author
Thomas R. (Thomas Raymond) Cole
1881–1970
A longtime educator in Washington state, he wrote with warmth and practical insight about what it means to learn the craft of teaching. His best-known work draws on real school experience rather than theory alone.
1 Audiobook
Learning to Be a Schoolmaster
by Thomas R. (Thomas Raymond) Cole
About the author
Thomas Raymond Cole (March 15, 1881–March 1, 1970) was an American educator whose career included work as a village school superintendent, city high school principal, Assistant State Superintendent, and later Superintendent of Schools in Seattle.
He is best remembered as the author of Learning to Be a Schoolmaster, a short reflective book built from personal experience in education. The book presents teaching as something learned through daily practice, mistakes, and responsibility, which gives it a direct and approachable tone.
Archival records from the University of Washington also note his later public service in school planning in Washington state, including work connected with emergency school construction in the 1950s. Reliable source material about his private life is limited, and I couldn’t confirm a suitable portrait image from the pages available here.