Back in the day, classrooms looked much different from those today. Technology was not as advanced, rules were different, and the whole dynamic was something today’s kids have never witnessed.
Without the Internet and smartphones, times were much more difficult, but it does not mean they were not fun.
Here are ten school habits from the past that we remember and hold close to our hearts.
1. Passing Notes Instead of Texting Under the Desk
If you wanted to ask your friend a quick question during the class, you did not have a phone to instantly message them.
Instead, you would write the question or a new gossip onto a piece of paper, and secretly pass it to your friend.
You had to make it go unnoticed because if you were caught, you would be humiliated in front of the whole class.
Your teacher would either punish you or, even worse, read the note out loud. This method was also used for much serious topics, such as asking your crush to go out with you, or asking your classmates if they could help you copy a math test from them.
Either way, it was a risky practice, but we surely made some memorable moments while doing it.
2. Chalkboards and the Squeaky Terror of Chalk
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Nothing made us more annoyed than the sound of chalk screeching all over the board. It was terrible, and it made tests or new difficult lessons even harder to follow.
After it was all done, the ‘chalk monitor’ had to clean the board, and it would leave them with messy, dry hands and dirty clothes. It was not fun, but we managed with it for decades.
Old classrooms simply knew no better, and having a new, fresh chalk to write with felt majestic. Now it’s all dry-erase markers; clean, so convenient, and, dare we say, completely soulless.
3. The Pencil Sharpener That Took Your Whole Arm Strength
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Mounted to the wall, the pencil sharpener was usually your excuse to walk around and stretch your legs. However, when you actually needed to sharpen your pencil, you would need all your strength to do so with this ancient machine.
It somehow always screeched, groaned, and we do not know why, but it rarely gave you a good point.
Now, kids have it much easier with mechanical sharpeners, and they do not know how lucky they are.
4. Book Covers Made from Brown Paper Bags
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As a student, you had to protect your books and notebooks as if they were sacred. The most popular way to do so was to wrap them in covers made from brown paper bags.
You were, however, allowed to doodle on them whatever you wanted and to express yourself. This was fun, and it made it easier to differentiate between different books.
Everyone had their own decorating style, and it was not uncommon to have your crush’s initials hidden in the margins.
Today’s books usually come pre-covered or digital, and the brown paper covers are long gone.
5. Handwriting Lessons with Cursive Charts on the Wall
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It was almost a competition whose cursive letters would look more beautiful. So, entire lessons were devoted to perfecting those fancy letters (sometimes more than learning the lesson itself).
We traced those curved lines with painful precision, and it was an achievement if your teacher praised your ‘Q’s.
There was always that one special kid whose cursive totally looked like a royal decree.
Nowadays, cursive is mostly forgotten, and kids are missing out on the art of fine writing.
6. Getting Filmstrips and Projector Days
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Imagine sitting in your old classroom on a rainy day and your teacher puts on a film for the whole class to watch. It was truly heavenly.
The soft narrator’s voice during the film, soft colors, and everyone cozied up in their chairs felt so peaceful and warm.
It did not matter that the tape usually got stuck and that you could not see all the details too well; it was certainly better than doing math tests.
Today, children watch documentaries on HD TV screens or on their smart boards, but there was something magical and cozy about those old projectors.
7. Classroom Jobs Like Line Leader or Eraser Cleaner
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Each day, we had jobs that needed to be done, and we took them very seriously. They were mostly related to discipline and making sure everything was in order for a smooth learning day.
Some roles included eraser clapper, calendar changer, or attendance runner, and they made you feel like a true adult while doing them.
Your teacher trusted you, your classmates expected perfection, and you definitely delivered.
Now, with digital devices, most students do not have these roles, and the technology takes away all the fun.
8. Calling Home from the School Office Phone
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Phone calls back in the day were not quick or discreet. If you felt ill or you forgot something at home, you would have to ask to use your phone, and you prayed your mom would answer right away.
Almost everyone could hear your conversations, and you just hoped mom would not ask you embarrassing questions.
You also had to be quick and effective and pose no burden to others.
Now, a quick text solves everything, but we surely went through some character development with those rotary phones.
9. Using Actual Encyclopedias for Research
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When you needed to write an essay or do research on a certain topic, you would actually have to go to a school library, take all the books related to it, and slowly read. Research took a lot of time, and it was very tiring.
However, you did learn a lot more doing it, and it also taught you patience. All notes had to be handwritten as well, so it took weeks before your essay was even ready to be written.
Now, a quick screenshot and ChatGPT make everything easier (which is not bad), but there was something special in those nights spent at the library.
10. Overhead Projectors with Plastic Sheets
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These projectors were used for a lot of things; from presentations to tests, you knew it was about to get serious as soon as teachers turned them on. Plastic sheets were used as transparent slides, and you had to pay close attention to each letter.
Teachers wrote with markers on plastic, like it was cutting-edge tech, and we all felt honored when they handed us markers to ‘fill in the gaps’.
Also, we all had those teachers who wrote the letters too tiny or too messy, and you had to decipher what they actually meant.
Smartboards and digital screens are now popular, and these projectors are long gone, but they were surely cozy and had their charm.
