School Teachers 1853 & 1955

Dear Diary,


We had our school house event and it was a smashing success.  The two “school marms” were great and gave a very realistic school day experience for all attending.  The school house was built in 1792 but renovated in the mid-1800’s.  It closed in 1953 and there were several people in attendance that had gone to school there.  One lady present not only attended school there in the 1940’s but her mother was the last school teacher!


This portrait I did of “Miss Rose and Miss Pratt” in the doorway of the school house, got me thinking about my elementary school teachers, 1955-1961.  They were all single women as well.  I remember them so clearly.  Miss Murphy, my grade one teacher, was my favorite.  She wore slippers in the class room and came for Sunday dinner one day to meet my family.  She taught us how to make snow angels and to catch snowflakes on our tongues and she always had a kind word and a hug at the ready.  She was like Miss Rose on the right in this picture.

My grade six teacher was more like Miss Pratt, on the left. Stern and demanding and a bit intimidating I thought.  Eighteen years later I ran into her in a drugstore in my hometown and she congratulated me on my graduation from Harvard.  I was so surprised and I asked her how she knew and she said, “Oh I keep a scrapbook of all my former students!”  Apparently there was another side to Miss Roberts that I never saw. 


Having spent 35 years as a teacher I know the impact you can have on a young life and I am thankful for the teachers that shaped and cared about my life…probably more than I ever knew.  Bless them all. 


My extra photograph today is my Grade One school photograph, 60 years ago next month.   I remember this jumper very well.  It was yellow and brown corduroy and my mother made it for me to wear on “Picture Day”!