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

[DeeBee3]

Wow, an eraser machine! We took them outside and pounded them on the brick walls.

At our elementary schools, kids can still go home for lunch, and the HS has always had open lunch. All students in all of the schools still stand for the pledge of allegiance, that’s how all meetings, such as the BOE, are started.

Was going to say we always had someone assigned to clean the erasers and we went outside the class and smashed them on rocks. Oh the days!

 

[BrianL]

Trappers Keepers. Kids today would have no clue.

Our middle school bought maybe like 6 Apple computers around 1982 and the whole school of almost 400 students got to try them. It was very sparse, iirc a 30 minute class every other week.

This image looks accurate
View attachment 742529

By the end of a couple years we learned how to do this:View attachment 742530
You had to number each line 10, 20, 30, 40, etc. I remember something about string and using a dollar symbol $. It was interesting and boring at the same time. Like wow this could do something great, but we were just saying ‘hello world’ lol And making Christmas trees out of asterisks.

Now? I could never have imagined what happened over 40 years. Like I can see that my husband just went in the restroom at Home Depot on the Find My app (I’m not weird, just making and timing dinner). Edit a movie on my phone. Have access to almost any bit of info anytime and everybody forgot how to spell because spellcheck. Endless list here really When you think about.

Ah, the C64. You are remembering to LOAD "$",8 which would pull up the Disk Directory for whatever media is inserted into device number 8, likely the primary floppy disk drive. We were taught that one and it was always the first thing we did.

 

[DeeBee3]

I'm an in-between generation so we got donation of computers around 3/4th grade. We learned to type properly and played Oregon Trail. That's what I recall of computers in school until high school when we got dial-up Internet and used AOL messenger to chat.

I am very happy I learned to type because all I did in college was type papers and I can do so fairly quickly.

I also enjoyed the days when the 1 TV was rolled in with the VCR.

I really loved school. I went to an academically rigorous elementary school but I remember lots of recess time. When I compare to my kids today, they are in class much more and less time outside. They are also expected to know things at a higher grade level than I did. I think those can have pros and cons. I have been gifted academically so I don't think academics are bad, but I do wonder why the focus changed and if it has done any good given the lack of math and reading scores across the US.

 

[mrodgers]

That it can possibly not be possible to know every kid you went to school with as we had more fail and not graduate in my class than they had in their entire graduating class. Heck, more in each graduating class than they had in their 7-12 school.

 

[diser_fam]

1 - Getting paddled by the principal

2 - Smoking block at my High School (my kids noticed it looking through one of my yearbooks as there was a picture of a few kids and a couple of teachers burning some lung darts outside the school, LOL)

3 - There were some over 18 seniors that actually drove the busses in my school district (rural area). This ended after my freshman year of high school, 1990. That one blows my mind to think about now, but no one thought anything of it back then.

 

[JLTraveling]

As far as I know, everyone I knew in school identified as the same gender as they were biologically born.

Most likely they didn't though. People were just closeted and afraid to be themselves. In the 90s, a good friend and I spent lots of weekends pretending to be the girlfriends of a gay couple we knew so they could actually go out on dates: movies, bowling, shooting pool, whatever. We knew there was trouble brewing whenever one of them would come up to one of us and give us a long kiss.

 

[disneyseniors]

That there was no laptops

There was no preschool or kindergarten in our school district.
I started first grade at the young age of 5, but it never bothered me at that age.

 

[disneyseniors]

Most likely they didn't though. People were just closeted and afraid to be themselves. In the 90s, a good friend and I spent lots of weekends pretending to be the girlfriends of a gay couple we knew so they could actually go out on dates: movies, bowling, shooting pool, whatever. We knew there was trouble brewing whenever one of them would come up to one of us and give us a long kiss.

In the 60's when I was in high school, we had gay kids, imagine that!!! No one paid any attention to that and we all treated each other the same. It wasn't a big deal like it is now. But I was in a small area with a rural smaller high school. Don't know if that makes a difference or not.

 

[Smugpugmug]

Most likely they didn't though. People were just closeted and afraid to be themselves. In the 90s, a good friend and I spent lots of weekends pretending to be the girlfriends of a gay couple we knew so they could actually go out on dates: movies, bowling, shooting pool, whatever. We knew there was trouble brewing whenever one of them would come up to one of us and give us a long kiss.

