Laura Ingalls Wilder held three teaching positions before she married Almanzo Wilder—a detail she proudly notes in her book These Happy Golden Years. Teaching was not only a way for Laura to support her family financially, but it also became a defining part of her early adulthood and a major theme in her writing. Her short but meaningful career as a rural schoolteacher gave her valuable experiences that shaped her character, worldview, and storytelling.
Laura’s Teaching Certification and First Job
Laura received her first teaching certificate on December 10, 1882, at just 15 years old—an impressive accomplishment, especially for someone who was still a student herself. At the time, she was attending school in De Smet, Dakota Territory, and passed her examination to qualify as a teacher. On the same day, she was offered her first teaching job, underscoring the high demand for qualified teachers in the rapidly growing prairie towns.
The Three Schools Where Laura Taught
Laura taught three school terms, each lasting several months, in traditional pioneer one-room schoolhouses. These schools served students of all ages and grade levels, with one teacher responsible for everything from reading and arithmetic to discipline and order.
Here’s a closer look at each of her known teaching jobs:
1. The Bouchie (Brewster) School – Winter 1882–1883
Location: About 12 miles southeast of De Smet
Known as: Brewster School in These Happy Golden Years
Why the name changed: Laura altered the name in her book due to the difficult and emotionally distressing boarding situation she faced with the Bouchie family.
Notable for: This was Laura’s first teaching job at age 15.
Personal significance: Almanzo Wilder began driving her home each weekend, marking the beginning of their courtship.
Laura described this term as a difficult and lonely experience, not because of the students, but due to the hostile atmosphere in the boarding house, where she lived with a deeply unhappy and volatile couple.
2. The Perry School – 1883
Location: Closer to De Smet than the Brewster school
Known as: The second teaching term referenced in These Happy Golden Years
Environment: A more welcoming and supportive atmosphere, with a more agreeable boarding situation
Notable for: Allowed Laura to gain more confidence in her teaching abilities
This term was less dramatic than her first, but it gave Laura further experience managing a one-room schoolhouse and balancing responsibilities at a young age.
3. The Wilkin School – Spring 1885
Location: Also near De Smet
Known as: The third and final school Laura taught at before getting married
Timeframe: Spring term in 1885, shortly before her marriage to Almanzo
Personal milestone: Laura took pride in teaching three terms, besting her mother Caroline, who had taught only two terms before marrying Charles Ingalls.
After completing this final term, Laura ended her teaching career and focused on her new life as Mrs. Almanzo Wilder.
What Teaching Meant to Laura
Teaching was never Laura’s dream profession—she admitted that she taught out of necessity to help support her family during hard times. However, the experience gave her:
Confidence and independence as a young woman
A deeper understanding of the educational challenges faced by rural communities
Material that she later wove into her writing with authenticity and empathy
In These Happy Golden Years, Laura captures both the hardship and fulfillment of her teaching days—riding miles in the cold, teaching children of different ages, and navigating adult responsibilities as a teenager.
