In the year 1859, Myra Moore was 21 years old. With no training, and a long walk (in a long skirt) from home to the one-room Brick Schoolhouse in Sharon, New Hampshire, she rang a handbell to call the students, called “scholars,” to her classroom to start their day.
There’s no question that teachers have an enormous influence on the lives of children along with what and how they learn. In the early days of the Town of Sharon, this was especially true. Yet teachers like Myra worked in one-room schoolhouses under challenging conditions and were paid a pittance.
A Long Walk to the Classroom tells the story of some of the town’s teachers whose dedication was admirable and worthy of documenting. It describes the simple buildings (of which only one remains) where they devoted so much time and energy, and beyond that, it pieces together their stories.
The book also offers glimpses into what the school days were like. It illustrates the lives of several early students whose families and community valued education as a means to a better life. Its ten chapters are illuminated with more than 100 photographs, paintings and engravings.
A Long Walk to the Classroom, The History of One-Room Schools, Teachers and Students in Sharon, New Hampshire is available at the Toadstool Bookshop, online retailers and the Jaffrey Public Library.