Yo 



TEACBMNG 



ATTENTION high school seniors! 

 Have you considered the teaching 

 profession as your life's work? Have 

 your parents and teachers advised you 

 of the rewards and esteem due you as 

 a teacher? 



Probably never in the history of the 

 teaching profession in the United 

 States has the demand for good teach- 

 ers been so great. And probably never 

 before have instructors commanded 

 higher salaries. 



This is particularly true of elemen- 

 tary teaching. It is particularly true of 

 rural schools now on the verge of a 

 bright future with finer buildings and 

 sensible consolidation. 



The rewards and esteem connected 

 with teaching are worthy of your con- 

 sideration if you are now about to 

 embark on a career. 



Why, you say, should I consider 

 teaching, particularly in the elementary 

 field, as a vocation ? 



There are a number of reasons. First. 

 there is an awakening recognition on 

 the part of the public of the impor- 

 tance of elementary education as the 

 foundation of our entire educational 

 program. Probably no profession has 

 such a profound effort on the future of 

 American thought. (Whether America 

 is to stick to democracy, freedom of 

 action and expression in the next gen- 

 erations depends to a great extent on 

 the work of our teachers today. Second- 

 ly, there is a trend toward better sala- 

 ries for school teachers and toward a 

 single salary schedule for elementary 

 and high school teachers. 



Also, the summer months are largely 

 free for most teachers to do as they 

 please — travel, attend or teach sum- 

 mer school, or take other gainful em- 

 ployment — an opportunity enjoyed 

 by almost no other profession. 



By JOHN K. COX, Director, 



lAA Rural School Relations 



Other desirable trends in the eyes 

 of the teacher include the disappear- 

 ance of board of director districts un- 

 der the school reorganization program 

 in favor of board of education dis- 

 tricts, thereby allowing the grade teach- 

 er more protection under the tenure 

 laws. 



Teachers in a few communities may 

 be rated socially inferior, but in general 

 being a teacher automatically carries 

 with it the key to practically every 

 home in the community as child and 

 teacher strengthen the bonds between 

 the home and the school. 



Considering the large number of the 

 nation's leaders who were once school 

 teachers, it would indicate that the 

 teaching profession is not a blind al- 

 ley for those who desire greater oppor- 

 tunity and responsibility. 



There are many opportunities for 

 advancement in the grade school since 

 there is less competition for jobs than 

 in high schools. Opportunities are par- 

 ticularly good for men in elementary 

 school administration. 



Teaching provides unlimited oppor- 

 tunities to help mold the future and 

 to render a direct personal service to 

 mankind. The elementary school is in 

 dire need of teachers. Our present 

 supply is far short of demand and yet 



we shall need during the next eight 

 years approximately 8,000 grade teach- 

 ers, in addition to the ones we now 

 have, to take care of the 240,000 ad- 

 ditional children durihg this eight year 

 period. 



School reorganization plans now be- 

 ing contemplated probably will pro- 

 vide: 1. A broader tax base; 2. Better 

 building and facilities, particularly in 

 the grade school ; 3. Better supervision ; 

 and 4. More coordination of the entire 

 school program. 



Farm boys and girls have the back- 

 ground needed for teaching in rural 

 communities. Rural communities may 

 be defined in this case to mean schools 

 located in either rural areas or in vil- 

 lages of less than 2500 population. 



In view of possible changes in our 

 economic picture, teaching positions 

 with steady salaries may be relatively 

 much more attractive by the time a 

 college freshman beginning next Sep- 

 tember can be ready to teach in 1951. 



Many teachers already in training 

 for high school teaching would do 

 well to take their practice teaching in 

 the elementary field as well as in the 

 high school field, so that they can quali- 

 fy for an elementary certificate. The 

 prospects are that with nine of every 

 ten teachers in Illinois training to 

 teach in high school, which enrolls 

 only 28 per cent of our school children, 

 the demand for high school teachers 

 shortly will be filled. , 



Knowlr 

 hamiy 

 monthi 

 county 



Mrs. r 

 is en 

 borhoc 

 nuts. 

 Bureau 



J^ J^ J^ J^ J^ J^ J^ J^ J^ 



16 L A. A. RECORD 



Farm 



MARQ 



