Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1928-02-09

Nicely knew just enough about the
profession of teaching to know that
she knew shockingly little about it;
and her dread, therefore, of the coun.
ty superintendent impending visit
to her school was a sword over her
head
eff 1 only knew what he expects
Cor hopes) to find me doing when
he comes, I'd be doing it or making
a bluff at doing it!'
She knew that to a professional
teacher her methods must seem gro
tesquely unprofessional, being based
on the same principle as that by
which she lived most of her life-or.
tried to; that principle being the i'm.
perative need to extract all the enter
tainment possible from any situation
in which you found yourself. So she
worked really very hard to make her
days in her schoolroom yield enter
tainment, first to herself, and second.
ly to forty rather bucolic children of
all ages and sects (Amish, New and
Old Mennonites, Dunkards) who filled
her school, A few vigorous and tire
some hours were devoted to drilling
in geography, multiplication tables,
grammar. spelling (she suspected that
the way she did that drilling would
have made any real pedagogue shud.
der) and the rest of the time was de.
lightfully spent in teaching what she,
not the school trustees, thought chill.
dren ought to know-fairy stories,
poems, plays.
Ever since Mr.. Schwenckton had
warned her that the superintendent
would be visiting her school, she had
gone cautiously; had been ready, at
an instant's warning to have the chill.
dren suddenly busy at the blackboard
"doing tables" or something like that
But as i'll luck would have it, it was
on the very afternoon of his visit that
she had become so entrancingly en-
crossed in her wide departure from
"prescribed branches" that she never
heard his knock Oh the schoOlrOOm
door, never saw him enter land God
only knew how long he had been
standing there watching her wild per
Torrance, when suddenly the faces OF
the children warned her. Her back
was toward the door at the moment.
but she did not have to turn to know
he was standing there! Horror OF
horrors That he should have caught
~ NJ, mr. q
all her precautions! She was SO
stunned with embarrassment she
could not have turned around If her
life had been the forfeit for not doing
sol
Pretending to be unaware of bis
presence, she moved stiffiy to the edge
of the platform and spoke family, di
recting the several grades to the or
thodox blackboard or tablet work with
which she had planned to propitiate
him on his visit-though she knew she
was Just several minutes too late
now, to deceive him. She'd beer
| caught red-handed-oh, oh!
Seating herself at her desk, bel
back still toward him. she awaited
his approach. But he did not come
| A hope leapt up In her heart that she
had been mistaken. But she was still
too terrified to look around.
A step on the platform just bach
Of her chair-and she barely sup
pressed shrek.
He stood before her, hat and gloves
In one hand. the other held out to her
Blindly she rose and gave him hel
own. not daring to look up and meet
his eye.
AS she did not invite him to be seat
ed, he had to take care of himself
with your permission?" he said al
he drew a chair forward and. motion
ing her to be reseated. sat down a,
her side-and she realized with fresf
embarrassment her remissness ir
schoolroom hospitality.
Laying his hat and gloves on thu
desk, he leaned back comfortably, a.
though settling himself to stay
while. folded his arms and-waited.
| Heavens i-wh0t WAS she exnecte(