The Holt County sentinel., 1917-11-23
County School Notes,

meeting OF the state Teachers Asso-
tiation at kansa sCity. All have now
returned, and are feeling very much
benefited by the many splendid ad-
dresses that were listened to. The
central figure Of this meeting wa
probably Prof. +. g. Holden, whost
burning question, "How Can We Wit.
alize the Teaching Of Agriculture in
the Raral Schools?" is being heard in
every state Of the Union. Mr. Hol-
den's answer is being listened TO with
breathless interest. This is what he
says: "No more important problem
is presented to American educators
toray. II can be solved in but one
v.ay-Ro,ate the subjects. This will
prevent skiming and repetition; IL will
srstain interest; keep the subject
alive. The teaching Of agriculture in
rural schools never will be a success
20 long as we teach the same thing
over and over again, year after year,
or allow the teacher TO skim oil the
branches and leave a subject barren
and uninteresting for the teacher who
follows the next year. In one-room
schools all children in the lower
grades become as familiar with sub
jects taught in the seventh and eighth
grades a. do their older brothers and
sisters. by rotating the subjects q
new field IL opened TO the pupils each
year. Rotation Of subjects means the
teaching Of but one class Of subjects
each year, such a.: First year--Farm
alfalfa, weeds, seeds gar
dens, canning, etc. Second year-The
making Of things-Tying and splicing
rope. cement work, making fly traps,
screens. sewing, etc. Third year-An-
imalS--Iive stock, feeding, testing
milk, diseases and remedies, cooking.
etc. Fourth year-Soil and home
Saving moisture. rotation Of crops,
soil fertility, sanitation, flowers, pic
turcs. etc. Rotation OF subjects enables
W To teach more agriculture; elm
mates repetition. Gives US new
subject each year: keeps interest
aliv. and keen; does not kill the sub
ject by skiming or teaching the same
thing over and over again; makes the
directing Of the work much easier for
the county superintendent, who al
ways has more than she can do. In
stead Of having several lines Of in
struction TO prepare each year, she
will have but one. Agriculture will
ultimately be taught In all rural
schools. In Oklahoma II Is required
by the state constitution, in other
states By law. Some states have tried
Il. but IN "a hit-and-miss fashion. They
have skinned through books; taught
words. not things; repeated the same
subjects every year; killed interest;
made agriculture a dead letter. We
cannot vitalize agriculture In the rural
schools except BY rotating the sub.
jccts. And the word Agriculture
timing 10 the life and welfare Of the
comm1nity-hcalth, sanitation. social
conditions, home convenicnces, COM
munity interest, n well Ms the things
having TO do directly with farming
There were several teachers pres
cnt a, the convention that Il was I'M.
possible for the county superintcnd"
cnt To see. On this account the sup
rural school who attended the karssla
= ws-.pycnlipn TO send IN. .bYr namc
Slty ."r ,..'e -. ,,,cnds
.! .he emu ,.. " ahe emJ miVn h, a. The wnrious
enn' ., ,hai, .a,, ,Gca,cs of nt.
school boards their eer''hca'cS VI ~"
tendance. .,,, ,..a. ,i,I h. .iv.
NO new spe'nrs wpn p Ja"s AZ h.sorc
IN ,hls Week. ane .n,ea " sor ,ovio,y
IhnnksgivinR may oc us',, 'o r.nii,c
J wonder now % niah VI .as, on, 81
that y - very uineu,' W ~, PLEASE @
r1t II once , We W, man ~ his ii,tle
rcan anu nc",'c uP'y ,i,oy Eoss
poem. written by sam "a'''r roSS'
entitled the IaI in'h ,., ,oo,
One day. through ,ne p,"ssJ a"J .aives