Teachers of the Past

We watched the movie, Mona Lisa Smile yesterday. I had heard that it was a good movie, but had never watched it before. The DVD must have a scratch on it, because it kept shutting down in the middle of the movie. We did however, get through the entire movie eventually. Julia Roberts plays a thirty-something woman who takes on a teaching job in a strict girls college. The movie is set in the 1950s. It was very interesting to see the views of the day. Julia Robert's character tried to teach the girls to challenge their archaic thinking. She told her students that they could do whatever they had the talent to do. The school, being traditional, encouraged the girls simply to get married and to become the perfect housewife. As their Art History teacher, she encouraged them to marry AND to pursue a fulfilling job. For the day, her views would have been a little edgy.



It would have been interesting to be a teacher in 1915. Let's hope they intended these rules for female teachers. The rule about the petticoat wouldn't make much sense for a male teacher. :)


Rules for Teachers (1915)

1. You will not marry during the term of your contract.
(They married young back then too!)

2. You are not to keep company with men.

3. You must be home between the hours of 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. unless attending a school function.
(Wow - that's early!! Nothing like a curfew to make you feel like a kid again)

4. You may not loiter downtown in ice cream stores.
(Of course! Ice cream stores are sooo dangerous)

5. You may not travel beyond city limits unless you have the permission of the chairman of the board.

6. You may not ride in a carriage or automobile with any man unless he is your father or brother.
(They must have done alot of walking.)

7. You may not smoke cigarettes.

8. You may not dress in bright colors.
(Will they be mistaken for one of the children?)

9. You may under no circumstances dye your hair.
(Ya - I can't see a teacher back then in green hair)

10. You must wear at least two petticoats.
(Two? Maybe the classroom is cold?)

11. Your dresses must not be any shorter than two inches above the ankle.

12. To keep the school room neat and clean, you must:
* sweep the floor at least once daily
* scrub the floor at least once a week with hot, soapy water
* clean the blackboards at least once a day
* start the fire at 7 a.m. so the room will be warm by 8 a.m.
(Too cheap to hire a janitor)