Making memories one day at a time.......and then I write about it.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

School Marm



RULES FOR TEACHERS

DUTIES

*Wash windows & clean classroom with soap and water once a week. I don't see a problem with that.

*Check outhouses daily. (Plenty of old catalogues are available at School Board office.) I can only imagine the sorts of catalogues a School Board office would have and I'm sure the students had absolutely no problem what so ever wiping their bums with them!

APPAREL
(Forbidden wear in Public at All Times)

*WOMEN:

(1) A bathing costume Did schools have pools back then?


(2) Bloomers for cycling Would bloomers for mountain climbing be appropriate?


(3) Skirts slit to expose ankles Because someone might see your bloomin' bloomers!


(4) bustle extension over 10 inches And what happens if you had an especially round bum that naturally stuck out further than ten inches?

*MEN:

(1) Detachable collar & necktie removed from shirt Indecent! Might see his neck!


(2) Shirt sleeves unlinked & rolled That! Would imply that he was hard at work!


(3) Hair closely cropped (unless bald or have disease of the scalp) Naturally.

CONDUCT
(Cause for Immediate Dismissal)

*Smoking of cigarettes, use of spirits, frequenting of pool or public dance halls. Define "frequent" ing...

*Marriage or other unseemly behavior by women teachers. Marriage! Oh absolutely unseemly! Downright wicked of a woman!

*Joining of any Feminist Movement, such as the Suffragettes. Because she actually might 'educate' the uneducated males of the world! In her unseemly manner....


Signed by the Superintendent Sept. 15, 1886





No wonder female teachers back in the day were known to be old crotchety mean toads. The SM read this and while laughing said, "Knowing you, you'd show up with a 15 inch bustle in your bloomin' bathing costume in 'high spirits'!



I thought that downright indecent and unseemly of him! My bustle would have been 20 inches!


12 comments:

  1. Would you believe that even as late as the 1930s married women were strongly discouraged from being teachers? My grandmother hid that fact for months so she could keep her job. Hard to understand by today's standards! It's OK, really. Let the men work! I'll stay home and eat bon-bons!

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  2. I'm pretty sure showing up to school with horse crap on your feet and covered in hay and rain would have been considered indecent too. So don't worry. Your still indecent even today.

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  3. Course you should see how I show up to the gym every day. . . .guess indecent runs in the family.

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  4. Oh my gosh that is so funny.
    I had a social studies teacher in middle school that would dress up for one week and "teach" in this style; sort of pretending that we were back in a one room classroom learning history. It was one of my favorite weeks because it was so interesting and out of character.

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  5. I love that it is called a "bathing costume". Isn't it back then when they wore those long sleeved long legged stripped pajama looking things that looked like convict jumpsuits? I guess "costume" was the right word for it.

    This was seriously funny. And I can really picture you with the huge booty. And if you even say anything about it not being that much of an exaggeration from what it is now, I'm gonna come down there and thump ya! LOVES!, Me

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  6. OK...."stripped" pajama things would have NEVER been allowed, but maybe "striped" ones would've. I gotta watch that spelling of mine.

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  7. I'm going to have to let my husband know that marriage, in the case of his former-English teacher wife, was a bit unseemly.

    How bizarre.

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  8. DUTIES

    *Wash windows & clean classroom with soap and water once a week...I don't even wash my own!

    *Check outhouses daily. (Plenty of old catalogues are available at School Board office.)...Now we stock the stalls with Highlights magazine.

    APPAREL
    (Forbidden wear in Public at All Times)

    *WOMEN:

    (1) A bathing costume...thank goodness that mine is a bikini

    (2) Bloomers for cycling...WTH???

    (3) Skirts slit to expose ankles...Good! I hate mine.


    (4) bustle extension over 10 inches...Mine would have to be AT LEAST 10 inches to cover MY behind!

    *MEN:

    (1) Detachable collar & necktie removed from shirt...that's to hide the hickies from all the shinanigans behind the barn.

    (2) Shirt sleeves unlinked & rolled...That would show his tattoos.

    (3) Hair closely cropped (unless bald or have disease of the scalp)...agreed.

    CONDUCT
    (Cause for Immediate Dismissal)

    *Smoking of cigarettes, use of spirits, frequenting of pool or public dance halls...Why must they take away my only vices??

    *Marriage or other unseemly behavior by women teachers...if we're married, we can't give your kids the attention they deserve.

    *Joining of any Feminist Movement, such as the Suffragettes...Whoops! Too late!


    Someday, our children's children will look back at our rules today and have a good laugh as well.

    Yes?

    Thanks for the laugh today...sister!

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  9. They'd have hired you, you cute and demure thing. But it wouldn't last. You'd step down from the carriage, and they'd catch a glimpse of your SHOES and it would be ALL over, baby =

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  10. Korrie, I'm with you! Let em' have it. All of it. I've got much creating to do. ;) Facinating about your grandmother though!

    Sarah, :D Very true. Very true!! It's not a bad trait.

    Abbie, I would have loved it if a teacher had done that. Very creative and a great way to learn about different time periods. I'd have died with the whole corset thing though!

    Nat, LOL! Yes!!! Costume indeed! That were made in that cloth that when wet, would start to sag, and sag, and sag. Indecent. Absolutely!

    Lori, He might find that romantic! Having a daring and unseemly wife. ;)

    Tami, :D Yes. I agree. 100%
    Anytime you need a laugh.... just dial me up. I'm always up to my eye balls in something. :D

    Chastina, Me neither!!

    Jody, Is that where that came from? RUDE!

    Misty, I got a kick out of it.

    Kristen, Boots! They wore boots back then! And yes, I'd have worn some kickin' ones.

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