Stories From A Life #7

One Room School (Part 3)

   Snippets of the instruction process is all that I remember from our little country school.  The teacher's desk was situated in the front of the room.  Though enrollment was small, 16 or less during my years, there was always at least one student in every grade.  There were 4 in my grade until 5th grade when Donna transferred to the school in Arlington.

   Each class would be summoned to the chairs by the teacher's desk for class instruction.  Perhaps we all learned from the class being presented, though we were supposed to be working on our own assignments.  Likely the effectiveness of the teachers varied significantly.  One student had to repeat first grade apparently because the teacher ignored him his first year.  That same teacher was quick to slap fingers with her stick, until it mysteriously disappeared, and after that with a ruler.  Unruly students were banished to the entry, made to stand in the corner behind the stove, kept after school or all of the above.

  Here are some pictures from the school.

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