The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1886-03-26
COUNTRY TEACHERS.
The DepIorabIe State of School-HOuses
Many Rural Districts.

The DeplorabIe State of Sch0ol-Houses in
Many Rural Districts.
A teacher who has lately been travel
ing through the country was forcibly
impressed with the need of calling the
attention of teachers and school officers
to the condition of country school
houses and grounds The latter in
most cases are the very picture of des-
olation. Treeless, fence impaired, gate
hanging on one hinge, last years
weeds telling the story of carelessness,
when not trodden down, house open
underneath and in every way less
cared for than a thrifty farmers barn
yard. Now enter the simple room.
The furniture, consisting of a couple
dozen box seats, in which the children
are almost hidden from view, is ar
ranged without order or system. An
gular, straightforward and seeming bet
ter calculated to punish criminals in,
rather than comfortable seating for
school children, a single broken chair
chow happens it that the chair is al
ways brOkenP) a single box-desk per-
forming the Office of a teachers table,
a broom, poker and a half-bottomless
coal scuttIe, sitting its contents on the
floor, constitute the furnishing of the
room. Now look about you. The
plastering has fallen off in patches and
has been so botched and daubed over,
that it is hard to distinguish the orig
inal from the patches. The stove is as
innocent of blacking as a pile of old
iron, and the crooked stoye-pipe seems
hanging overhead like DamOcles' sword
by a hair; two window lights are sup
piled by shingles, third by a sheet of
foolscap paper, and others open or
stuffed with rags.
If boy culture was half so we'll I'M
destood as pig culture, or was deemed
half as profitable, the school-rooms and
premises would be the most attractive
places to be found in village or com
munity. Send boy to such school,
taught by new teacher every term,
let him return each evening to a book
less fireside, where he hears of nothing
but corn and cattle, and where no pains
are taken to furnish him with innocent
amusements, and then wonder why he
seeks the city as soon as he can cut the
pr0verbial apron stringsi
One great reform is demanded.
Farmers can easily understand the
advantage of keeping the same hired
help from season to season. Why does
not the same common sense guide
them in the employment of teachers?
There is scarcely a school district to be
found that is not able to employ a man
or woman for eight months in the year.
Then let them find the right one, let
him make his home in the district and
be made to feel that his work is per-
manent one by paying him living
wages and by assisting him, and offer
ing the needed encouragement, and
give him to understand that a part of
his work is to keep the premises in an
attractive condition, and furnish him
the needed assistance in performing his
duty.
School officers are not bound to dis
miss a teacher for every complaint
they hear. Generally, it is best to
kindly point out their faults, and let
them remain, when faults are real.
Teachers try hard to please. Their
curse is, they are subject to the criti-
cism and their reputation Is in the
hands Of those who know the qualities
of a bull calf good deal tctter than
that of teacher, and whose ignorance
of the whole subject they are called
upon to manage, fairly stated, would
make volume on the theory and art
Of education.-N g. CantPbcH, IN Cur
rent.