Picture a tiny building in the middle of a Texassized pasture in the years before World War II, before oneroom schools were abolished in favor of consolidated town schools. Picture children of all ages, all manner of backgrounds, all gathered in that room to learn their three R's, but best of all, to learn something of the world beyond the ranchland's horizons. Orchestrating the harmony of the classroom was the teacher, who was frequently younger than some of her pupils, and sometimes a skillful ball player, social worker, dramatist, friend, and lifesaver.
Stella Gipson Polk was all of these when she taught in the Hill Country and West Texas. With humor and pathos she relates her memories of the physical setting, the tightly intertwined communities, and the challenge of meeting the children's expectation that "Teacher can do anything."
The teacher had to be a skilled diplomat and quick, creative thinker. The master of the schoolhouse had to know what to do when a povertystricken child catches an armadillo for dinner and brings it into school for safekeepingon the day the school inspector is to visit. The shared experiences and mutual respect between most pupils and Teacher created a powerful bond, such that after half a century, some grayhaired pupils would still stop by to visit when passing through her hometown.