Struan 1962 - Adm.monash.edu.au

Since my return to Frankston from Medford, staff and students alikehave bombarded me with much the same question: "What's it really like - Imean, teaching in America?" Of course, I cannot possibly answer thatquestion since I taught in only one senior high school, one of many thousandsof such schools in the U.S.A.With that point understood, let me say that the day of the teacher inmy senior high school was fully, if not always profitably, occupied. I wasexpected to unlock the door of my classroom at 7.50 a.m., lock the doorat 11.10 a.m. when I commenced my half-hour lunch period, and after thatbreak keep my room open until 4 p.m. By calculation of the above', it canbe ascertained that the teacher worked a forty-hour, five-day week. However,other teachers worked even longer hours: performing additional dutiesfor which they were reimbursed.The administration of this school believed in the principle of continuousstudent supervision. These senior students, aged 16, 17, or 18, werepermitted to leave their classrooms in the course of the school day if thesupervising teacher completed one of a number of printed "passes" whichhad to be initialled at the point of destination and then returned to theissuing teacher, who filed them for future reference. During each of thethree lunch periods teachers were posted around the corridors to supervisestudent deportment in general, but in particular to check student members ofthe "Lonely Hearts Club." Since this club enjoyed strong support from thestudent body, the corridor teachers were often heard to cry: "Unhook!" Byinference, it is suggested that students were not encouraged to mingle freelyin the school grounds and indeed few students ventured outside to taste thefresh air of Oregon. A majority of students came to school in the yellowschool bus, although the supervision of student deportment in these busesappeared to be more illusory than real.The dress of both teachers and students was highly informal. Summerfrocks were popular with the female students throughout the year, althoughduring winter both males and females covered their light clothing with thesnow clothing made popular by Sir Vivian Fuchs and Sir Edmund Hillary.Throughout all seasons the temperature of the classroom was held to anunpleasantly stuffy 80°F. Selfishly, I ignored tumultuous protests and kept..---............- certain classroom windows open in all weathers, including snowfalls: Mystudents appeared to have three aversions: fresh air, walking, and in manycases, study."How hard does the American student work?" This again is the'hardy annual' type of question. I can say that my advanced studentsPage Twenty STRUAN, 1962