River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1915-01-28
TIE TRAINING OF TEACHERS IN THE
RURAL DEPARTMENT. o. THE RIVER
FALLS NORMAL SCHOOL
JAMES /. MALoTT, PRINCIPAL.

"" <, [ later he is to enter the nor.
NAL school to prepare for reachino
70 tue raj school 1t is very hard
20 adjust his course SO as to give
11m The credit and training if he
comes from either the state graded
school or the high school.
3 he three years gives him a
)eFter opportunity to study the rur-
= problems and cultivate the coun-
~ spirit, to become ACC TAINTED
With these problems.
4. The atmosphere Of he norm al
school IS the atmosphere OF the
Coaching profession. Every ont
connected witch it has the one OBJ
J-ct1ve-teaChing. Here he will be-
come lmbued with this spirit, which
will better fit him for his work.
5 There is urgent need today tor
nore industrial work in the rural
chool and the initiative in this d.
ectlon must come FIR m the teacher
himself Three years training ir
! school hat is directing it's ener-
lies in this direction as this school
$ doing. will mean much 10 such
pupils.
6. By requiring three years for
CHS course, il will enable those ad
ninistering the course to so arrange
he program of each pupil as to far
better meet the needs of the rural
chool of today. The segregation
i groups in practically all OF the
work can be arranged. Not that III
he common branches all will not
ecelve instruction, but that IN
hese branches the aim in the rural
department will be preparation for
eaching these subjects in the rural
school, e in the agricultural
work. the pupil in the agricultural
department will be looking forward
teaching agriculture IN the high
chool, while the pupil in the rural
school department will be looking
onward to teaching agriculture in
he rural school. Here his problem
will be different from that Of the |
nigh school teacher His pupils are
ess mature and his patrons are
farmers. What is true in this sub |
Ject is also true in most subjects.
7. Three years will also give some
opportunity to do some advanced |
work. If the teacher is to be a use
tut servant to the CO immunity, he
must have some advanced subject
natter and training. 1t would be
preferable to have the more maturi-
y and knowledge of the high school
graduate, but this is beyond pres.
Mt conditions.
The professional work in such a
course must meet the needs of the
pupil who expects to teach in the
~ural school. In order to under
stand he rural school, the pupils
N this course are taken to rural
ch1olS in the vicinity of River Falls |
Or observation work. Here he sees
ne teacher at work in the environ
neIt in which be must work The |
problem is u1ied ut first hand
lie is in a REAL rural school. But |
his Is not sufficient. He should be
brought into direct contract wit b |
he pro blem by actually doing some
eaching in such school. We are |
planning this wear 10 have some of
our teachers in this course act as
assistants to rural school teachers |
ia several of the rural schools of
this vicinity. We want them TO
spend two or three weeks in these
schools doing any work assigned
them by the teacher; to live in the
district during this time and thus
become better acquainted with the
rural problems This work is to b.
supplemented by the practice work
IN the Training School.
Beside three years course, there
should be a minimum age limit OF
about eighteen years. With such a
course and such an age limit, one
IF the causes of present conditions
If the rural schools would be re-
Moved. But this is only one of the
problems-the teachers prepare
ZION. There are other causes that
,lso need consider alton. This arti-
lie sets forth but one cause and its
A