Eveline A. Hughes

Expect the Unexpected Eveline A. Hughes

Life in a village school usually ran smoothly from day to day. This little book is a series of anecdotes which are surprising because the outcome was always unexpected, some amusing, others dramatic, from 1940 - 1980. They show some of the many problems that teachers faced on an everyday basis. In the latter part of the book the change from imperial measures to the metric system proved difficult. In her day teachers did everything from keeping records to dealing with dinner money and savings, on top of all the day-to-day teaching duties and the discipline that teaching entailed. There were no helpers, and until 1960 not even a school secretary. This book hopes to shed a little light on those bygone days. "Me Shoes", as she was known by the children, is now a 95-year-old who looks back on a varied career. "Teaching was demanding but rewarding, as we watched each child migrate to the real world, bringing their hopes and dreams, ideas and opinions to fruition, always expecting the unexpected."