisors,
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can also play an important role in enlightening parents.
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The informal tea and the many interviews carried on during the year,
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as well as new ways of reporting pupils’ progress,
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can significantly aid in achieving a harmonious interplay
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between school and home.
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To illustrate,
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suppose that a father has been drilling John in arithmetic processes
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night after night.
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In a friendly interview,
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the teacher can help the parent sublimate his natural paternal interest
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into productive channels.
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He might be persuaded to let John participate in discussing the family budget,
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buying the food, using a yardstick at home, setting the clock,
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calculating mileage on a trip
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and engaging in scores of other activities that have a mathematical basis.
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If the father follows the advice,
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it is reasonable to assume that he will soon realize
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his son is making satisfactory progress in mathematics,
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and at the same time, enjoying the work.
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Too often, however,
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teachers’ conferences with parents
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are devoted to petty accounts of children’s wrongdoings，
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complaints about laziness and poor work habits,
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and suggestions for punishment and rewards at home.
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What is needed is more creative approaches in which the teacher,
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as a professional adviser,
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plants ideas in parents’ minds for the best utilization of the many hours
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that the child spends out of the classroom.
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In this way,
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the school and the home join forces
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in fostering the fullest development of youngsters’ capacities.