An Interesting Find
I finally started to clean my home office after retiring from education and found a funny list of teacher rules
Introduction
While I now advocate for increased levels of family engagement in education, I retired from my traditional position in public education in July, 2017. I spent 35 years as a teacher, school and district administrator, and professor. To say that I accumulated a lot of stuff over the years would really be an understatement.
The funny reality is that I brought boxes and boxes of files from my job and placed them in my garage and laundry room when I left my job. I have no shame in saying that I still have not gotten around to sorting through my past life to save what I think I might need and purge the remaining stacks and more stacks of stuff.
I admit, without apology, that my home office is no different. Most of the paraphernalia stuffed in file folders, plastic bins, and binders as well as crammed on bookcases that were once considered essential things that I absolutely had to keep are still in my house.
With my all my residual and professional collection of things that I never got around to discarding, the quote from the unknown source,
“life happens”
is very applicable to me and all of my junk. I guess I was too busy with living my life to take care of these things.
Despite all of my woes that confront me each time I stare at all of the boxes in my garage and laundry room along with the junk in my office that steals valuable space, I recently made an attempt to get rid of some of my former life.
I found a bit of a treasure among the mess.
An Interesting Yet Nostalgic Find
When I was a principal I often shared inspirational and funny stories with my staff. It was always enjoyable to periodically motivate them with readings and short stories. As I began reclaiming my space and clearing thing out of my office, I found a narrative from an unknown author called “Rules for Teachers 1872” that I once shared with my staff. It not only brought back special professional memories with my faculty, it made me laugh in amazement because times for teachers have really changed.
You may enjoy it, too.
Rules For Teachers 1872
- Teachers each day will fill lamps and clean chimneys.
- Each teacher will bring a bucket of water and a scuttle of coal for the day’s session.
- Make your pens carefully. You may whittle nibs to the individual taste of the pupils.
- Men teachers may take one evening each week for courting purposes, or two evening a week if they go to church regularly.
- After ten hours in school, the teachers may spend the remaining time reading the Bible or other good books.
- Woman teachers who marry or engage in unseemly conduct will be dismissed.
- Every teacher should lay aside from each pay a goodly sum of his earnings for his benefit during his declining years so that he will not become a burden on society.
- Any teacher who smokes, uses liquor in any form, frequents pools or public halls, or gets shaved in a barber shop will give good reason to suspect his worth, intention, integrity, and honesty.
- The teacher who performs his labor faithfully and without fault for five years will be given an increase of twenty-five cents per week in his pay, providing the Board of Education approves.
Conclusion
Very little has changed with my ability to rid myself of all the papers, files, and boxes that I brought into my home when I officially retired from public education. However, teacher responsibilities have really changed over the past century and one-half.
Perhaps I will stumble upon other interesting finds as I throw away more of my old stuff. If so, I will certainly write about it.
Here is my golden ticket that helps me accomplish my mission.
Dr. Deborah M. Vereen is a retired Teacher and School Administrator. Her website is www.Drdeborahmvereen.com and her YouTube Channel is https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS1DPhBeA29UlybU9jzDkdQ .
