This was the schoolhouse for Skime, Minnesota in 1929 where my cousins Thelma and Clarice Winter attended. Their teacher, Gladys Anderson boarded with the Roseen family in 1930. Teachers often boarded with local families in the one-room schoolhouse days as salaries were small and housing was limited. Each morning, Gladys was responsible for unlocking the building, building a fire in the stove if needed, and cleaning. When it was time for school, she would stand at the door, ring a bell, and have the children march in, often 2 by 2. She would teach reading, writing, arithmetic, and history, plus other subjects. The school year was often only 2-3 months long, never longer than 6 months.

There are no advanced techniques here. I laid down the background then decided which paper I wanted as a torn sheet over it and clipped it to the folded paper template. I placed the photos where I wanted them and added a stroke layer effect along with the drop shadows, added the elements under and over until I liked the look, added shadows and journaling.