The original item was published from June 30, 2021 8:56 AM to June 30, 2021 8:58 AM
Teacher Testing in 1894
"Calm down, ladies and gentlemen! The examination is about to begin. If you're here for the barrel making class it's down the hall, first door on the left. Horseshoeing is out in the barn and the institutional cookery class is in the cafeteria. For those of you here to take the examination for a teacher's certificate... You're in the right place."
"Pencils sharpened? Please put out your cigar, Sir. Open your tests and let's begin!"
So... What sort of knowledge was expected of Kansas teachers at the turn of the last century? Here's your opportunity to find out. This week's KGI Blog will direct you to a booklet of questions and answers for the teacher county examinations given out in 1893 and 1894.
The tests (This is Number 2 in a series of examinations given budding educators) were no stroll around the town square. I thumbed through the book and knew that I would have failed miserably. Hopefully there would have been no test to become a librarian?
Subjects covered in the examination: Arithmetic, Grammar, Geography, United States History, Reading, Orthography, Penmanship, Theory and Practice, Physiology, United States Constitution, Natural Philosophy, and Bookkeeping.
Want to skim through the book and try your hand at some of the questions? It's available at the State Library of Kansas' KGI Online Library:
County examination questions, State of Kansas
October 28, 1893, to August 25, 1894, with answers : no. 2.