Early+Teachers

Early Teachers Early in the twentieth century, the life of a teacher was quite different from what it is now. There were very strict rules that governed every aspect of the teacher's life. The rules weren't just about how a teacher could conduct herself in the classroom and on the school grounds. There were also numerous rules that governed just about everything a teacher did. Teachers had to follow strict rules about their appearance; they were sometimes told not to <range type="comment" id="564693605_9">wear </range id="564693605_9">colorful clothing, not to <range type="comment" id="564693605_10">dye </range id="564693605_10">their<range type="comment" id="564693605_11"> hair or wear it loose,</range id="564693605_11"> and not to wear their <range type="comment" id="564693605_12">skirts </range id="564693605_12">above the <range type="comment" id="564693605_13">ankle</range id="564693605_13">. Teacher's <range type="comment" id="564693605_14">whereabouts </range id="564693605_14"><range type="comment" id="564693605_15">during </range id="564693605_15">after-school hours were also strictly <range type="comment" id="564693605_16">regulated</range id="564693605_16">; there were rules <range type="comment" id="564693605_17">forbidding </range id="564693605_17">teachers to go to bars and to<range type="comment" id="564693605_18"> ice-cream parlors</range id="564693605_18">; there were rules <range type="comment" id="564693605_19">requiring </range id="564693605_19">teachers to be home after eight o'clock in the evening; and there were some rules forbidding them to<range type="comment" id="564693605_20"> leave town </range id="564693605_20"><range type="comment" id="564693605_21">without </range id="564693605_21"><range type="comment" id="564693605_22">permission</range id="564693605_22">.<range type="comment" id="564693605_23"> Just about any action</range id="564693605_23"> a teacher wanted to take could be regulated. Teachers could be <range type="comment" id="564693605_24">forbidden </range id="564693605_24">to smoke or to drink; they were also sometimes forbidden <range type="comment" id="564693605_25">to spend time with men</range id="564693605_25"> or to marry if they wanted to <range type="comment" id="564693605_26">remain </range id="564693605_26">teachers.