Photos of One Room School House
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The marker for the One Room School House in Paramus, NJ is located on Midland Avenue. Its inscription reads:
"This sturdy old frame building is a landmark in the community, having served Paramus residents in various ways. Originally School No. 26 of Midland Township, it was converted into a borough hall when Paramus Borough was formed in 1922. In 1959 it became the main quarters of the Paramus Free Public Library 83 years after it had been erected."
One thing that struck me immediately about this site was the connect between past and present. While the building still has bit of a historic feel, it has a more modern look and appeal because its use is current, unlike most of the other schoolhouses in NJ, which house more historic remnants. I found a poem that formed a connection in mind that deals with past and present:
Past, Present, Future
by Fion Lim
Don't get stuck in the past,
Where you linger on and on in familiarity,
And replay old memories over and over again.
Don't overindulge in the future,
Where you daydream about leading a grand life endlessly,
And imagine the sweetest days you could ever live.
Don't neglect your present,
Where true life begins to unfold and pass you by silently,
And you wonder about missed opportunities and lost moments.
For lessons, quietly contemplate about your past,
And you might realize life has cleverly placed you in situations,
That demanded you to raise up to the challenges and to grow.
To reduce your anxiety and panic attacks, make plans for your future,
And you might see that your dreams and goals are acting like guiding lights,
Shining the path for you to follow through and learning to overcome your fears.
To avoid the state of merely existing, be aware of your present,
And you might notice that you are part of a grander scheme,
Where the past is long gone and the future has yet to come,
And that your present is the most precious moment you could ever feel.
Your past and your future both lie in your present,
Where your present wields the power to influence and change,
The way you think about your past either with gratitude or with regret,
And shape your future to either a success or a failure.
Live totally in the present,
Enjoying each and every moment,
Where it is all happening,
Where it truly matters.
Copyright © 2006 Fion Lim.
by Fion Lim
I also found some "Rules for Teachers" supposedly from the late 1800's which was when this schoolhouse was built. As a teacher, it is quite interesting to read!
Rules for Teachers in the Late 1800s
1. Teachers each day will fill lamps and clean chimneys.
2. Each teacher will bring a bucket of water and a scuttle of coal for the day’s session.
3. Make your pens carefully. You may whittle nibs to the individual taste of the pupils.
4. Men teachers may take one evening each week for courting purposes, or two evenings a week if they go to church regularly
5. After ten hours in school, the teachers may spend the remaining time reading the Bible or other good books.
6. Women teachers who marry or engage in unseemly conduct will be dismissed.
7. Every teacher should lay aside from each pay a goodly sum of his earnings for his benefit during his declining years so that he will not become a burden on society
8. Any teacher who smokes, uses liquor in any form, frequents pool or public halls, or gets shaved in a barbershop will give good reason to suspect his worth, intention, integrity and honesty
9. The teacher who performs his labor faithfully and without fault for five years will be given an increase of twenty-five cents per week in his pay, providing the Board of Education approves.
First, the poem is interesting, and speaks to how the past, present, and future are always being formed - rather than being fixed. It is important to remember this about the past.
ReplyDeleteSecond, the rules are great. Some sublimely ridiculous (like getting to court two days a week, or going to the barbershop), while others suggest that certain academic fads are old things with new names. Personally cutting pen nibs is making is tailoring the available technology to meet the needs of particular students.
I loved rules 4-6... they are so funny. I think rules number 7 and 9 are interesting, especially in thinking about the money issues that NJ teachers and the teachers' union. I think some of the community expects teachers to put more of their money into their future, when they still receive very little increase in pay and are still judged to be of high moral fiber. I'm thinking here of teachers asked not to be on facebook or MySpace or other social networking sites.
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