Well here is the story that I promised you called Style Of A Country School Teacher. It’s written in language anyone can grasp, so sit back and enjoy, it is full of wisdom, one just has to open their mind.  My treat to you, on this fine Thursday morning.  No Drugs Needed!

The Style of a Country

School Teacher

Years ago back in the old one room school house, things went a bit different from to-days schools. The teacher was always on top of things and for most parts us young ones enjoyed going to school. Also, got us away from the chores back home. Not saying now that was our reason for not missing a day. The teacher back then taught all eight grades, but she did it with a style of her own. She wasn’t just a teacher, she was family.

I remember at the end of every week on Fridays, she would take the morning and ask all eight grades to write down, what had occurred over the past week, at school and at home. The ones that couldn’t write, she would take off into a corner and talk to them about their week, while us older ones were putting our week of happenings on paper. She would then take them home and read each one.

Looking back there was more to it than just writing about our week. It helped us to come to grips with things and for some parts we even went home and corrected some things that needed correcting. After lunch, we all read our stories from the front of the room one at a time and to me I think it brought the whole class closer together. It was like a continuing story actually. Each week we got to find out what else was happening in each other’s life. Sure there was a lot, left out but for most of us we could read in between the lines.

With the teacher though, she just didn’t get a story from each child, she learned exactly what was happening in their lives. She knew when family members were sick, when they were having hard times and for most parts what was going through the young ones mind. She then could address the problem in a way, that would help the child and for that matter the child’s family.

I remember one young fellow that came to our school, he was so mean you couldn’t go near him. The teacher eventually got him to join in and write down his weeks events like the rest of us. Over time, she found out why he was so mean and wanting to fight all the time. Problem was his family was poor and his Dad having a hard time keeping up with all the farm work, was hollering at him a lot. He didn’t mean too, it just happened and the boy brought his anger to school.

Well the teacher I guess, got to thinking about this and mentioned it to Reg and Laura, my folks at the time. Once Reg heard about it, he did a bit of thinking and loaded a steer on the back of his truck. I went along, as I had to help calm down the critter in the back. Wasn’t too far, and we pulled in the driveway. The fellow came out of the house and in a mean tone asked, “What do you want? I don’t take cotton to folks, so you best be on your way.” Reg being a pretty good judge of character got out and introduced himself, which kind of broke the ice a bit. After a bit of talking, all one sided, Reg then said.

“I got this here steer and was wondering if you might like look after it for me, as I got so much on the go this summer I haven’t got the time to do it myself. I don’t expect your work for nothing, I was thinking we would share the meat with each other this winter, 50-50.” Well the fellow, he didn’t know really what to say and knowing a good deal when he saw one agreed, and we got busy and unloaded it.

Reg did a lot more to help out the fellow and his family and eventually others did the same.

The reason I am telling you this part about this fellow, is that the boy at school that was a bully, started to feel better about himself and his family. At year-end, he was the nicest fellow in the whole school, next to me of course. Just kidding, but in reality the one behind the whole thing, was our teacher.

That was just one thing she happened upon throughout her days as our teacher and many more were to follow. This teacher had taken it upon her self to look into each child’s life, in such a way, that the child and the family never knew. She figured it wasn’t all just teaching the child, and she took it upon herself to get to know the child.

Well there you have it, a teacher that did things, her own way, which made life a lot more comfortable for us young ones and affected the lives of many, without their knowing.

In Closing, I Would Like To Wish You Well.