One Room Schoolhouse
November 15, 1892
We are going back in time today--to the year 1892! Benjamin Harrison is President. We are in Pittsboro, Indiana---in a small building surrounded by farming fields.
We arrived at 9:30 am to the little school house. It was actually located in front of a large elementary school. Once all each family arrived, the girls could pick out a pinafore - an apron-type thing that the girls tied behind their neck; and behind their waist. We all were asked to wear period clothes. Dd had a long skirt and long sleeve shirt. I was surprised at how many children didn't dress up. I even dressed up!
It was in 1998 that the little school house was moved from it's original spot to inside town; and in front of the elementary school. It took 1 1/2 years to renovate it.
After all the families arrived, we all lined up and walked past the "out-house" and walked into the public school to use their bathrooms. I think we all were a little worried how real we were going to have to pretend!!!
The girls sat on the right side of the room; and the boys on the left. Each desk had a name plate, made of wood. The names were actually the last group of students from this school in 1912. Because they needed more names than that small class had; they used the names from previous classes also.
The teacher was "Miss Phoebe". She went around the classroom -as if taking attendance - and talked to each "scholar" (she called us "scholars" not "students"; as if we were really that person, in 1892. When Miss Phoebe asked a "scholar" a question; the scholar would have to stand up to answer her back. Some scholars quickly understood this process and never skipped a beat.
I don't remember which events happened in which order---but we had "history" , handed out the McGuffey Readers and the scholars went up by grade and read a section with their grade, Recess (with old-timey toys), lunch (suppose to be what we would have eaten in that day, as well) and "arithmetic" on our slate boards and soapstone as chalk.
It was really a nice day. It helped that Miss Phoebe was a really nice teacher!
Because the girls allowed themselves to wear the pinafore's they did look a little more 'at home' in this setting. The youngest girls, I have to say, looked the cutest to me!! |
We had to make our own paper cup and then she gave us a ladle full. This was all the water we got for the whole day; luckily she gave us seconds.