If you are quarantined at home, and suddenly find yourself homeschooling, perhaps you can draw some inspiration from this story found in our archives.
American Baptist missions in Tokyo and Yokohama, Japan were disrupted by the Kanto earthquake of September 1, 1923. Much of the mission activity in Japan centered around educational programs from kindergarten through college. The missionaries in Japan generally spent their summers at Takayama, near Sendai in the Tohoku province. Because many of the schools and houses of the missionaries were damaged or destroyed by the earthquakes and subsequent fires in Tokyo and Yokohama, the missionary families stayed at Takayama in the fall. In the ABHS collection is the written reminiscence of Felicia Gressitt Back. This is what she writes about that fall:
With so many families bereft of their homes there was nothing for them to do but remain at Takayama until a place could be found for them. Thus the mothers got together to plan lessons for the children so they would not get behind in school. Carol Noss taught the older ones, others took the tiny tots and Edna Gressitt taught her own and others of similar age. There was reading, numberwork and some lessons in natural history. Having studied Zoology in college, Edna was pleased when someone caught a snake out in the sunny hollow back of the house. She promptly got a sharp kitchen knife, slit the shake open and pinned it to a surfboard. As she pointed out its still active circulatory system, Phil and Elizabeth German stared in awe at the dead snake that was still alive! Lin watched the whole procedure in silent wonder.
Image: Edna Gressitt, Japan Baptist Convention, 1930
Links to the collections:
The recollection comes from the Charles and Grace Tenny Papers, Folder 3
https://libraries.mercer.edu/archivesspace/repositories/2/resources/567
The photo is from the BIM picture files, Japan, Box 3, Folder 3
https://libraries.mercer.edu/archivesspace/repositories/2/resources/681
