The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1913-08-29
HOW TRAMP TEACHERS
LIFT MORTGAGES
FROM THE FARMS,
Continued from page q


great upon myself as 1t was upor
Dick, although he was Transformed
from the dullest boy in the school in
to one of the most earnest and inter
ested of pupils. AS for myself, the
disclosures of that experiment amoun
ed to some thing like revelation
That experience gave me jolt tina
Influenced my whole career. Instead
of burying myself in books | studied
the boys of my district and spent ev
cry available hour of my time in theil
homes or working with them in the
fields and barns, finding out in wha
they were interested. From these
researches I framed the work in the
classroom and made a consistent at
tempt to hook up all the lessons with
actual life of the pupils.
THAT experience contains the whole
philosophy of the German system Of
carrying the education of the farm
boy and farm girl straight to the field
and to the kitchen. In pedagogical
sense it is undoubtedly the soundest
system in existence, the most vital
and the most practical. Even in the
ordinary country school of America
a high percentage of the teaching is
unrelated to actual life-the home
conditions-of the pupils. Of course
there is reason for all this.
Probably no person had so great
influence in fixing the characteristics
of the comon- school system as did
Horace Mann. When he exerted
that influence he saw that the country
was short on the kind of education
needed to equip men for the profess
sions. Consequently he provided for
that need. Instead of readjusting
our educational machinery after that
need was met, we have kept driving
steadily forward in the same direc-
ton, until the whole logic of the sit
uation has been changed and the mat
ter of our academic education has
been carried almost to absurdity.
Now we are facing a revision in our
educational system that is bound to be
revolutionary. Once heard the presi-
dent of a freshwater college declare
that the mission of his institution was
to turn out one great mana great
statesman, great scientist, great
preacher or leader of men. That is
the old conception Of education, tn;
ideal that is being pushed into tn,
background by the pressure of tn
practical needs of a great nation o
common people. The new educatio,
will not bother itself about keeping
up the visible supply of greatness
but it will aim to teach every young
man and young woman according tc
his or her needs"
The mistress of a little Iowa school
who had heard Professor Holden talk
for kind of teaching that would
'meet the boys and girls of the farm
on their own ground and do something
for those that cannot go to college,
determined to see for herself if there
was anything in this theory of teach.
ing farm boys Gin the terms of theii
own everyday lives" AS her district
was in dairy community she learned
how to test milk and determine its
percentage Of butterfat. Then she
asked each of the older boys in the
school how many pounds of milk the
best COW in the homo dairy yielded
each day.
"We've got one," proudly declared
ono pupil, that gives twenty eight
quarts-anyhow she did when she
was fresh, I don't s'pose there's a
better COW than old Brindle in this
township
But don't you weigh the milk SO
that you know just what each COW is
really giving?" innocently asked the
teacher.
"Naw!" was the disguised response.
eve keep too many COWS to fool with
any fussing like that"
"Jims alus blowing about their
Brindle," spoke up the son of school
trustee; "but we've got a new cow
that don't need to take anything from
any COW in this county Pa says she's
q full-blood Holstein"
well, laughed the teacher, "neith-
er of you knows how much milk his
COW gives in actual quantity-and if
he did that wouldn't tell which is the
better COW. This milk is bought by
the creamery and made into butter.
Suppose that Toms COW gave thirty
quarts day, but that milk was not
rich enough to make pound of but
ter, would the creamery make any
money buying that kind of milk"