The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1912-11-14
OUR TEACHERS DEPARTMENT
Conducted by Prof Charles d. Levi.
The Farmer-Tea

school for farmers some time during
the winter.
Now we need that young man dupli.
Gated in about ten thousand com
munities throughout Kentucky. There
Is not pay enough in country school
teaching at present to justify a good
man in giving his time to the work,
but IL the teacher has a good small
farm, and knows how to run IL upon
a scientific basis, the two enterprises,
the school and the farm, will make
him not merely a good living. but
what is far more important, a chance
to invest his life in a way that will
count for the very most.
Some think that It is not possible
for man to do two things and do
each well, but know that IL is. A
man can be farmer all over while
on the farm, and Just as intense a
teacher when in the schoolroom.
Will he carry the spirit of the farm
into the schoolroom, and possibly
some Of the odors of the barn? Quite
probably, and IL so. all the better.
We need the farm atmosphere in the
school. Too long has the atmosphere
of the pedagog been there, driving
nine boys out of ten from the school
before the elementary course is finish
ed. and making professional or bust
ness men out of most of the rest.
Our schools need to become cen
ters of information that will do the
most for the producing power of the
farm. They must measure their sue
cess, not in per cents upon grade
cards, but in terms of the bushels
and pounds that they will help the
farm produce, for the boy and girl
crop will keep pace in quality, with
the advance of producing power Of
the soil
So | wish TO make an appeal TO
the young men of the profession 20
become farmer-teachers You doubt
less know the school teaching bust
ness fairly we'll. Learn 1t better, so
that you will always be in demand,
and then start in to learn Scienti-
fic Farming. You can do It. II you
do not believe this write me, and
will tell you how In the next place,
learn to be leader of men, for what
our country needs more than any
thing else is leaders.
Then, whether you have a graded
school of eight or nine months, or
an ordinary term of six months, you
will have a good living from school
and soil together. But never forget
that you must be the best teacher
and the best farmer in the commu-
nifty, and, in addition, leader in the
social, industrial, political, and relig-
ious life of the community. You can
not be a Mailman on any line of ac-
tivity that is for the betterment VI
the D 'uple and amount TO anything.
But what are the opportunities for
women, you may ask? Just as good as
for the men. Quit being school teach
err and become a Home Teacher, in
cooperation with the best Farmer
Teacher that you can find. Now this
is not a joke. 1t is the most serious
statement that | have made. The great
thing that | wish to impress is that
we must make out Of. our Farmer
Teacher and his activities, a home
influence that will count for the
very most in the community, and
that cannot be done without a wife
who is his equal in ability in train
ing, and in ambition.
So let us work earnestly for an
increase in the number of teachers
like the friend whom l described Mt
the beginning. Do not, my young
friends. be drawn into the town and
city schools. Stay by the soil and you
will find that II has rich rewards for
YOU as teacher, as farmer, as home
maker and as community leader.
n n 4.