1 00:00:00,720 --> 00:00:03,320 Speaker 1: So can you imagine a job where your contract says 2 00:00:03,360 --> 00:00:06,040 Speaker 1: you can't date or be married, you can't hang out 3 00:00:06,040 --> 00:00:08,560 Speaker 1: at ice cream shops, and you have to bring the 4 00:00:08,640 --> 00:00:12,520 Speaker 1: fuel used to heat your own workplace. This episode was 5 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:16,800 Speaker 1: suggested by Lieutenant Colonel Howard Berner, Beautiful Comano Island, Washington. 6 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:20,439 Speaker 1: I'm Patty Steele. The challenges of being a teacher in 7 00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:27,319 Speaker 1: the good old days. That's next on the backstory. The 8 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:31,360 Speaker 1: backstory is back. Everybody's back in school now, and we 9 00:00:31,480 --> 00:00:33,440 Speaker 1: all know that you really have to hand it to 10 00:00:33,479 --> 00:00:36,960 Speaker 1: people who devote their lives to teaching. It's a tough job. 11 00:00:37,440 --> 00:00:40,120 Speaker 1: But being a school teacher one hundred or one hundred 12 00:00:40,159 --> 00:00:43,360 Speaker 1: and fifty years ago was really no picnic in kind 13 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:46,639 Speaker 1: of a whole different way. Today, the challenge is out 14 00:00:46,680 --> 00:00:49,960 Speaker 1: of control kids, but no way to discipline them without 15 00:00:50,040 --> 00:00:53,360 Speaker 1: fear of being attacked by parents, the school administration, or 16 00:00:53,560 --> 00:00:57,120 Speaker 1: even lawyer should somebody get litigious. But back in the 17 00:00:57,240 --> 00:01:00,560 Speaker 1: late eighteen hundreds and the early nineteen hundreds, it was 18 00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:04,920 Speaker 1: really intense. Now, first off, teachers in cities had a 19 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:08,440 Speaker 1: huge number of immigrant kids coming in from all over 20 00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:12,160 Speaker 1: Europe and parts of Asia. The children spoke all different 21 00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:16,080 Speaker 1: languages rarely English, and they had been raised with really 22 00:01:16,120 --> 00:01:20,680 Speaker 1: different customs. Now Out in the countryside, rural teachers had 23 00:01:20,720 --> 00:01:23,399 Speaker 1: to deal with kids who missed school to help with 24 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:26,120 Speaker 1: the harvest or do farm work, and they had to 25 00:01:26,120 --> 00:01:28,800 Speaker 1: figure out a way to make their drafty, one room 26 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:33,160 Speaker 1: schoolhouses function well enough to be able to teach. But 27 00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:37,080 Speaker 1: it went further. While teachers were respected, just like today, 28 00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:41,479 Speaker 1: they were seriously underpaid. In those days, most teachers were 29 00:01:41,520 --> 00:01:45,080 Speaker 1: female because they weren't paid when school was out, and 30 00:01:45,319 --> 00:01:48,600 Speaker 1: most men wanted and had access to full time, better 31 00:01:48,640 --> 00:01:52,240 Speaker 1: paying jobs. So not only were they not paid well 32 00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:56,440 Speaker 1: at all, they also had a ton of responsibilities. The 33 00:01:56,480 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 1: standard teacher's contract from that time is going to blow 34 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:02,920 Speaker 1: your mind. Here review the items teachers in places like 35 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:07,160 Speaker 1: Comano Island, Washington and Williamson, Illinois, had to agree to 36 00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:11,239 Speaker 1: in eighteen seventy eight. It reads like this. Teachers will 37 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:14,080 Speaker 1: fill the lamps with oil and clean the lamp chimney 38 00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:17,080 Speaker 1: each day. Each teacher will bring a bucket of water 39 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:20,639 Speaker 1: and a bucket of coal for each day's sessions. Teachers 40 00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:24,840 Speaker 1: will make pins carefully for their students, whittling the nibs 41 00:02:25,080 --> 00:02:29,360 Speaker 1: the way each student likes. Sorry whittling nibs. What's that 42 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:33,720 Speaker 1: about men? Teachers? And men only may take one evening 43 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:37,480 Speaker 1: each week for courting purposes, or two evenings a week 44 