School Desks

Second grade for me was taught by Mrs. Esther (?) Woods, who as I have mentioned was the only female married teacher I had all through the years at the Gowrie school. As for the first grade I have some recollection of where I sat in the classroom. In first grade it was, at least part of the time on the very left side of the room (as the teacher faced it) and two or three seats from the front.

In second grade Mrs. Wood had her desk on the north side of the room but the rows of desks ran past her rather than toward her — the pupils faced east. I was in the second row away from her desk, about midway in the row.

The desks were movable, each desk being a unit in itself. I think the desktop could be adjusted as to slant, but of this I am not sure, and it could only be adjusted slightly if it were possible. The desk could only be entered from the left side and underneath the seat was a little drawer, which could be pulled out form the right side, where books etc. could be stored. Perhaps there was also space under the desktop. This kind of movable desk was used all through the sixth grade.

The desktops bore the marks of earlier students — scratches, initials carved into it, etc. The janitor probably did some maintenance on the tops, such as varnishing, during the summer months. On the desktop there was space for an inkwell, but it was never used, either in the elementary or junior high grades. I think the classroom would be provided only with the number of desks required by the number of students, the excess supply was probably stored somewhere in the school building.