Fifty Years in the Classroom: One Woman's Journey

By Garnett Reed Boggs

Teaching school has undergone a trememdous evolution in the last fifty years. In this me
moir the years are chronicled by someone who actually lived and worked throught these fifty years.
What would it be like to teach with no running water, no electricity, or indoor restrooms. What if you had to walk three or four miles to and from work?
Not only have the schools changed, but the expectationso f the people who teach have also changed dramatically. As a female how would you like to board in a home and not be considered a lady if you were seen with a man after dark?
These are the beginnings of this fifty year memoir and it only grows more engrossing as you continue through the years.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Oct 25, 2011
• ISBN: 9781467024525

Garnett Reed Boggs

GARNETT REED BOGGS Garnett Reed Boggs has spent her life teaching children of all ages and grades; from first grade through middle school. Her experience in teaching expands fifty years. She received her two year teaching certificate from Glenville State Teacher's College in Glenville, WVA. When she moved to Florida, she received her BA from the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude. Later she returned to the University of Florida for her master's degree in elementary education. At this tme she became a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Highlights Magazine for Children has published one of Mrs. Boggs' short stories. Her story, Totally Katy, has seen great success with middle grade students with whom it has been shared. Mrs. Boggs is retired and living in Winter Haven, FLorida, where she continues to enjoy writing.

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© 2011 by Garnett Reed Boggs. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 11/14/2011

ISBN: 978-1-4670-2453-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4670-2452-5 (ebk)

Printed in the United States of America

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

FIFTY YEARS IN THE CLASSROOM

LITTLE SYCAMORE

CLAY ELEMENTARY

BALTIMORE

MOUNT OLIVE

IVYDALE ELEMENTARY

TWO RUN, WVA

HIGHLAND CITY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

FROSTPROOF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

FROSTPROOF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

FLORAL AVENUE ELEMENTARY

BRIGHAM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

BRIGHAM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

FROSTPROOF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

WAHNETA ELEMENTARY

FIRST BAPTIST DAY SCHOOL

FIRST BAPTIST DAY SCHOOL

FIRST BAPTIST DAY SCHOOL

This Book is Dedicated to the Following People

My husband, James Boggs, for being my strength

My mother, Ella Strickland Reed Rogers,

for always being there for me

My family for always supporting me

And Sal, my son-in-law,

who graciously edited this book for me

FIFTY YEARS IN THE CLASSROOM

I had just turned 19 the day I began my teaching career. Little did I know that more than 50 years later I would still be facing a new classroom. During those years I taught in ten different schools. The first was a one room school and the last was a private church school.

LITTLE SYCAMORE

It was 1939 in the middle of the Great Depression and jobs were scarce, even for teachers. I was lucky to have one.

I had just completed two years at Glenville Sate College and received my teaching certificate.

In 1938 rumors of war in Europe were rampant all over America. The government promised that we would not enter the war, but would help our allies by manufacturing materials for war.

My salary was to be $100.00 per month for nine months, but times were so hard because of the aid to our allies that they had to shorten the term to eight months. Even so, the county ran out of money. So the teachers would take their checks to the store and receive 10% less than the check was worth. The store would then keep the check.

That September I would be facing my first class of eager children; some of them probably as anxious as I was. One of the boys was really worried. His family had described teachers as someone to be afraid of. Luckily he was fine after a few weeks.

This first schoolhouse, Little Sycamore, was in what once had been a two room school. But now one room was a school and the other room was for church.

The room was heated by a Burnside. A Burnside was a round-bellied coal burning stove. The name of the stove was appropriate because if someone sat too close they felt as if their side was burning. But those further away still would be cold.

We fed the coal through a small door in the stove. The heat was set by closing the door if it was too hot and opening the door if too cool. I had a callous on my thumb from opening and closing that door quickly as needed.

We had a large playground. It held a coal shed from which we got the coal for the Burnside stove. Carrying the coal inside with a bucket was a favorite activity with the boys.

There was also a privy (bathroom) placed some distance from the playground.

We had no swings, no slides, and no equipment of any kind. But that didn’t seem to matter to the children. They organized their own games. Two of the most popular were Long Town and Base. Long Town was a ball game with two bases. If you struck out or made a short hit, you went to first base. If you hit a long ball you could go ahead and run to second base. Then you had to run back to the first base (which was also home). The only way to get a team out was by hitting a runner with a soft sponge ball. One out and the sides changed.

Base required nothing in order to play. There were two teams and two bases. Each team had a long base that each player stood on. The bases were wide apart. One team would leave their base and venture into the middle ground. The other team would then leave their base and chase the first team. Any person tagged became a member of the tagging team. When everyone was on one team, the game was over.

Inside the schoolroom we had a chalkboard, chalk, erasers, a coal bucket, a bucket to hold water for drinking and the student desks. The drinking water was carried from a neighbor’s well. Carrying the water from the well was another favorite activity with the students. This was probably because they were able to leave the classroom for a while.

The desks were attached to the seat with a cubby under the desktop for books. In front of the schoolroom was the recitation bench. It was longer than the other desks and had no cubby holes, but otherwise was like the desks.

The chalkboards at that time were black. Later in my career they were changed to green because green was easier on the eyes.

I taught grades one through eight with students ranging in age from six to thirteen; it was a very mixed group.

The thirteen year old was still in the second grade. Students were not socially promoted and stayed in a grade until they could pass it. This child definitely had learning disabilities and would never be able to perform at grade level. It was a sad situation.

There weren’t any children in some grades and some of the students in different grades