Tassajara One room school visit

In the era of smart phone, cutting edge technology, a one room school house  which was a learning center for children is really an amazing fact  that hard to believe. We cannot even imagine children from grade one to grade eight are sitting in the one small classroom and studying. When we can reach from one part of the world to the other part within 24 hours,  traveling few miles was an event and as well as nightmare in bad weather two hundred years ago. 

Students used to come to school by walking, or on ponies or in buggies through the prairies. The teachers used to stay with the any of the students of the school, as traveling was very problematic. She had to come very early in the morning to clean the school house. 

To know how was the life in the prairie of early pioneers , and how students were taught at that time, the class of my son went to visit the one room school house, and also enact ,as a part of their curriculum. Before going there their teacher taught them how to bow to teacher, how to answer to any questions, above all , the etiquette in that era. The boys dressed in plaid shirts and long trousers, the girls dressed in long skirts, aprons, and bonnets.It was not possible for every one to dressed up exactly like that era, so many of us improvised with the dresses available in our wardrobe.

 
Tassajara school house was like a living museum. The children lived in 1888 for few hours in one morning. On a cold windy day of May (very unlikely) we drove there crossing the ranches and vast open space to reach the tiny house. Two very nice ladies enacted as teachers for the children. From them we came to know in that era the female teachers could not get married. If they got married they had to leave their jobs. They had to dress up covering their ankles, and no ornaments, even a tiny studs in the ears were not allowed. On the top of they got paid way less than a male teacher, there was no concept of equal pay. There were many rules, those were must be obey by children without any mistake, otherwise the punishments were extremely severe. For example, if a boy played with a girl the punishment was 4 lashes, can you imagine it?

After reaching the school, they said the pledge first before entering the school. The “teacher” told them how to use wash basin if the hands got dirty. The basin was a big container of water with big spoon,and a small enamel basin bowl was kept beside that. Those who needed it, put water with the big spoon , then used the bar soap, again washed their hands taking water with the spoon, into the basin. After finishing they had to throw away the dirty water in the ground.

 

Anyway, after the pledge, they went inside the house. First they read from the Bible. Bible study was must at that time. After finishing Bible study, they started learning how to stay happy in life. In the mean time “Hanna”’s pony started roaming out side the schoolhouse . So, teacher and Hanna had to go out side the to tie the pony. As Hanna didn’t tie her pony properly, she got punishment. She stood for five minutes putting her nose on the wall. That was most funniest part of the act. Then they wet out for recess. They played with the toys of the 19th century. 

After coming from the recess they did mathematics, and wrote with a fountain pen. They even sang in their “music” class. After they finished their studies, the “teacher” showed them many of the things, which were very modern tools at that time, like a toaster, a butter churner, even a camera. Taking pictures,and getting the photo in hand used take 4-5 weeks time. It was the fastest possible time to get photos in hand.

We packed the lunch in wax papers, and cloth like that century. We ate our lunch after the school dismissed. It was a life time experience to live in that ear for few hours.