I had the occasion a little while ago of returning to a high school – not my high school – but one locally, at which I enjoyed their production of a spring musical.
But returning to a high school after so many years was both familiar and strange. I knew, of course, that “times had changed.” Our own son was in high school several years (okay, many years) ago, and I had an inkling from those days that times were, indeed quite different. And it goes beyond the fact that our son did not have to walk to school barefoot, in the snow, and uphill both ways. A critical difference between our son’s high school experience and mine was in math classes. In my days, we were punished severely if we were caught using a calculator, slide rule, compass, or even our toes in a math class. Heaven forbid we tried to use those things during a test!
By the time our son reached high school, calculators were required equipment to bring to class. And these babies weren’t the three dollar ones, either. They had to do trigonometry and calculus and – for the price – they should have prepared dinner, too!
So I knew that times had changed. But I wasn’t prepared for the many differences the ensuing years had wrought.
The first difference I noted was in the water fountains. Sure, we had water fountains in my day. I’m not that old! We even had indoor plumbing! The water fountains in the entryway to the high school we were in last week had an additional spout, with a sign indicating that this was the location you could use to fill your water bottle. Water bottle? That’s another thing that we would have been prohibited from bringing to school!
The second thing I noticed were multiple posters around the hallways, each advertising in big letters the number for various hotlines. These hotlines covered issues including suicidal thoughts, depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders.
I was saddened by this, but also encouraged, that we are aware that teenagers suffer from these types of maladies and need support. In my day, if you had any of these issues, likely you were silent. If you dared raise a concern, you were told to “cheer up,” “buck up,” or “it will get better.” Certainly we weren’t offered validation and places to get real help. It wasn’t the intent to ignore these issues or dismiss us as people – don’t get me wrong. Folks just didn’t realize the seriousness at that time. So, this is a tremendous improvement.
The last thing I discovered was an over-the-door shoe bag in the women’s rest room. It included feminine hygiene products of varying types in each little shoe holder. Free! This is a great stride forward for young ladies in school!
Yep, I was pretty impressed with the changes overall. Some things don’t change, of course. I enjoyed the National Honor Society bulletin board “NEWS” that had absolutely nothing on it but a pretty covering of black paper. Perhaps it was an artistic statement?
And the smell. Ugh. Sweaty children, dirty socks, chalk, and something indefinable that just screams “school.” Maybe in the next thirty years, someone will find a way to change that odor to something…better.
only thing I am concerned about is the change from teaching the three R’s to whatever the union has decided that the teachers should teach ‘their” children”— parents have left all to that leadership and I now question it a lot – sometimes old things are much better – put the phones away, and the computers and calculators and LERN the three R’s – and then the young ones can make change at McDonalds and balance their checkbook (if they have one and are not just using a maxed out credit card) and even DO a budget to get things paid early or at least on time!! I love the old school ways in many respects – our parents and granparents KNEW how to do things in their own minds – teach kids HOW to think and NOT WHAT to think may be a good way ,to go back and start doing again!!
Yep, John, I totally agree. The three R’s are definitely a must. One thing that threw our youngest grandson for a loop was Common Core math. He could get the right answers in his head, but he just could not figure going fifty different ways to come up with the right answers. He was in elementary school, nine years old, and that’s when he said to his mom. “Mom, I don’t think I’m meant to go to college. I want to use my hands and build things. I want to fix things. Figure it out myself. I want to drive big machinery; do construction work. I don’t need a college education for that.” From the time he could walk, he loved playing with his dad’s tools. I deliberately brought broken toys home from Goodwill so he could fix them. I played “store” with our grandchildren when they were little to teach them how to make change. Of course, they had to have “receipts” to give back to me. And they got to keep the money. Fun times! Now that grandson is a Freshman in high school. I need to ask him if he plans on going to college now. Yes, sometimes the “old school” method is better. Not all parents are letting the union decide what is taught to their children. They are reteaching them values at home. Shhh….
After 35 years we went back to attend our alumni banquet. They had built a new high school, but we toured our old high school building. I could not believe how the rooms seemed so much smaller! The study hall which seemed the size of a football field when we went to school, now had shrunk to the size of just an ordinary room! The stairways didn’t have nearly as many steps and not nearly as wide as I remembered! And, no… no over-the-door little shoe holder. You paid for those items!
But I must say, the old high school was much better than elementary school with the outhouse far away from the building. No toilet paper supplied. And the water pump outside for drinking water. You bring your own folding cup and you better get a drink before the bell rings! Same rule applies for the outhouse. Before the bell rings!
Now the new high school building? Those kids are livin’ the dream! Spoiled rotten! 😊