Chris Enss's Blog - Posts Tagged "school"
The Sorrowful Teacher
Enter to win a copy of the book Frontier Teachers: Stories of Heroic Women of the Old West.
Throughout history teachers have been at the forefront of all civilizations, educating and inspiring the next generation and keeping societies moving forward. Frontier Teachers captures that pioneering, resilient, and enduring spirit of teachers that lives on today.
Mary Graves Clarke, a dark-haired woman with a pale face and deep age lines marking her high cheekbones and small mouth, sat behind a wooden desk staring out a window that was slightly tinged around the edges with frost. The view of the distant snow-covered mountains that loomed over Huntington Lake in Tulare County held her attention for a long while.
The eleven students in the one-room schoolhouse where Mary taught pored over the books in their laps, quietly waiting for their teacher to address them. The pupils ranged in age from six to fifteen years. The majority of the class was girls, a few of whom couldn’t help themselves from whispering while casting worried glances at their distracted teacher. Finally, one of the children asked, “Mrs. Clarke, are you all right?”
Mary slowly turned to the pupils and nodded. “I’m fine,” she assured them. “I was just remembering.”
According to the journal kept by one of Mary’s students, her “expression was one of sadness.” In spite of her melancholy spirit she led the students through a series of lessons then dismissed them for recess. She followed them outside and for a moment was content simply to watch them play. A cold breeze drew her attention back to the mountains and drove her thoughts back to a time when she was a teenager, hopeful and happy; traveling west with her family and other members of the Donner Party.
To learn more about Mary Clarke Graves, the schools teachers like her established, and about the other brave educators in an untamed new country read Frontier Teachers: Stories of Heroic Women of the Old West.
Visit www.chrisenss.com and register to win a copy of Frontier Teachers.
Throughout history teachers have been at the forefront of all civilizations, educating and inspiring the next generation and keeping societies moving forward. Frontier Teachers captures that pioneering, resilient, and enduring spirit of teachers that lives on today.
Mary Graves Clarke, a dark-haired woman with a pale face and deep age lines marking her high cheekbones and small mouth, sat behind a wooden desk staring out a window that was slightly tinged around the edges with frost. The view of the distant snow-covered mountains that loomed over Huntington Lake in Tulare County held her attention for a long while.
The eleven students in the one-room schoolhouse where Mary taught pored over the books in their laps, quietly waiting for their teacher to address them. The pupils ranged in age from six to fifteen years. The majority of the class was girls, a few of whom couldn’t help themselves from whispering while casting worried glances at their distracted teacher. Finally, one of the children asked, “Mrs. Clarke, are you all right?”
Mary slowly turned to the pupils and nodded. “I’m fine,” she assured them. “I was just remembering.”
According to the journal kept by one of Mary’s students, her “expression was one of sadness.” In spite of her melancholy spirit she led the students through a series of lessons then dismissed them for recess. She followed them outside and for a moment was content simply to watch them play. A cold breeze drew her attention back to the mountains and drove her thoughts back to a time when she was a teenager, hopeful and happy; traveling west with her family and other members of the Donner Party.
To learn more about Mary Clarke Graves, the schools teachers like her established, and about the other brave educators in an untamed new country read Frontier Teachers: Stories of Heroic Women of the Old West.
Visit www.chrisenss.com and register to win a copy of Frontier Teachers.
The Student Teacher
Enter to win a copy of the book Frontier Teachers: Stories of Heroic Women of the Old West.
Throughout history teachers have been at the forefront of all civilizations, educating and inspiring the next generation and keeping societies moving forward. Frontier Teachers captures that pioneering, resilient, and enduring spirit of teachers that lives on today.
Tears streamed down twelve-year-old Bethenia Owens’s face as she watched her teacher pack his belongings into a faded, leather saddlebag and slip his coat on over his shoulder. She was heartbroken that the gracious man who introduced her to the alphabet and arithmetic would be leaving to teach school at a far off location. Bethenia’s brothers and sister gathered around him, hugging his legs and hanging onto his hands. Mr. Beaufort had boarded with the Owens family during the three-month summer school term in 1852, and everyone had grown quite attached to him, especially Bethenia.
