LAUGH
I am an 80s kid, and reflecting on some of my past teachers’ practices, I can honestly say most of them wouldn’t last a week (most by choice) if they were classroom educators today.
Many experiences that were once commonplace would be met with raised eyebrows if not outright condemnation if they were done today. But on the other hand, teachers today have many more rules and unnecessary paperwork that make the job more difficult. We long for the freedom, fun, and simplicity that were once enjoyed by the educators who came before us.
Here are sixteen things that were done in the past that would crash and burn in today’s climate.
1. Unorthodox discipline
Well, we all know about the paddle with holes hanging on the wall as a reminder that there would be pain if we broke a rule. Here are a few more ways we were traumatized (I mean “disciplined”) for breaking a rule.
- Putting your nose in a circle on the chalkboard.
- Writing “I will not talk in class” one hundred times.
- The teacher intercepts an intricately folded note that you attempt to pass to your friend and reads the entire thing aloud to the class.
- Emptying your desk contents on the floor if it was too messy.
2. Giving a kid the grade they earned
There were no minimum Fs or test retakes. Students knew they would fail if they did not study or put forth any effort. Parents did, too, and ensured their kids did their homework before going outside to “play.”
3. Teachers leaving students alone in the classroom
One student would be left to stand at the front of the classroom staring at their peers writing their names on the board if they so much as sneezed.
It worked well, and at least the teacher could use the bathroom.
4. Fun games at recess
Students love and need recess. I understand why we can’t play games like “Butts Up” and way too many arms were broken by the big kid being called over during a rousing game of “Red Rover,” but “Red Light, Green Light” is iconic. Bring back three recesses a day, every day.
5. Teaching for the love of learning (not the test)
Teachers were trusted to teach without following a script. It was spontaneous and fun, not robotic. There were no pep rallies for standardized tests, and we would read outdoors for the love of reading. Awww!
6. Sitting down and teaching
My fourth-grade teacher sat down the entire day. Almost the whole class formed a line before the teacher’s desk, waiting to ask a question. By the time I got to the front of the line, I forgot my question.
Students ran errands for him, going to his car to get something he forgot or to the teacher’s lounge to buy him a “soda.”
7. Real consequences
The principal was not your “PAL” back then. The threat of being sent to their office was “real” enough to encourage good behavior. They took care of things and gave consequences instead of gifts.
8. Students grading papers
I remember switching papers with a classmate to grade. I usually got the kid who took the job waaayyy too seriously. We then called out our scores so the entire class could hear. Public embarrassment was always a huge motivator back then.
9. Kitchen sets, nap time and coloring in kindergarten
Standard-based kindergarten has superseded child development. What once was an arena to develop social and basic learning skills has now morphed into reading complex texts and writing a paragraph by the end of the year.
Kitchen sets and coloring have been replaced by Chromebooks and MAP tests: not good.
10. Smoking lounges
We knew the teachers who smoked because the smoking lounge was often in clear sight. Some instructors lit up the moment they dropped us off at lunchtime.
11. Taking students to McDonalds for a reward
Even with permission slips, if this happened today, the teacher would have an APB out for their arrest for kidnapping.
12. Teaching cursive
In most states, cursive is not included in the standards for instruction. Students always looked forward to this; I know I did. The reasoning for removing cursive is that it takes too much time to teach and is no longer needed with advanced technology methods. Hmmmm.
13. Birthday spankings
I don’t know who thought this was something kids would enjoy on their birthday, but it was common practice.
The teacher would call the birthday students up, put them over their knees, and exaggerate giving them spankings. I think I talked my mom into letting me stay home on my birthday.
14. Round-robin reading
Who remembers counting ahead to the section where you had to read and practicing in your mind, completely ignoring the present reader? This was very stressful, especially for the poor readers, and comprehension was decreased completely.
15. Baked goods
Class parties were something to look forward to in “those days.” Now, with the high increase in peanut allergies, only store-bought goods are allowed in most schools. Although it is for the better, nothing can replace homemade baked goods.
16. Receive the respect they deserve
Unfortunately, there is something referred to as teacher bashing these days. It’s all over social media, and parents and students feel entitled to tarnish the reputations of teachers if they do not agree with grades or practices.
Teachers of the past were held in high regard, and parents backed us up when there were discipline issues.
While we reminisce about the past and long for the freedoms and simplicity that teachers once had, some things have changed for the better. Today’s classrooms strive for inclusivity, diversity, and a more holistic approach to education. There’s a greater emphasis on individualized learning and less public shaming.
If only we could bring back the fun, teacher autonomy, respect, and natural student consequences, I think we would be headed in the right direction.
