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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 25, 1920)
THE BATTALION 5 TEACHERS NEEDED IN AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION WORK A. and M. Has Best Facilities for Training Teachers Interested in Taking up the Work. The third year of the operation of the Smith-Hughes Act is nearing a close. The unusual demand for ag ricultural products has increased the interest in scientific production. There has been a rapid growth in the de mand for vocational agriculture in the schools. A complex of influences has prevented the supply of trained teachers from keeping pace with the demand. Every state is bidding for men trained and adapted for teaching vocational agriculture. Teaching vocational agriculture is one of the most attractive positions in the public school. It is a man’s job and appeals to red-blooded men who are not afraid of responsibility. The work is highly practical, for the teacher supervises the home project work of the pupil and thus is closely associated with the farming opera tions. It demands the exacting test of production. Will the teaching function in actual production and managerial ability ? The community work of the teacher resembles that of a county demonstration agent. The result of efficient teaching of voca tional agriculture is the teacher writ large in the community. Money Talks. Money is not the only consideration in choosing a calling. Men are will ing to refuse high salaries and ac cept lower salaries because of other factors to be considered. However, when the salaries of teachers of vo cational agriculture are compared with those of other teachers, with like preparation, experience and per sonality, the advantage is strongly in favor of the teacher of agriculture. This is made possible because of the Federal and State aid that is grant ed. Graduate Study is Essential. The field of vocational agriculture is relatively new and is bristling with new and unsolved problems. Clear thinking and careful observation are required. It is possible to train a teacher of agriculture in four years of college work if the subject matter is carefully selected. In most cases so much time has been spent in learn ing what to teach that the prospec tive teacher failed to learn how to teach. This mistake is being avoided in the agricultural colleges by adopt ing teacher-training curricula con taining a well-rounded course in ag riculture and the fundamentals of the science and art of teaching. But to undertake the more respon sible positions in supervision and in teacher-training, it is essential to make a much more extensive study of educational principles and prac tices. Agriculture and education constitute a field too broad to be mastered in four years of college work. Permanent distinction in the field of agricultural education neces sitates constructive and careful study of the numerous problems arising each year. Facilities for Graduate Work. The A. and M. College of Texas is offering graduate work in agricultur al education during the regular ses sion and during the summer session. The Department of Vocational Teach ing has collected a valuable library of books and bulletins on the various phases of agricultural education and kindred subjects, and the office and class room equipment of the Depart ment is perhaps the most complete to be found in any agricultural col lege in the United States. Visual in struction is given a prominent place in the work of the Department. The College offers adequate facili ties for graduate work in the various fields of technical agriculture. A graduate student is expected to take a major and one or two minors. This enables a student to pursue some study in technical agriculture while he is taking his major in agricultural education. The Following Graduate Courses are Offered by the Department of Vocational Teaching. 501, 502. Agricultural Instruction. (3-0). This course will include a study of the content of the agricultural course in the high school, the supervision of home project work, the community work of the agricultural teacher, methods of teaching agriculture, vis ual instruction, and the administra tion of vocational agriculture. 503, 504. Agricultural Extension and Demonstration. (3-0). This course will include the history of the extension movement, the ad ministration of co-operative exten sion and demonstration in agriculture and home economics as carried on under the Smith-Lever Act, and the methods and scope of extension. The student will be expected to do some extension work as a part of the course. 505, 506. Organization and Manage ment of Teacher-Training De partments. (3-0). The purpose of this course is to train men for positions in the depart ment of agricultural education. Among the topics to be considered are: The making of the curriculum for training teachers of vocational agriculture, the number and content of courses to be offered by the depart ment of agricultural education, na ture and importance of visual in struction, methods of conducting sup ervised teaching, and improvement of teachers in service. 507, 508. Direction and Supervision of Vocational Agriculture. (3-0). The purpose of this course is to train men for position of State direc tors or supervisions of vocational ag riculture. Among the topics to be discussed are: The history of voca tional agriculture, the Smith-Hughes Act, agriculture in the high school curriculum, content of courses in ag riculture, text-books and library, laboratory equipment, supervised home projects, records and reports, relation between supervisor and itin erant teacher, and improvement of teachers in service. BASEBALL SEASON WILL OPEN TODAY The baseball season opens today with the coming of Austin College for two games. One game to be played today and the other tomor row. A pre-season game was staged with the 37th U. S. Infantry last Monday afternoon and the Aggies were easy victors. Much pep and speed was exhibited in this game and if this pep and speed is better developed as Coach Bible predicts, all our opponents will have that old thought, “Where’d they get it?” Rub-My-Tism is a great pain killer. It relieves pain and soreness caused by Rheumatism, Neuralgia, Sprains, etc. 20 t i We Appreciate The good business we are receiving from cadets and Campus people and assure you we want to make our ser vice and delivery more prompt, if possible. Tell Us Your Wants When in need of a smoke WE HAVE IT! Also Candies and Cakes, and other good thing to eat. Boyett’s Store GUY BOYETT, Proprietor I ± T i I i I I Y 1 I t T 1 I T No Risk of Loss r ■''HE only form of Nitrogen im- mediately available as plant food for growing crops is Nitrate of Soda All other forms must first be nitrated in the soil, taking time, and resulting in costly losses through bacterial action. Use 100 lbs. per acre for seeded ciops; 200 lbs. for cultivated. These light dressings are easily spread over an acre and the amounts are very small compared to the acreage weight engaged in crop production. William S. Myers Chilean Nitrate Committee 25 Madison Avenue New York 'y