Mr. Beaufort smiled sweetly at Bethenia as she wiped her face dry with the back of her dirty hand. Streaks of grim lined her thin features and continued on into her hairline. Her long, brown locks protruded haphazardly out of the pigtails behind each ear. The dainty ribbons that once held her hair in place were untied and dangling down the back of her soiled, well-worn gingham dress.
Bethenia would remember this day for the rest of her life and her first teacher Mr. Beaufort. It was his kindness and dedication to education that inspired her to want to be a teacher.
To learn more about Bethenia Owens Adair, the schools teachers like her established, and about the other brave educators in an untamed new country read Frontier Teachers: Stories of Heroic Women of the Old West.
Enter to win a copy of Frontier Teachers and visit www.chrisenss.com
Throughout history teachers have been at the forefront of all civilizations, educating and inspiring the next generation and keeping societies moving forward. Frontier Teachers captures that pioneering, resilient, and enduring spirit of teachers that lives on today.
Tears streamed down twelve-year-old Bethenia Owens’s face as she watched her teacher pack his belongings into a faded, leather saddlebag and slip his coat on over his shoulder. She was heartbroken that the gracious man who introduced her to the alphabet and arithmetic would be leaving to teach school at a far off location. Bethenia’s brothers and sister gathered around him, hugging his legs and hanging onto his hands. Mr. Beaufort had boarded with the Owens family during the three-month summer school term in 1852, and everyone had grown quite attached to him, especially Bethenia.
Mr. Beaufort smiled sweetly at Bethenia as she wiped her face dry with the back of her dirty hand. Streaks of grim lined her thin features and continued on into her hairline. Her long, brown locks protruded haphazardly out of the pigtails behind each ear. The dainty ribbons that once held her hair in place were untied and dangling down the back of her soiled, well-worn gingham dress.
Bethenia would remember this day for the rest of her life and her first teacher Mr. Beaufort. It was his kindness and dedication to education that inspired her to want to be a teacher.
To learn more about Bethenia Owens Adair, the schools teachers like her established, and about the other brave educators in an untamed new country read Frontier Teachers: Stories of Heroic Women of the Old West.
Enter to win a copy of Frontier Teachers and visit www.chrisenss.com
Frontier Teachers
Last Chance to Enter to Win a copy of the book Frontier Teachers: Stories of Heroic Women of the Old West.
Between 1847 and 1858, more than six hundred female teachers traveled across the frontier to provide youngsters with an education, and the numbers grew rapidly in the decades to come. Enduring hardship, the dozen women included in Frontier Teachers demonstrated untold dedication and sacrifice to bring formal education to the Wild West. These women introduced their students to a world of possibilities - and changed America forever. Women like:
Olive Mann Isbell and Hannah Clapp, who came to class armed with guns to keep students safe from hostile natives.
Eliza Mott, who, lacking schoolbooks and supplies, taught the alphabet using the inscriptions on tombstones.
Lucia Darling and Mary Graves McLench, who trekked hundreds of miles through treacherous country to teach children in the most remote regions.
To learn more read Frontier Teachers: Stories of Heroic Women of the Old West. Visit www.chrisenss.com to register to win or signup on GoodReads.
Between 1847 and 1858, more than six hundred female teachers traveled across the frontier to provide youngsters with an education, and the numbers grew rapidly in the decades to come. Enduring hardship, the dozen women included in Frontier Teachers demonstrated untold dedication and sacrifice to bring formal education to the Wild West. These women introduced their students to a world of possibilities - and changed America forever. Women like:
Olive Mann Isbell and Hannah Clapp, who came to class armed with guns to keep students safe from hostile natives.
Eliza Mott, who, lacking schoolbooks and supplies, taught the alphabet using the inscriptions on tombstones.
Lucia Darling and Mary Graves McLench, who trekked hundreds of miles through treacherous country to teach children in the most remote regions.
To learn more read Frontier Teachers: Stories of Heroic Women of the Old West. Visit www.chrisenss.com to register to win or signup on GoodReads.