One of my friends had to do that for me when my school wouldn't let me take my girlfriend at the time to prom. I went with him and my girlfriend went with another friend of ours.

 

[JLTraveling]

In the 60's when I was in high school, we had gay kids, imagine that!!! No one paid any attention to that and we all treated each other the same. It wasn't a big deal like it is now. But I was in a small area with a rural smaller high school. Don't know if that makes a difference or not.

I'm surprised with it being a rural area! My experience has always been that cities tend to be more accepting than small areas. But that's awesome that it wasn't an issue then!!

 

[disneyseniors]

I'm surprised with it being a rural area! My experience has always been that cities tend to be more accepting than small areas. But that's awesome that it wasn't an issue then!!

Yep, there was no distinction between us. They didn't act different and we didn't either. They were just accepted, as all of us were. Maybe because it was a simpler time, I don't know.

 

[JLTraveling]

Yep, there was no distinction between us. They didn't act different and we didn't either. They were just accepted, as all of us were. Maybe because it was a simpler time, I don't know.

That is so cool! And sadly, so rare. At least these days.

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

The alternative high school I attended didn't have a computer lab, there was one ancient desktop in the English teacher's room that we could use to type up our papers.

Regarding that school in particular, my daughter thought it was hilarious that we had group therapy where we did trust falls, among other team-building activities.

And then something I didn't share with either of my kids--we were allowed to smoke at school, as long as the teachers didn't see us. They knew where we all stood to smoke and the teachers would actually go out of their way not to go that route so they didn't witness anything, but that was closer to my graduation when they passed a law about smoking on school grounds. When I started at the school as a sophomore, we would all get off the school busses and then stand at the doors smoking until the bell rang, with teachers standing there watching us. Lol, they would yell at us to not dawdle but didn't care about the smoking.

 

[Adelle Dazeem]

In my elementary school, there were a lot of rules that didn't seem weird at the time, but would never fly today:

We didn't walk on the grass - other than the fields on the playgrounds, of course, but there was no walking across the landscaped lawns as a shortcut. The students would always call out visitors who walked on the grass and remiond them we didn't do that at our school - even when that visitor was the district superintendent.

In 4-6 grades, we weren't allowed to talk during lunch - we were literally judged by student council members. We played classical music on the record player. You were to go sit, eat, and then leave for recess. Lunch was not the time for chatting or playing. That was for the playground. Each judge walked around the tables and gave each class a score from 5-10. A perfect score was 30. If you class got the high score, you got to go to lunch 15 minutes early the following week.

All adults were addressed as sir or ma'am. When you answered a question, you got out of your desk and stood next to your seat.

In 6th grade, it was one classroom - 60+ kids, two teachers, two classrooms and we were split between accelerated learners and standard work. If you were advanced math, you went to one class room with one teacher, if not you stayed in your regular class with the other teacher. Same with English - upper level was with one teacher and lower was with the other.

Every week there was "dress up day" - I think it was Thursday. All girls would wear a dress or skirt and boys wore shirts with a collar and belts. It was a contest between boys and girls who could get the highest percentage week after week.

In the same 6th grade class, the blatant favoritism was just the way it was. The teachers were very "old fashioned" in a lot of their thoughts. The teacher preferred the girls to wear dresses every day - not just dress up day. If you were a favorite, your desk was at the table right in front and you has privileges such as being the one to deliver notes back and forth to the office, etc. It was no secret who the favorites were and when a student fell out of favor for whatever reason, it was a big deal. I remember the anticipation of the first day of wondering where I would be seated. My brother was the most liked boy in the class two years before so I wasn't at the table, but I was at a desk in the second row so I was happy and relieved.

It sounds so weird in these times, but it was so disciplined and I learned so much at that school. No time was wasted with the teacher dealing with unruly kids - misbehavior simply wasn't tolerated. I hear the stories about kids assaulting their teachers - even in elementary schools and it just boggles my mind.

 

[JLTraveling]

The alternative high school I attended didn't have a computer lab, there was one ancient desktop in the English teacher's room that we could use to type up our papers.

Regarding that school in particular, my daughter thought it was hilarious that we had group therapy where we did trust falls, among other team-building activities.

