What would school children of today be stunned to learn about your school?

[mylilnikita]

In high school, we had pay phones in a couple places. Get a bathroom pass make a call lol

 

[clori]

My elementry school was considered a walker's school so no busing. If the weather was bad they would simply let us leave. No calls home or anything - I guess everyone either had a key or had someone at home. We could go home for lunch if we wanted in elementary school as well. My high school was built following some strange open concept design (to save money most likely but that was denied). We had a hallway then a giant room on each side - we had things like bookcases & portable whiteboards which separated rooms but no walls/doors. I could hear other classes which I sometimes preferred over my own.

 

[BayouQueen]

Omg there are so many things. But can’t think of any way to tell about them that’s within forum guidelines.

 

[bushdianee]

In elementary school we had an hour for lunch and went home for it. No breakfast or lunch was served at school.
In high school my class, 1976, was the first class to have coed homerooms.

 

[ttintagel]

All the doors were unlocked. Parents and former students would drop in all the time. Visitors didn’t even have to sign in.

As others have mentioned, pay phones and smoking in the teachers’ lounge/parking lot.

Civil defense drills in the fallout shelter.

Field trips and all extracurricular activities were free.

 

[BrianL]

One thing I can think of that astounds me is how the drop-off/pick-up works now. I drive by schools with lines of cars, all waiting to pull up to the porscibed spot to let their kids out, and my understanding is that this is the ONLY way for them to arrive. When I was a kid, you just showed up - walked, or whatever. My mom might let me out a block away to avoid any congenetion near the front - ther was nothing orderly about it. That was all considered fine. We also just hung out outside until it was time to assemble in the gym for pledge and prayer (Catholic school).

 

[DeeBee3]

One thing I can think of that astounds me is how the drop-off/pick-up works now. I drive by schools with lines of cars, all waiting to pull up to the porscibed spot to let their kids out, and my understanding is that this is the ONLY way for them to arrive. When I was a kid, you just showed up - walked, or whatever. My mom might let me out a block away to avoid any congenetion near the front - ther was nothing orderly about it. That was all considered fine. We also just hung out outside until it was time to assemble in the gym for pledge and prayer (Catholic school).

I definitely recall them opening the doors and letting us run out the playground/parking lot. We just went and found our ride. Buses were in the front, completely opposite side of the building.

 

[Lumpy1106]

If you got in trouble you had to stay in during recess or stay after school and write sentences on the chalkboard - just like Bart Simpson.

Will also add cursive - as a left-hander this was torture. The teachers absolutely insisted on holding the pencil just so, resting in the crook between your thumb and fore-finger. Yeah, that's not how left-handers do it. It smears what you just wrote and you can't see it. My 2nd grade teacher could not have cared less. Still irks me to this day and...it's been a lot of years.

 

[JLTraveling]

If you got in trouble you had to stay in during recess or stay after school and write sentences on the chalkboard - just like Bart Simpson.

Will also add cursive - as a left-hander this was torture. The teachers absolutely insisted on holding the pencil just so, resting in the crook between your thumb and fore-finger. Yeah, that's not how left-handers do it. It smears what you just wrote and you can't see it. My 2nd grade teacher could not have cared less. Still irks me to this day and...it's been a lot of years.

As a fellow left-hander, I can definitely relate! I had semipermanent ink stains down the side of my hand all through school until I learned a better way to hold my pen.

 

[tvguy]

, and at the start of 4th grade we were all astounded that there was no more cream collected under the cardboard cap of the milk bottle; we had homogenized milk finally!

Finally, for sure. Just doing some checking and in the late 1930's was went the majority of milk sold was homogenized. Surprised they could even get unhomogenized milk.

 

[lilmc]

Our grade was our grade. No standard schedules for retakes and corrections to keep improving it.

 

[MimitoAlex]

We did not wear PJ's to class

We had subjects, like English, Math, Science, Social Studies, Geography, American History, World History and Government. and elective were things like FFA, Shop, Home Economics.

Teacher were there to teach you the subject and see that you understood and were learning. There was respect for teachers. Parents and students alike showed respect.

Teacher were there to teach and Parents were expected to parent their children.

Art, Drama, Band and Chorus were given as much money as sports programs.

Drivers Ed, Health, were must to be able to graduate.

Lunch was Lunch, choice hot lunch or some kinda sub sandwich which was made by the lunch room ladies.

Smoking was not allowed... never ever....

We said the Pledge of Allegiance, in elementary school there was brief prayer, in middle school a moment of reflection. High school a moment of silence.

We had books and work book, book reports, we had to raise our hand and be called on.

 

[Carol_]

Call someone a giraffe-neck and get spanked by the principal.

 

[NotUrsula]

View attachment 742579View attachment 742580
If we were good, we got to help the teacher by making copies and cleaning the erasers. lol
And we really did consider it a reward.

Not so much cleaning the erasers, but running a mimeograph got a buzz on. The methyl alcohol fluid made you high as a kite.

Also, we also had lots of knives in pockets and rifles in pickup trucks, but our parking lot was gated with an 8 ft razor-wire fence and only opened by the guard with a permission slip. To keep kids from accessing the guns during school hours, you ask? Nope. To keep them from cutting classes to have sex in their cars. (It was the 70's.)