I’m having a hard time putting Mr. Whittaker’s story out for everyone to read…I’ve written the story as I saw him, through the eyes of a 9/10 year old…I had lived in Lake Fork, less than a year, spent 6 months at Wood Grove and never had a “male teacher.”..Most lower grades were taught by female teachers, because that was one of the “jobs” that was acceptable for women to have in those days…The only other choices were, nurses or librarians or the more acceptable choice was to find a husband, and raise a family…A college education was not deemed important and was not encouraged for women.
Teachers in those days had to be strict and used rulers, chalk board erasers, paddles or whatever was handy to keep order in the classroom…I had no reason to be afraid of Mr. Whittaker because our dad, didn’t discipline us by “unbuckling his belt,” as happened in many households…But as we, “students,” gathered in the school yard that first day of school September 1951, we were all wondering how this year would go.
Looking back, I imagine Mr. Whittaker was wondering the same thing…He had moved his young family, (I think he and Mrs. Whittaker had 4 children under the age of 6)…The oldest “Ernest,” would be in 1st grade…They had moved from the Boise Valley, mild climate to one of the snow belts of the United States..The “teacherage” a two room cottage, was their new home…Now he not only was responsible for his family but also an entire school, where he was also the janitor, wood splitter, snow shoveler, etc.
As you will see in the story, he was a unique character and I hope to bring that image to life, on paper…I can’t say he was my favorite teacher, but he certainly is the one I remember the most about…Story will start tomorrow…Hugs To All OWAV:)
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