Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1935-03-14

trict No. 1, Burton Sandwich, Sand
stone department, will take Kathleen
Walkers school, District No. so, Miss
Walker is now completing her third
year there. Magdalena Pitka will
take the school in District No. %, and
Mrs. Estelle Mullins will remain at
District No. 32 at $500 per month.
Erhard Moe. District No. 10S, has re-
signed to go farming; Aletha Larson
will fill his unexpired term.
Each and every Pine county rural
teacher will please plan to attend one
of the following group meetings: a..
m. to ~; p. m to ~ Willow River.
Saturday a. M, March 20, school,
Sandstone, Saturday p. M, March 23,
Madison Hotel; Pine City, Saturday
a. m, March 80, school; Hinckley,
Saturday p. m, March 30, school; Ker-
rick. Saturday p. m, April 6, school;
Markville, Saturday p. M, April 13,
school.
The following topics will be dis
cussed and outlined at each of the
above scheduled group meetings: Plans
for sectional activities day contests;
plans for remedial work in reading;
plans for rural graduation, county fair
exhibits, etc.; plans for sectional and
final declamatory contests. Come If
you possibly can.
School boards of several rural
schools would like to qualify their
schools for superior aid, but are well
pleased with their present teachers
who are not fully qualified for posi-
tions in superior aided schools. We
would suggest that you retain your
present teachers if they are satisfac-
tory, and postpone the final arrange
ments for superior aid for a year or
more. We suggest that you think
about the possibility of qualifying
for this extra aid only after it is def
nitely known that there is to be a
change of teachers. The above is
only a suggestion to be taken as
school boards see fit. At all times be
fair to all concerned. When the
school is running nicely, why change?
Superior aid adds only SIP per year
per school, After all, satisfactory
service is the main objective in any
school.
This question regarding high school
normal training departments is quite
often raised: Are there not too many
of these departments, and should they
not be discontinued altogether"
There is an average of (nearly)
one such department for each Mime
sofa county, and Pine county is
blessed" with three. 1t is true that
we have a surplus of teachers, but we
do not have surplus of good teach
ers. Diplomas and degrees are not
the essential factors in the making
of true teachers. Real teachers, like
musicians. are usually born and not
made. However, all other factors be-
ing equal, it is reasonable to assume
that two years of professional training
are better than one. and three years
provides more thorough training than
two.
The high school normal training
departments usually attract some Of
the very best students who also have
the very best natural abilities. The
one year of training given these
chosen few" is specially adapted to
the work in the rural schools. Full
credit for this is also given toward
the state teachers colleges two year
rural courses. We have generally
found that rurally experienced teach
ers of one year Of training, who later
complete the state teachers colleges,
make very successful rural school
graded school. or high school teach
ers. Usually. they become the very
best.
After all. it is highly recommended
that we offer an extra year of high
school. Few high school graduates
ever have the opportunity to continue
their education. and since youth
seems to have little chance in the
present fields of paid activities so why
not offer them an extra year of prac-
teal training in their home high
school? The years work covered by
a high school normal training course
reviews the valuable, elementary SUBJ
jects and tends to train the student
how to teach these fundamentals to
others. Even though they never teach
a day, this extra year of training. in
many ways. is no doubt the most valu-
able of all the five years spent in
high school.
Let us not think of dropping our
high school normal training depart
ments or any other of the more prac-
teal high school departments or
courses. Let us eventually encourage
five years of high school training for
all who cannot afford to attend Tor
are too young to attend) vocational
schools or colleges.
High school normal training gradu-
ates should not be disappointed. in
this age of unemployment and keen
competition. if they do not immedi-
ately secure position in their chosen
field. Whether or not they land a
position. if they are professionally in
clined. they should improve their
qualifications and training by work
inc for 81 II q dinlOypa a