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:40,320 Speaker 1: if they regularly go to church. So you go to church, 45 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:43,400 Speaker 1: you can date more than once a week. Women. Teachers 46 00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:47,000 Speaker 1: who marry or engage in improper conduct will be fired 47 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:50,959 Speaker 1: after ten hours in school each day, the teacher may 48 00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:53,959 Speaker 1: spend the remaining time. How much time do they spend 49 00:02:54,440 --> 00:02:58,399 Speaker 1: reading the Bible or other good books? Every teacher should lay, 50 00:02:58,440 --> 00:03:02,080 Speaker 1: aside from each day's pace, a goodly sum of earnings 51 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:04,880 Speaker 1: for their retirement years, so they won't be a burden 52 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:09,720 Speaker 1: on society later on. Any teacher who smokes, uses liquor, 53 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:14,240 Speaker 1: goes to pool halls, visits ice cream shops what or 54 00:03:14,320 --> 00:03:17,920 Speaker 1: gets shaved in a barber shop will be suspected of 55 00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:22,280 Speaker 1: bad intentions and dishonesty. How weird is that? And finally 56 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:25,920 Speaker 1: it says the teacher who performs their labor faithfully and 57 00:03:25,960 --> 00:03:28,959 Speaker 1: without fault for five years will be given a pay 58 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:33,200 Speaker 1: increase of twenty five cents per week. That's after five years. 59 00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:38,720 Speaker 1: Why was the PAESO crummy? Well, education wasn't compulsory and't 60 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:41,440 Speaker 1: have to go to school, nor was it fully supported 61 00:03:41,480 --> 00:03:45,280 Speaker 1: by taxes in any state in the Union. Not much 62 00:03:45,320 --> 00:03:48,400 Speaker 1: different by nineteen oh five, when a contract in Franklin, 63 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:52,280 Speaker 1: Iowa said, the teacher agrees to do all janitor work 64 00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:57,640 Speaker 1: without extra compensation, no holidays allowed. The pay thirty eight 65 00:03:57,680 --> 00:04:00,960 Speaker 1: bucks a month, which equals about a one thousand dollars 66 00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:03,920 Speaker 1: in today's money. Now, since there was no summer pay, 67 00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:06,480 Speaker 1: that would be three hundred and forty two dollars a 68 00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:09,840 Speaker 1: year in nineteen oh five, or about nine thousand dollars 69 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:13,320 Speaker 1: a year in today's world. Not exactly a livable wage, 70 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:17,640 Speaker 1: although teachers frequently lived with their parents or with somebody 71 00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:20,600 Speaker 1: who offered them room and board on the cheap if 72 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:23,960 Speaker 1: they were from out of town. Then in nineteen fifteen, 73 00:04:24,040 --> 00:04:27,120 Speaker 1: the average contract read you will not marry during the 74 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:29,920 Speaker 1: term of your contract. You are not to keep company 75 00:04:29,960 --> 00:04:32,359 Speaker 1: with men. You must be home between the hours of 76 00:04:32,400 --> 00:04:35,480 Speaker 1: eight pm and six am, unless attending a school function. 77 00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:39,520 Speaker 1: And once again, you may not loiter downtown in ice 78 00:04:39,560 --> 00:04:43,400 Speaker 1: cream stores. What do they have against ice cream? You 79 00:04:43,440 --> 00:04:46,919 Speaker 1: may not travel beyond the city limits without permission. You 80 00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:49,840 Speaker 1: may not ride in a carriage or automobile with any 81 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:54,080 Speaker 1: man except your father or brother. You may not smoke cigarettes, 82 00:04:54,160 --> 00:04:58,200 Speaker 1: drink alcohol, or visit places where those activities take place. 