Ideas must -work. — Think of the cry of a squirrel, the caw of a crow, 

 the exhaust-oran auto engine; now try to express the idea. You may 

 have heard these sounds time and time again, yet you can not at first 

 imitate them. There is little educational value in the indefinite ideas until 

 they have been expressed or worked. . More and more we feel the educa- 

 tional value of doing things with the senses and the hands. It may be the 

 making of a kite or whatnot desired in manual training, the growing of a 

 bulb in agriculture, the patching of a gown in sewing, the baking of a loaf 

 of bread for the home in cooking. It matters not the form of work or 

 play, so long as it is definite expression of a thought. 



What Can an Illy Prepared Teacher Teach in Agriculture? 



Agriculture and education are today alike definitely indefinable, yet each 

 one who gives some thought to either topic senses its meaning. Each 

 defines either term from his own point of view yet all definitions have much 

 in common. Agriculture of yesterday as the vocation of the farmer may 

 be definitely defined, but the agriculture of today as applied to education — 

 the agriculture as taught in the schools — is not standardized. Agriculture 

 teaching is in chaos. 



Agriculture as a vocation is practiced for its own sake. Agriculture in 

 the schools is a means to an end, namely: to direct the attention of boys 

 and girls towards nature and her activities through growing plants and 

 animals. By so doing the children find recreation both as children and as 

 adults; they learn to meet new problems successfully for themselves and 

 their neighbors; they acquire a taste for beautification of school and home; 

 they obtain a fund of experiences which largely formulate their spiritual 

 and biological point of view; they become interested in the farmer and his 

 work. 



Can a normal school graduate teach such agriculture although at first 

 glance she may seem illy prepared? Certainly. Is a normal school teacher 

 so illy prepared to teach education through agriculture? Granted she is 

 not ready to step between plow handles and teach the boys and girls to 

 plow nor is she prepared to demonstrate to boys and girls how to cultivate 

 and dig potatoes, yet because of her opportunities in training she is prepared 

 to set before her pupils and the patrons of her school the best things which 

 are in print, the best things with which she is conversant. Normal schools 

 are favored institutions. They are well equipped in types — sanitation, recrea- 

 tion, literature, art, agriculture, and the like, and their faculties are skilled in 

 interpreting these types for their students. The students are prepared to 

 project these best types as they work in their several communities. 



Is a certified teacher too illy prepared to teach agricultural education? 

 No. First of all, each should orient himself correctly, and, second, each 

 should attempt but a few projects. 



Suggestions for Correct Orientation. 



1. Agriculture in education is a means to educate children through agri- 

 culture; to teach boys and girls how to meet new situations successfully for 

 themselves and their neighbors. This is a definition of agricultural education 

 and is a starting point. 



2. Survey the environment in which you are working or expect to work. 

 What are the people doing?. What plants and animals are being grown? 

 Are they being grown successfully? What is the condition of the homes? 

 Do they need beautification? Are they sanitary? Are you satisfied with 

 the appearance of the schoolhouse and yard, etc.? 



- 3. Adjust yourself to the needs of the people and to their understanding. 

 Do not announce that you are going to teach agriculture to your boys and 

 girls, many of whom come from farm homes. The patrons of your school 

 sit in judgment on your successes and failures. Get results through doing 

 things. Convince these judges after a term's work that "agriculture" which 

 you have disguised is absolutely necessary in the curriculum of the school. 

 Properly oriented one or more of the following projects may be attempted: 



1. Beautification of school and home grounds. 



2. Home and school gardens. 



3. Hygiene and sanitation of the home and farm. 



4. An agricultural club. 



In successive numbers of the Junior Agriculturist Supplement the above 

 unifying centers will be discussed concretely in an attempt to aid teachers 

 to teach agriculture successfully in elementary schools. 



