Jonathan Zimmerman, “The Dilemma of Miss Jolly: Scientific Temperance and Teacher Professionalism, 1882-1904.” HEQ 34, 1994: 413-431.

1. What is temperance? What is a teetotaler?

2. Why did some communities object to teaching about temperance in schools?

3. Who created the Scientific Temperance Instruction curriculum?

4. What was the content of STI?

5. How did it work? What progressive era teaching techniques did STI want teachers to employ in the classroom?

6. In reference to the parable about Miss Jolly, chart the reactions of Miss Jolly, Miss Prim, Miss Easy, and Miss Howler to both the form and content of STI instruction.

7. How did teachers respond to the incursions into their classrooms by community members, WCTU members, and administrators?

8. How was the language and the label of professionalism used to bolster teacher’s resistance to STI? How was professionalism used as a weapon?

9. What IS, then, Miss Jolly’s dilemma?

Overall, this article highlights many issues that continue to affect teachers today – control of educational content and method. Why is it so difficult for teachers to draw the boundaries of authority for their own classrooms? Can you think of any issues today that parallel the controversy of STI? What factors should teachers (you) use to decide what gets taught to your students? What are the limits of your responsibility? What are the boundaries of your control?