Editor: Jennifer Cain Bohrnstedt
CONTENT:
Views From My Schoolroom Window is the true coming-of-age story of a 19th century schoolgirl who became a teacher upon turning 15 years old. Laurentine's nonfiction, historical account, in the form of edited diary and supplemental writings, was based in Janesville, Wisconsin 1856 -- 1870. Because Laurentine was a prolific writer and an insightful chronicler of change around her, readers are provided, through the lens of her "father confessor" (her diary), with an engaging, richly detailed and unique set of views of family life, social relations, community debates, education standards, and the face of war -- the Civil War.
Laurentine, a surprisingly modern young woman for her time, challenges us to reconsider what we think we know about 19th century women, their expectations in life, and their attitudes towards roles and duties. Laurentine's humor and escapades help us shed misconceptions of the dark and dour cloaks of this era in history. While it may be difficult to imagine, Laurentine's descriptions of prairie life as a schoolteacher in Janesville, Wisconsin preceded those many of us have known from lives in the Little House books by more than a generation!
She help us realize that much of human experience, including that of Schoolteachers, is timelessly repeated from one generation to the next. After all, who cannot resist the look inside the life of a teacher's diary, his or her innermost thoughts and motivations about teaching? Indeed, to know the roots of U.S. public education is to know the hearts of schoolteachers. And to know teachers well is to start by knowing at least one. By reading Views From My Schoolroom Window readers will feel they, too, have walked a few miles across the prairies in this teacher's shoes.
[396 pp., 12 Photographs, 1 Map, Appendix, 133 Notes, Bibliographic Resources, Index]
Jennifer Cain Bohrnstedt earned her Master's and Bachelor's degrees from Indiana University, Bloomington. Bohrnstedt actively seeks to research the lives of characters and communities caught in pivotal eras of war, economic stress and cultural change and writes mainly through the forms of documentary editing and historical nonfiction. Works underway will continue with military history, while she introduces themes of immigration studies, photographic or visual history, and the history of education.
Her publications include: While Father Is Away, The Civil War Letters of William H. Bradbury (UKY, 2003) and Soldiering with Sherman: The Civil War Letters of George F. Cram (NIU, 2000), Views From My Schoolroom Window (AuthorHouse 2006) and Snapshots of a Century in the West (Dry Heat Press, 2007). Her websites (ViewsFromMySchoolroomWindow.com and CivilWarSoldiers.com) provide free instructional materials for use by educators and book clubs.
Jennifer serves as both an adviser to Authors Across America (AuthorHouse) and as a board adviser to the Cumberland Valley Civil War Heritage Association in Tennessee. She is an occasional lecturer to schools, libraries, lifelong learning communities, and historical societies around the country. In 2007 the city of Palm Desert, California exhibited Bohrnstedt's first gallery display of 55 works of visual history based upon collected, antiquarian, amateur photography.
Wednesday, August 29th, 1860
Pa saw Mr. Cass today for the first time since his return from the East. He says he has spent the vacation very pleasantly and is ready to "put on the harness" for another year's work.
By the by -- I have forgotten to note down that I have been assigned the position in the Grammar Room as Asst. Isn't this good luck! It is just the place I have coveted for the whole past year. It is so much pleasanter than either place I have before occupied in the Intermediate and Primary.
Can it be possible I have been so successful? I can hardly believe it. Here I have taught only one year, am now but just sixteen and am to occupy only the fourth position from Mr. Cass in the High School. Truly I am blessed.
Flora came home just after sundown tonight, and shortly after her coming, Mr. and Mrs. Richardson and Miss Dow (sister to the latter) called here. They seemed very pleasant and affable. One drawback however, to our full enjoyment of their neighborly call was the absence of light. We just happened to be without a single candle.
I think we realized, in part, the sensations the blind have in conversation for though the moon shone in very pleasantly, we could not distinguish each others features or their expression in the least.
Miss Dow intends to start for her home in Vermont on Monday so that I will not have time to cultivate her acquaintance. I am sorry for I liked her appearance much.
Thursday, August 30th, 1860
How frail are human expectations! Now but yesterday I was all aglow with joyous expectations and looking forward with bright hopes to the certainty of my occupying the much-desired position in the Grammar School. And this noon Pa came home with the news that there is to be a great examination of all the city teachers at the High School Building on Tuesday next. What a damper to my anticipating is this!
But this is the way, all through life -- we must have some bitter mingled with every sweet. I do not feel very much alarmed that I shall pass examination, but still there is no certainty that I may miss some question in a moment of fright or confusion and then, Where would I be placed! I believe 'twould kill me, almost, if I should fail.
