I was born February 27, 1922, raised on the
farm my paternal grandparents homesteaded. My schooling was eight years in a
one-room, one-teacher school, 9th grade at St. James Catholic School and 10,
11, 12 at Longfellow High School in Kearney. I attended Kearney Teacher College
earning my first teaching certificate. I began my teaching career at age 18 in
a one-room schoolhouse. My salary was $35 a month out of which I paid $12 a month room and board.
I purchased a Model A Ford car and mouton fur coat with my first years salary.
My teaching day began with packing a sack lunch, walking across a pigpen and over two high sandhills to the schoolhouse, snow sometimes up to my knees other times beautiful Nebraska mornings. At 9:00 a.m. I rang the school bell, led the flag salute, and played the piano for singing, had health inspection and began recitations for all eight grades, with two recess breaks and a noon hour. Recesses I enjoyed playing games indoors and outside with the students. Sometimes we ate our lunch seated at our desks, or outside in the schoolyard. In the winter we heated jars of food on top of the big heating stove enjoying a hot lunch.
I brought a different colored hand towel for each student to use when washing hands for lunch. Once a year we presented a program of recitations, plays and songs to the community always followed by lunch.
A highlight was our rhythm band.
Some highlights of my 17 years at one-room schools were a trip to Denver on a train, going to the circus, trick or treating the neighborhood, winning 1st place in a parade, field trips to area businesses and towns and multiple sightings of snakes and mice in and out of the schoolhouse.
We also presented an Arbor Day play that was broadcasted on NTV.
What an enjoyable and fulfilling 17 years. I still see students of those years. We hug and remember the glory days.
Following the closing of my one-room school, I began teaching at Wilcox Public school K-12 system. While teaching in Wilcox I returned to Kearney State College earning my master’s in education. I continued teaching at Wilcox for 25 years completing a 42-year career. In retirement I served as a Nebraska History speaker presenting one-room, one-teacher programs to Kearney Public school 4th graders.
Today I reflect with pride on my one-room, one-teacher years and the accomplishment of the students I taught.
I purchased a Model A Ford car and mouton fur coat with my first years salary.
My teaching day began with packing a sack lunch, walking across a pigpen and over two high sandhills to the schoolhouse, snow sometimes up to my knees other times beautiful Nebraska mornings. At 9:00 a.m. I rang the school bell, led the flag salute, and played the piano for singing, had health inspection and began recitations for all eight grades, with two recess breaks and a noon hour. Recesses I enjoyed playing games indoors and outside with the students. Sometimes we ate our lunch seated at our desks, or outside in the schoolyard. In the winter we heated jars of food on top of the big heating stove enjoying a hot lunch.
I brought a different colored hand towel for each student to use when washing hands for lunch. Once a year we presented a program of recitations, plays and songs to the community always followed by lunch.
A highlight was our rhythm band.
Some highlights of my 17 years at one-room schools were a trip to Denver on a train, going to the circus, trick or treating the neighborhood, winning 1st place in a parade, field trips to area businesses and towns and multiple sightings of snakes and mice in and out of the schoolhouse.
We also presented an Arbor Day play that was broadcasted on NTV.
What an enjoyable and fulfilling 17 years. I still see students of those years. We hug and remember the glory days.
Following the closing of my one-room school, I began teaching at Wilcox Public school K-12 system. While teaching in Wilcox I returned to Kearney State College earning my master’s in education. I continued teaching at Wilcox for 25 years completing a 42-year career. In retirement I served as a Nebraska History speaker presenting one-room, one-teacher programs to Kearney Public school 4th graders.
Today I reflect with pride on my one-room, one-teacher years and the accomplishment of the students I taught.