Mayfield Book Teacher's and Pupil's Questions:

Sherry Kline, 410 N. Park, Wellington, KS 67152 316-326-3401, e-mail: skline@sutv.com
Elaine Clark, 217 N. Oliver Rd., Wellington, KS 67152, 620-455-3608, e-mail: llclark@wiredks.com

1. What was/were the name(s) of the school(s) where you taught? Attended?

2. What years did you teach/attend there?

3. Where were the schools located?

4. Why did you choose to teach? What did you enjoy most about teaching? What did you enjoy most about school?

5. For those who taught in the one-room schools, what did the Certifications N. T., 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 3 yr. St. School stand for? What did one have to do, or where did you have to go to obtain these certifications? What tests did you have to take? Do you have a copy of any of those tests?

6. How did the salaries compare with other professions? $55 a month, or $100 a month seems like not much today, but was a schoolteacher considered to be well-paid?

7. Was there a big celebration at the end of the year? The Mayfield School in Mayfield used to have a big picnic at the end of the year, and wind the maypole. It was a wonderful community celebration for both kids and parents. Did the small one and two room schoolhouses do something similar?

8. What was different about teaching school in these small schools, and teaching the larger ones later?

9. Did children have to bring their lunches from home? How did they do that, and what did they usually bring? What did they carry their food in? How was it kept/preserved? Did you ever heat the food or cook for the students in the winter?

10. Did students usually go for the entire eight years? Or did they often drop out to farm?

11. Did students miss a lot for harvest, and other field work?

12. How did most students get to school? Did they ride horses? Walk? Drive a car or parent's bring them? How far was it to school for some students? When did buses begin to pick up students?

13. How was the schoolhouse heated? Who was responsible for taking care of that? The wood, or whatever?

14. What other responsibilities did the teachers or students have?

15. What was special about the school you taught at?

16. Did teachers usually board with, or near the schools? Did they have to pay to board? Or was the board part of their salary? What did a person have to pay to board near the school?

17. Did women have to quit when they got married, or, if they could teach when they were married, did they have to quit when they got pregnant? Or did they just choose to?

18. There doesn't seem to be too many men teachers, why do you think that was?

19. How did you cope with/manage such a wide age range in these schools?

20. What subjects were taught in the schools? What about music? Was music and art taught in the schools? Elaborate on the courses offered. Do you feel that students got a better education then than now?

21. What games did students play during recess, or after school? Did schools play each other in sports? What sports did they play? What day(s) did they play?

22. Did students have ciphering matches and spelling bess often? Was that part of the entertainment, or the studies?

23. What is your favorite memory about teaching or attending the one-room schools?

24. How could children concentrate with so many grades learning at once, and learning something different?

25. What was the funniest thing that happened?

26. What was your least favorite memory?

27. Did you ever feel threatened by any students? Was discipline much of a problem then? What kind of discipline was used? If discipline was not much of a problem, why do you feel that was. Were parents mostly supportive of the teacher?

28. Were you ever frightened while teaching? Either by students, parents or weather?

29. What were you to do if a tornado threatened? Were you ever frightened by summer or winter storms?

30. Did students occasionally play pranks on their teachers? What funny things happened to you, or funny things that you remember happening to others. What pranks were played on your teachers in school?

31. Do you have any photographs of the students, or the schools?

32. Do you have any other memories or stories that you would like to share?

33. Was Mayfield a special place to teach/grow up? Why do you feel that is?

34. What other questions could we/should we ask?

35. When did the schools close? Where are the records from the schools prior to 1913, and after 1935?

36. Do you have anything you would like to add?

Please direct correspondence to:

Elaine Clark
217 N. Oliver Rd.
Wellington, KS 67152
PH: 620-455-3608
e-mail: llclark@wiredks.com

Sherry Kline
410 N. Park
Wellington, KS 67152
PH: 620-326-3401
e-mail: skline@sutv.com