Our Teachers— Bless ’Em

Our Teachers— Bless ’Em

Whtn the cares of the world begin to get you down, it takes but a short time to find a good reason to be thankful of your lot in many ways. The newspaper the other day carried articles about the school-teachers in New York on strike for higher wages. Run your mind over the list of teachers we have here in Rappahannock and see if you can locate one who would stoop to such indignity.

One article in the papers was headed “regardless of who wins, the children lose.’’ Whether the teachers get higher pay and fewer work hours in the great city, the youngsters have paid for the time lost from their schooling, and they have paid for the inefficient hours of schooling they were supposed to get while the teachers’ minds were occupied with their own attempts toward getting their pay raised.

Another article told that teachers had been refusing — during past years—to assume responsibility of extra-curricular activities of the schools, stating that they Would., not assume extra duties without extra pay.

We don’t know when we are blessed. Look at the hours and extra evenings our teachers spend at the school, taking part in all manner of extra entertainments and activities for the children, or if for no other reason, just being present to show their interest.

Can we, at any time even in the wildest notion of imagination, see our teachers participating in anything as course and common as to strike for higher pay? It’s so impossible it’s ridiculous.

The school year is ending. The nerves of the teachers are frayed to thin threads. They’ve sweated, cajolled, pleaded, threatened, encouraged, and pushed the little ‘“darlings” all year to try to put something in«. the unwilling, thick little skulls. 'Hey know that where failure is their reward there will be children and parents who will state blandly, “the teacher didn’t pass him.” It never seems to occur to pupil and parent that the teacher enjoys failure about as much as the orchardist enjoys seeing his crop a failure. The teachers have worked hard "all year, and the object of their work war to see the children accomplish a year’s learning. When a child fails, the teacher feels she has failed, too, and failure is no pleasure. The teacher’s greatest joy is to see the youngster finish the year’s work with a record of accomplishment and success.

We in Rappahannock are blessed with 9 group of conscientious, hard-working teachers who are interested in the progress of the learning of our children1. We are thankful for these teachers, and we are appreciative for their work