It was difficult to find teachers for all the one-room schools that were built on the prairies.
In order to qualify for a teaching certificate, a person had to go to school to be trained.
The amount of time spent training varied. Some went to school for a couple of months.
There were teachers who were sixteen years old, as old as some of their students.
Teachers were poorly paid. Most of the teachers were women.
Men left teaching for higher paying jobs and women took over more and more of the teaching positions.
Women were allowed to teach until they married.
A teacher boarded with a family for the school year or families took turns keeping the teacher.
If a teacher boarded with a student's family, the teacher likely shared a room with the children.
Some schools had a teacherage which was a place for the teacher to live.
The building was located near the school or was just a room attached to the school.
One teacher taught many grades in a rural one-room school. The main subjects were the three R's : reading, writing and arithmetic.
Older students helped with the younger students. Text books and supplies were lacking.
Some students could not speak English.
One-room schools were cold and drafty in the winter.
A teacher in the early days was expected to do many things besides teaching.
The school was to be kept clean. There were extra duties for the teacher such as :
filling the oil lamps; cleaning the chimney; bringing in water for drinking and for washing hands;
bringing in firewood; keeping the classroom warm; sharpening the pens.
When teachers had free time, they were expected to read the Bible and other good books.
Smoking, drinking alcohol and going to parties was considered poor behavior.
Female teachers who married or behaved improperly were dismissed and could no longer teach.
teacher and students at Meacham, SK, 1917;
source
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