83 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:01,600 Speaker 1: You may not dress in right colors, and you must 84 00:05:01,600 --> 00:05:04,680 Speaker 1: wear at least two petticoats and skirts no more than 85 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:09,080 Speaker 1: two inches above the ankle. You may, under no circumstances 86 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:13,159 Speaker 1: dye your hair. Okay, I'm out on that one now. Finally, 87 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:15,960 Speaker 1: you must sweep the classroom floor at least once a day, 88 00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:19,080 Speaker 1: scrub it at least once a week with hot soapy water, 89 00:05:19,480 --> 00:05:22,320 Speaker 1: clean the blackboards once a day, and start the fire 90 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:25,039 Speaker 1: in the coal stove at seven am to have the 91 00:05:25,040 --> 00:05:29,560 Speaker 1: school warm by eight am. Now, when they had troublesome kids, 92 00:05:29,800 --> 00:05:33,120 Speaker 1: how did they discipline them? What was pretty common across 93 00:05:33,160 --> 00:05:36,440 Speaker 1: the country for teachers to use corporal punishment. They'd smack 94 00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:39,640 Speaker 1: the kids with a switch, cowhide, whip or a ruler 95 00:05:40,040 --> 00:05:43,400 Speaker 1: and get this, Sometimes they'd make kids kneel on sharp 96 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:47,679 Speaker 1: objects or stretch out their arms while holding heavy books 97 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:50,200 Speaker 1: and stay like that for as much as an hour 98 00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:53,680 Speaker 1: and a half. I'm betting that without dating, hair dye 99 00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:57,440 Speaker 1: and ice cream you can get pretty crouchy. So hopefully 100 00:05:57,440 --> 00:05:59,839 Speaker 1: they didn't take their frustrations out on the kids right. 101 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:03,400 Speaker 1: What's interesting is that while teachers tended not to be 102 00:06:03,440 --> 00:06:06,880 Speaker 1: as well educated in those days, the school work children 103 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:10,200 Speaker 1: were doing by eighth grade, when most ended their schooling 104 00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:13,760 Speaker 1: was at an academic level that's almost college level now. 105 00:06:14,440 --> 00:06:18,240 Speaker 1: In rural areas, one teacher taught all eight grades. The 106 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:22,479 Speaker 1: kids would study reading, writing, math, history, geography, spelling, grammar 107 00:06:22,520 --> 00:06:26,200 Speaker 1: and penmanship, and depending on the school district, that also 108 00:06:26,240 --> 00:06:30,400 Speaker 1: study Latin and Greek poetry, art, history, astronomy, and anatomy. 109 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:33,880 Speaker 1: Now here's the question. There was a whole lot of 110 00:06:33,920 --> 00:06:37,000 Speaker 1: discipline going on back then, not just for the kids, 111 00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:39,800 Speaker 1: but the teachers as well. Was that a good thing? 112 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:42,640 Speaker 1: Do we need more of that now? Or did that 113 00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:47,920 Speaker 1: straight laced approach keep everyone, children and adults so constrained 114 00:06:47,960 --> 00:06:51,040 Speaker 1: and fearful that they couldn't make school a place of 115 00:06:51,160 --> 00:07:00,719 Speaker 1: joy and passionate discovery. I'd like to thank Lieutenant Colonel 116 00:07:00,720 --> 00:07:05,400 Speaker 1: Howard Berner of Comado Island, Washington for suggesting this fascinating story. 117 00:07:05,680 --> 00:07:08,880 Speaker 1: I hope you're enjoying the backstory with Patty Steele. Follow 118 00:07:09,040 --> 00:07:13,080 Speaker 1: or subscribe for free to get new episodes delivered automatically, 119 00:07:13,720 --> 00:07:15,880 Speaker 1: and feel free to DM me if you have a 120 00:07:15,920 --> 00:07:19,120 Speaker 1: story you'd like me to cover, as Lieutenant Colonel Berner did. 121 00:07:19,560 --> 00:07:23,680 Speaker 1: On Facebook, It's Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele. 122 00:07:25,880 --> 00:07:29,640 Speaker 1: I'm Patty Steele. The Backstory is a production of iHeartMedia, 123 00:07:29,680 --> 00:07:33,720 Speaker 1: Premier Networks, the Elvis Durant Group, and Steel Trap Productions. 124 00:07:34,040 --> 00:07:37,640 Speaker 1: Our producer is Doug Fraser. Our writer Jake Kushner. We 125 00:07:37,720 --> 00:07:41,120 Speaker 1: have new episodes every Tuesday and Friday. Feel free to 126 00:07:41,200 --> 00:07:44,160 Speaker 1: reach out to me with comments and even story suggestions 127 00:07:44,200 --> 00:07:47,640 Speaker 1: on Instagram at Real Patty Steele and on Facebook at 128 00:07:47,640 --> 00:07:51,240 Speaker 1: Patty Steele. Thanks for listening to the Backstory with Patty Steele. 129 00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:54,720 Speaker 1: The pieces of history you didn't know you needed to know.