The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-08-27
80 countrr school Teaeher.

] I6 country OELAOOA AE6~4DAs
The country teachers lot, even when
/ the teacher IS a man, strong and capable
Of 'hustling" for his rights, is a hard
one When the teacher is a woman,
/ forced BY circumstances into teaching as
! a means of earning a livelihood, the disad-
/ vantages and hardships are multiplied.
| The salary. often given grudgingly. IS in
variaDly too small for the service rem
/ dered, even if il were paid promptly.
But prompt payment of teachers sala-
ries. not in this state alone. hut IN most
schools in the country districts, is the ex-
ception and Tot the rule.
To earn this pronissory pittence the
teacher must work from o'clCcB in the
morning until sunset from Monday morn
ing until saturday, and be ready the neyJ
Monday to resume the routine. The roU-
tine consists, IN great many instances,
Of trying TO create aItficially il some
heads something nature neglected. to put
there brains. And~if the teacher is not
successful in the undertaking, parents at
once reach the conclusion that the fault
is in the preceptor and net in the pupil
The country school teacher usually
DDe Us elOALAh dLADuE bnt pau Ou9 VI
the school The boarding place may be
one mile or foIr miles from the school
house. But the distance makes nc differ
ence; the school must begin on tae stroke
of S in the morning, whether the
teacher has to walk or ride, and must
continue all day. The city fad of closing
the days school session az 2 or 3 o'clock
has little part IN the country scLool econ
omy and will seldom be tolerated. The
teacher is expected TO perform a days
labor, just as the hired man in the field
or the shop is expected to perform a days
labor, and if 1t is not done somebody will
want to knowwhy. To walk four niles to
| a school house in the morning necessitates
the teachers rising about 5.
When the days trouble is over,
| say at 5 in the afternoon, the
teacher must again walk the four miles,
most likely carrying an aching head,
| tired limbs, digestion impaired from
hurried morning meals and cold midday
snack, and a consciousness that the
moulding of the young idea is not what it
is cracked up to be The boarding pace
is reached about z; the teacher is met
with frown or a short word because
Jack or Jill has turned over'' no more
than five or six leaves in a week ad-
vancement is often measured by the
| number of leaves turled-and the teacher
| tumbles into grudged bed, SICK at heat
But the next morning at 5 your teacher,
| only half rested, is Ip and at the daily
grind again.
1t requires courage in a man TO be
successful country SCHOOL teac cher. In
| deed, few men ever make it a permanent
| business. Many of them use teaching as
! a stepping stone to something that pays
| better and is more appreciated,
and many eminent men have come from
the country school master desk.
| If courage is required in a mao, what
| higher order of courage must be required
of woman, to endure the discourage
ments named, besides hundreds of others
unnamed; TO be meanwhile patient, self
sacrificing, firm yet gentle and always
respectful to the authorities. For the
teacher who crosses the authorities is
doomed. Verify, the country school
mistress who performs her duties faith
fully is a heroine and worthy Of honor.