Teaching is not just my passion, but my calling in life. As a child, I had the smartest dolls and stuffed animals! Why you ask? Because I taught them, of course! lol It is so good to have a job where you LOVE to go every day. Each day is different, and the best laid plans can go awry. But, that is not always a negative. Many great teachable moments come out of real situations.
Anyway, I love collecting anything that has to do with teaching and school. In the above photo, you see my old school desk, antique spectacles, books, alphabet blocks and such. How about Dottie? She is a reproduction, but isn't she precious!!
More than once, I have "placed" myself back in time, as a teacher in a one room schoolhouse, also referred to as a "blab school". But, when I found these rules for the early schoolmarm, I wondered if I really could have made it as a teacher back then. Take a look.....
***Rules for Teachers in 1915***
You will not marry during the terms of your contract.
You are not to keep company of men.
You must be home between the hours of 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. unless attending a school function.
You may not loiter downtown in ice cream parlors.
You may not travel beyond the city limits unless you have permission from the chairman of the board.
You may not travel in a carriage or automobile with a man unless he is your father or brother.
You may not smoke cigarettes.
You may not dress in bright colors.
You may not, under any circumstances, dye your hair.
You must wear at least two petticoats.
Your dress must not be any shorter than two inches above the ankles.
You must keep the schoolroom neat and clean by...
*sweeping the floor at least once a day
*mopping the floor at least once a week with hot, soapy water
*cleaning the blackboards at least once a day
*starting the fire at 7 a.m. so the room will be warm by 8 a.m.
Hmmmmm...So what do ya think?
I wouldn't have any problem with the cleaning, or not smoking...but not getting married or even being seen in the company of a man? After all day, every day, with children, I crave and can't wait to have some convo with hubby and other adults in the evening! No bright colors? I wonder if pink would have been considered a bright color. I guess red would be out too, huh? And you can't travel beyond the city limits? What's up with that?
Of course what I do love is teaching the children, and seeing their faces light up at one of those "ah ha" moments!
Teaching reading is so important to me! Every summer, I attend a summer reading academy, as well as, at least 90 hours a year of professional development in reading.
You need reading for everything! So, I guess that is why I have a real love for old books!
I love old readers and spellers, especially.
Now, if I could just find a hornbook for my collection.
I would even settle for a reproduction on that one! I'll keep looking!
And speaking of books.....have you heard of the Twilight series?
Have you read them? I think there are four, and hard to put down! I have heard rave reviews so I think I might just have to check them out!
Until next time, enjoy a good book!
Blessings.
Rebecca
2 comments:
okay, I hope I do not get myself in trouble but here goes. The "rules for the teacher"...yes some of them seem crazy but I read thru them and thought that they were set up for the protection, purity, innocence etc for the teacher. I think we have lost much of that thought and unfortunately, (not all) but many of the lost innocence, lost purity and lost protection of our beloved women are due to the men not doing thier jobs in those areas. These old rules remind us of the purity of old and makes us wonder how things would be different if some of those rules were still in place. - Mr Blessings
I am posting to your most recent blog, which may be irrelavent to the post, but I need to let people know that Patrick Mangino should be remembered. He was such a beautiful, creative and kind person. I miss him so much, that I wish he was sitting there with me yesterday and he was cracking jokes during Thanksgiving dinner yesterday. He wasn't there and it broke my heart.
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