Things teachers young teachers envy of the past (principal, expensive, instructors)
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Graduated in 87 and several of my classmates became teachers. One thing mentioned is they sometimes miss not having contact with their students outside the campus. Students didn’t know their teacher’s phone number. There was no email and you certainly didn’t know their home mailing address.
While they enjoy modern copying machines, they said they sometimes miss the manual mimeograph copy machine. One thing they really miss is better classroom discipline among students as well as support from principals and parents to remove problem students more quickly. In those days if you, a student, got in trouble at school then you got it worse when you got home.
Graduated in 87 and several of my classmates became teachers. One thing mentioned is they sometimes miss not having contact with their students outside the campus. Students didn’t know their teacher’s phone number. There was no email and you certainly didn’t know their home mailing address.
While they enjoy modern copying machines, they said they sometimes miss the manual mimeograph copy machine. One thing they really miss is better classroom discipline among students as well as support from principals and parents to remove problem students more quickly. In those days if you, a student, got in trouble at school then you got it worse when you got home.
Sure they did. They just didn't have any reason to use their teacher's phone number and home address. That was public info available to everyone via the phone book (and still is). And inevitably at least a couple of the teachers lived in the same general neighborhood or area of town that the students lived in, so at the very least, some of the parents would know those neighborhood-resident teachers, perhaps even through a mutual social circle, and the kids might occasionally run into a teacher at the grocery store or at neighborhood events.
Mimeographs were a pain to work with, because typos weren't correctable on the stencil. It wasn't the preferred way of running multiple copies of class materials.
Sure they did. They just didn't have any reason to use their teacher's phone number and home address. That was public info available to everyone via the phone book (and still is). And inevitably at least a couple of the teachers lived in the same general neighborhood or area of town that the students lived in, so at the very least, some of the parents would know those neighborhood-resident teachers, perhaps even through a mutual social circle, and the kids might occasionally run into a teacher at the grocery store or at neighborhood events.
Mimeographs were a pain to work with, because typos weren't correctable on the stencil. It wasn't the preferred way of running multiple copies of class materials.
Those numbers weren’t handed out in class and some teachers’ number was listed in the phone book under their husband’s name or was unlisted entirely. As for the grocery store, the students tried to avoid the teacher and cringed internally if mom stopped to talk to the teacher. “Please don’t talks to me. Please don’t tell mom about the test or homework. Please don’t tell mom what I did in class.”
They do prefer the modern copy machine but there are times they do miss the mimeograph, like when the copier becomes prone to paper jams or completely stops working and have to wait for an expensive repair or replacement.
Those numbers weren’t handed out in class and some teachers’ number was listed in the phone book under their husband’s name or was unlisted entirely. As for the grocery store, the students tried to avoid the teacher and cringed internally if mom stopped to talk to the teacher. “Please don’t talks to me. Please don’t tell mom about the test or homework. Please don’t tell mom what I did in class.”
They do prefer the modern copy machine but there are times they do miss the mimeograph, like when the copier becomes prone to paper jams or completely stops working and have to wait for an expensive repair or replacement.
There was another duplicating method back then, but I don't remember what it was called. It was so much easier; you just wrote or typed whatever you wanted on a page that was inked on the back, as I recall, and then ran it through the machine. Mimeographing was the hard way,but preferred by school office staff, because it looked more formal and official. But instructors both at the school level and university, preferred the other way. It was also cheaper than mimeograph.
Being afraid to run into the teacher was only an issue for kids who had something to hide. That was representative only of a minority of students. And even if a teacher was in the phone book under her husband's name, doing a search for the last name would turn up the only one or two listings under that name in the neighborhood, usually.
Last edited by Ruth4Truth; 08-31-2023 at 10:40 AM..
There was another duplicating method back then, but I don't remember what it was called. It was so much easier; you just wrote or typed whatever you wanted on a page that was inked on the back, as I recall, and then ran it through the machine. Mimeographing was the hard way,but preferred by school office staff, because it looked more formal and official. But instructors both at the school level and university, preferred the other way. It was also cheaper than mimeograph.
Being afraid to run into the teacher was only an issue for kids who had something to hide. That was representative only of a minority of students. And even if a teacher was in the phone book under her husband's name, doing a search for the last name would turn up the only one or two in the immediate neighborhood, usually.
Most likely what you're remembering was a Risograph. The company was named Riso. It was a machine that was much cheaper to run than a copy machine and used for printing larger quantities (like test papers). Schools, churches, and funeral homes were big purchasers of this machine.
Sure they did. They just didn't have any reason to use their teacher's phone number and home address. That was public info available to everyone via the phone book (and still is). And inevitably at least a couple of the teachers lived in the same general neighborhood or area of town that the students lived in, so at the very least, some of the parents would know those neighborhood-resident teachers, perhaps even through a mutual social circle, and the kids might occasionally run into a teacher at the grocery store or at neighborhood events.
Mimeographs were a pain to work with, because typos weren't correctable on the stencil. It wasn't the preferred way of running multiple copies of class materials.
Of course, we knew where the teachers lived. We played with their kids and visited their houses. We'd see them in the store or at church on Sunday. Even my kids knew where most of their teachers lived, their kids were on the same ball teams. I coached some of their kids. We run into their former teachers around town all the time.
And we all loved to be the kid chosen to go mimeograph some papers because we got to be first to stick our faces on the paper stack and smell that mimeograph smell. Copy machines just don't have that personality.
Of course, we knew where the teachers lived. We played with their kids and visited their houses. We'd see them in the store or at church on Sunday. Even my kids knew where most of their teachers lived, their kids were on the same ball teams. I coached some of their kids. We run into their former teachers around town all the time.
And we all loved to be the kid chosen to go mimeograph some papers because we got to be first to stick our faces on the paper stack and smell that mimeograph smell. Copy machines just don't have that personality.
The bolded is exactly what I was going to post next! Sure, those who were friends with the teachers' kids saw them in their home environment often. No big deal, it was normal.
Most likely what you're remembering was a Risograph. The company was named Riso. It was a machine that was much cheaper to run than a copy machine and used for printing larger quantities (like test papers). Schools, churches, and funeral homes were big purchasers of this machine.
I don't recall that it was called that, but it does sound like what I was thinking of. Cheaper to run, but also much easier to produce class materials on. You could hand-write on it, for informal handouts, and things requiring a graphic image that you could draw on it, etc.
I am not a teacher. But I’m horrified by the erosion of solidarity between the adults; teachers and parents.
Parents, when teachers tell you how it is, THAT’S HOW IT IS. Respect them by not second-guessing them.
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Of course, we knew where the teachers lived. We played with their kids and visited their houses. We'd see them in the store or at church on Sunday.
Same.... We were in country schools, so everyone knew and socialized, did activities together as a community. Our kids never went to school, but we volunteered in country schools. Knew the teachers, and each other very well. Mutual respect.
My current read... "My Country School Dairy", published 1946. Even things had changed then, and mentioned in book. The teacher lost a few former students during WWII, and knew each family and siblings well. My mom, g'ma, and great g'ma all taught it country schools. Our nearest school today... The Principle is teacher, bus driver, custodian, coach, HR director, chief bottle washer. It's a one school, school district. (3 teachers K+8) Big job! Nice people to volunteer with and work beside
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Sure, those who were friends with the teachers' kids saw them in their home environment often. No big deal, it was normal.
