Life on the Prairie

Life on the Prairie

 

 

Emily

 

Emily, her beliefs so strong,

Knew to bully others, was wrong.

 

To schoolmates, she was always kind,

She wanted no friend, left behind.

 

 

 

 

 

Emily: the Kind Suffragette, won second place in the Heart of America Christian Writers Network 2014 Writing Contest in the Children’s Story Division

 

Please note this blog posts the first and third weeks of the month.

 



Prairie Girls

 

Emily

Hello, again. Many exciting things happened at Globe school. The Christmas program was one of my favorite events. I played Mary, the Mother of Jesus, in this year’s program. Billy, the bully, left school after his daddy was injured in a mining accident, but they both attended the Christmas program. I hoped he had learned the importance of treating others well, but he left before I could speak with him. Later, Mum said I could invite Billy and his daddy to our Christmas dinner.

Old-fashioned Discipline

It seems that the biggest discipline problem in schools today is the same problem endured since the beginning of time: bullying. There is something in the nature of children that causes them to make fun of each other. The difference today is the "bullied” may make the decision to retaliate. No longer does the student have to just take it.

When I attended school, bullying existed, but was more often outside of school rather than inside the building. Part of the reason was there was a deterrent keeping many on the straight and narrow path of behavior. If I got into trouble at school, I knew I was in trouble at home. There was also the risk of corporal punishment…the paddle.

I kept on the straight and narrow at school, so I had no experience with a paddle. The situation changed, however, when I became a teacher. Corporal punishment was still in existence when I began my career. It had a profound effect upon the entire school. In the old days if someone got swatted by a teacher, it took place outside the classroom in the hall. The halls were usually quiet during class, and the sound of the swat was heard on all three floors of the junior high where I taught. If the door was open everyone heard it; I could count on my classes being good the rest of the day.

Then laws changed, and there had to be witnesses to make sure teachers didn’t hurt the child. (Was that not the purpose of the paddle?) A parent was offered the opportunity to swat the child instead of the administrator or teacher applying the punishment. You would be surprised how many parents when called replied they would be right up to the school to do it.

Did I ever swat a student? I did, twice. It gave me a headache each time, but I also saw a positive change in the two boys I paddled. Did I see it abused? Yes, I witnessed a principal deliver a swat, and the kid moved. It caught him in the small of the back. The parent standing there saw it, but supported the school and actually thanked the principal for his efforts.

I am glad that corporal punishment is not allowed in my school system any longer. What I miss is the parental support that accompanied the swat. Then I wonder-could we save lives by preventing a student from retaliating with the delivered swat of a paddle on a bully?

 

 

 

The Historical Fact

Mining Hazards

Since the beginning of coal mining during the Industrial Revolution, accidents from various causes have proven fatal to hundreds of miners. More than 100,000 workers died during the 20^th Century. Some of the most dangerous hazards in the industry included cave-ins, explosions, vehicle and equipment collision or crushing, chemical leakage and fires. In Emily’s day the accidents could easily have been caused by human error. Using too much explosive materials or improper placement of blasting devices created explosions, cave-ins and fires.

Black lung and illness caused by dampness in the mines created more hazards for the miners, shortened their life spans and is still a problem today. The use of child labor was common in the 19^th Century, adding to the possibility of more human error and danger. As the second largest producer of coal in the world today, accidents in the United States still happen each year. The highest percentages of accidents, however, occur in the underdeveloped countries of the world with the most happening in China.

The following sites might be helpful.

 

http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal_mining
http://www.coal-miners-in-kentucky.com/TheCoalMiner.html
http://ehistory.osu.edu/exhibitions/gildedage/content
http://www.pns.org/wgbh/amex/1900/filmmore/reference/interview/miller_danger