Rules for Female Teachers

As promised the rest of this week is about back to school about a century ago.

What were the requirements for teaching in the early 1900’s? Here’s some “rules” for female teachers from -Cabell County, West Virginia
Board of Education, 1915

1. You will not marry during the term of your contract.
2. You are not to keep company with men.
3. You must be home between the hours of 8 PM and 6 AM unless attending a school function.
4. You may not loiter downtown in ice cream stores.
5. You may not travel beyond city limits unless you have the permission of the chairman of the board.
6. You may not ride in a carriage or automobile with a man unless he is your father or brother.
7. You may not smoke cigarettes.
8. You may not dress in bright colors.
9. You may, under no circumstances, dye your hair.
10. You must wear at least two petticoats.
11. Your dresses must not be any shorter than two inches above the ankle.
12. You will keep the schoolroom neat and clean, sweep the floor at least once daily, scrub the floor at least once each week, clean the blackboards once a day, and start the fire at 7 AM so the room will be warm at 8 AM.

First Day of School

 “School days! School days! /Good old golden rule days!/ Readin’ and ’ritin’ and ’rithmetic/ Taught to the tune of a hickory stick ...”

Well, it's finally arrived the day celebrated by millions of parents around the world and dreaded by just as many children..... The first day of school. It has arrived in our home and what's generally the norm for the rest of the world is usually not here. I'm sad school is back in session and my feisty, independent little red-head is ready to go.

So, this whole back to school ritual we perform each year got me thinking........ what was school like a 100 years ago? What were the types of things parents purchased for their children? How many children continued in public education up to the 12th grade? How many left early for marriage or work? What were the requirements of teachers in 1912? What were the classrooms like and what types of supplies did the children use? What types of things were taught in 1912 public schools?

For the remainder of the week we'll discuss these topics. For today, I'm going to start where we start each year.....School Supplies and Back to School Shopping.

Boys Back To School Wardrobe 1912 (Photo Courtesy of Oxford Orphanage)

Typical clothing for the 1912 elementary school boy seems to have been knickers or short pants and knee socks with lace up shoes and button up shirts. Boys living in the county typically seem to show up at school wearing overalls.

Girls Back to School Wardrobe Early 1900's (Photo of my great grandmother's school)

Typical clothing for the 1912 elementary school girl would have been dresses and pinafores. Girls hair was generally pulled back with a large bow or braided. Country girls would have had simpler clothing than city girls. The photographs above show the differences between city and country schools although the children in the first photograph were orphans city children still had more formal clothing.

School supplies would have been simple slates and chalk.  Lunches were brought from home.