And then something I didn't share with either of my kids--we were allowed to smoke at school, as long as the teachers didn't see us. They knew where we all stood to smoke and the teachers would actually go out of their way not to go that route so they didn't witness anything, but that was closer to my graduation when they passed a law about smoking on school grounds. When I started at the school as a sophomore, we would all get off the school busses and then stand at the doors smoking until the bell rang, with teachers standing there watching us. Lol, they would yell at us to not dawdle but didn't care about the smoking.

My college prep high school also did trust falls and things. We even spent an entire day of senior year out on a ropes course somewhere.

Smoking was officially against the rules for both students and teachers. Students could be expelled and teachers fired. But unofficially, we all smoked in the woods behind the school, and carefully took separate routes so as not to see each other.

 

[kanerf]

We had corporal punishment when I was in school. It was usually the Vice Principal that administered it and he had a number of paddles of various sizes on the wall behind his desk.

 

[Colleen27]

My kids have no perspective on the history of tech and view the 90s as as the dark ages, more or less, so they were surprised that we had computers and broadband when I was in school.

But I think the story that surprised them most was about the student smoking section in an outdoor courtyard at the school. Only 18+ students were allowed to use it, officially, but just the fact that an on-campus smoking area existed came as a shock to the kids, who have never known a world where smokers weren't huddled in some out-of-the-way outdoor corner.

 

[MrsPete]

Submitting poor quality work earned the score it deserved. There was no "automatic 50/100." Fifty is the new zero for our middle and high schools. I have very mixed feelings about this policy. I read the pros and cons and feel there are some good arguments for both sides.

I have no mixed feelings about this policy -- it's awful. Poor work (or missing work) should receive the score it deserves.

... Girls couldn’t wear as short of gym shorts as the guys,we don’t want to tempt the boys lol

We all wore school uniforms -- school-colored tees and loose shorts. They weren't expensive, but they were required for PE class.

Wow, an eraser machine! We took them outside and pounded them on the brick walls ...

I used to love to pound erasers!

3 - There were some over 18 seniors that actually drove the busses in my school district (rural area). This ended after my freshman year of high school, 1990. That one blows my mind to think about now, but no one thought anything of it back then.

I did that, but I wasn't over 18 -- not until three weeks before graduation.

There was no preschool or kindergarten in our school district.
I started first grade at the young age of 5, but it never bothered me at that age.

Kindergarten wasn't available to me either. My education started with first grade.

Last thought: I'm surprised how many people are focused on smoking in high school.

 

[tvguy]

No air conditioning. At least in the district I live in, which is the district I attended, all the schools have a/c thanks to Federal grant money.

If you wanted a hot lunch, you had to pay for it. Now in California all public schools provide a free hot breakfast and lunch to every student without regard to financial need.

No recycling. After school the janitor would put all the trash in an incinerator and burn it up. Every school had an incinerator.

Kids took the school bus, walked or biked to school. Very few students got dropped off by their parents. Now, it is gridlock before school and after with parents dropping off and picking up their kids. They discontinued school bus service over 20 years ago, and very few kids walk or bike to schoo.

We had one minimum day per quarter to give teachers time to update the grade book for the quarter. In the district I live in now, every Thursday is a Noon dismissal to give teachers 3 hours prep time, on top of the one hour prep time they get during the school day the other 4 days a week.

Computers? Ha!. My college had one computer with three work stations. The electronics for those three terminals filled a 2000 square foot building, and only electrical engineering

 

[leebee]

Hot lunch at school was a quarter, they cooked fresh food AT school every day, and there was ONE meal. Milk cost 3 cents if you brought your own lunch, 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! Oh- and no snacks. Kids walked quietly through the halls, lined up two-by-two. No water-bottles in the classroom- or anywhere. Who heard of water-bottles?

Every morning we'd sit at our desks and the teacher would say "Good morning, class." We'd all stand up and say "Good morning, Mrs. Whomever." We'd then recite the pledge, sit down, and the teacher would lead us in the Lord's Prayer... in public school.

We also had fallout drills. When the siren sounded, we'd go out into the hallway and kneel facing our lockers, hunched over with our hands covering the base of our skulls/necks. Apparently that was the 1960s way to avoid nuclear fallout...