Tales from Kentucky One-Room School Teachers - Hardcover

Montell, William Lynwood

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0813129796 ISBN 13: 9780813129792

Publisher: University Press of Kentucky, 2011

Synopsis

In an educational era defined by large school campuses and overcrowded classrooms, it is easy to overlook the era of one-room schools, when teachers filled every role, including janitor, and provided a familylike atmosphere in which children also learned from one another. In Tales from Kentucky One-Room School Teachers, William Lynwood Montell reclaims an important part of Kentucky's social, cultural, and educational heritage, assembling a fun and fascinating collection of schoolroom stories that chronicle a golden era in Kentucky.

The firsthand narratives and anecdotes in this collection cover topics such as teacher-student relationships, day-to-day activities, lunchtime foods, students' personal relationships, and, of course, the challenges of teaching in a one-room school. Montell includes tales about fund-raising pie suppers, pranks, outrageous student behavior (such as the quiet little boy whose first "sharing" involved profanity), and variety of other topics. Montell even includes some of his own memories from his days as a pupil in a one-room school. Tales from Kentucky One-Room School Teachers is a delightful glimpse of the history of education.

About this title

About the Author:

William Lynwood Montell, professor emeritus of folk studies at Western Kentucky University, is the author or editor of twenty-five books, including Tales of Kentucky Ghosts and Tales of Kentucky Doctors. He lives in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Review:

"One-room schools once provided education to a majority of Kentucky citizens, and Montell's book relates the characteristics and attitudes of those involved. It's entertaining collection of memories allows the individual voices of the teachers to be heard once more."―Freda Klotter, teacher and co-author of A Concise History of Kentucky

"Montell draws from interviews with former one-room school teachers and pupils to paint a colorful portrait of education's humble start."―Appalachian News-Express

"With the memories of one room schools fading as the number of individuals who experiences them first hand decreases, Tales from Kentucky One-Room School Teachers preserves a meaningful record for future generations of education's evolution and life in general during this unique time."―Manchester Enterprise

"Tales from Kentucky One-Room School Teachers is a fun and fascinating collection of school room stories that chronicle a golden era in Kentucky."―The Sunday Independent

"Tales from Kentucky One-Room School Teachers preserves a meaningful record for future generations of education's evolution and life in general during this unique time."―Painstville Herald

"Offers a fascinating look back at a bygone era."―Kentucky Monthly

"For many who read this book, a window will finally open on the one-room school experience and what it meant for those who taught in that environment or who learned inside the walls of the small schoolhouses across Kentucky."―Kentucky Ancestors

"A fascinating and informational look into Kentucky's educational past. From potbelly stove explosions to pie supper celebrations, [Montell] illustrates the trials and tribulations of teachers who faced many challenges to provide the basics to those willing to learn."―Ohio Valley History

"Does an excellent job of using the stories to paint a clear picture of life in these one-room school houses, and to show the challenges and triumphs of teaching in this setting."―Kentucky Libraries

About this edition

• Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0813129796
• ISBN 13: 9780813129792
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 300