School stuff

[Fox Mike]

The wife and I were talking about stuff we did in school and we're wondering if anyone else knew about today. Are sentences still 'diagrammed'? Are parts of speech still taught? Can you still get the 'composition' book with the black and white speckled cover on the front and the multiplication tables on the back? Remember spelling tests? What were you addressed as when called on? After 5th grade I went to a Catholic elementary and high school. I was always addressed as Mr. Mitchell, and the girls as Miss (whatever). Linda attended public school and said she was generally addressed by her given name.

 

[blackhawknj]

My mother once asked me what the first name of one of my teachers was. I replied teachers didn't HAVE first names. They were always Mr, Mrs. Miss, and in one case, Doctor. Or I should, Doktor- Frau Doktor Ellis. My German III teacher my senior year of high school-the only black teacher I had.
One acquaintance said his kids can only wear sneakers to school, shoes are forbidden. They scuff up the floors.

 

[roylt]

School has changed for sure. I cringe at times when up there for this or that and here the employees / teachers talk. I get there may be a different way to talk in the south vs the east or north vs west but English should be English.

I'm so glad I was an involved dad and read to my kids every night before bed. Even before they knew what letters / words were. I feel it has helped a ton.

They barely touch on cursive any more. Everything is typed on a chromebook.

They also don't seem to care a lot about well rounded people. My son was pulled from all the extracurricular activities so he could go to the next grade for math. I'm pro math for sure but he was missing art, music, gym, library, etc. Finally they figured out he could just do extra advanced math on a computer and stay with his classmates for the extracurricular stuff. He starts this Monday so I hope it works out.

You can still get the composition books in stores but they don't use them at school.

P.S. My kids are in 4th and 6th this year so not sure if all this answers your question but there you have it.

 

[Cholo]

Can you still get the 'composition' book with the black and white speckled cover on the front and the multiplication tables on the back?

Yes, I bought one for my motorcycle trip last summer to keep a daily log of activities, sights, etc. Usually you just find the ones with the wired binders so you can tear pages out of them. The old types sit perfectly flat and the pages are less likely to tear out. Mine was made by Top Flight in Chattanooga, TN. Yup, it even has all the tables and conversions inside the back cover!

 

[SamV]

One acquaintance said his kids can only wear sneakers to school, shoes are forbidden. They scuff up the floors.

Sneakers?? I would have been sent home for wearing sneakers. Dress leather shoes only. And they better be polished. Of course, that went with dress navy slacks, button down shirt with tie, high school was dress gray wool slacks, button down white shirt, tie, with navy sports jacket.

My son had to diagram sentences in English about five years ago in grade school. I occasionally see the black composition books.

Nothing struck fear and anxiety in me more than a college professor telling us to bring blue books for our finals. Especially if they said buy two or three for the exam. I could fill 20 or 30 pages doing statistical calculations without breaking a sweat. A five to fifteen page spontaneous essay was torture.

 

[Fox Mike]

My mother once asked me what the first name of one of my teachers was. I replied teachers didn't HAVE first names. They were always Mr, Mrs. Miss, and in one case, Doctor. Or I should, Doktor- Frau Doktor Ellis. My German III teacher my senior year of high school-the only black teacher I had.
One acquaintance said his kids can only wear sneakers to school, shoes are forbidden. They scuff up the floors.

All my teachers first names were Sister. Coat and tie, every day, with 'tennis' shoes limited to wear ONLY in the gym.

 

[nekvermont]

I remember the spelling tests. We had a guy that would visit our classroom every week or two and teach us penmanship.

 

[tom black]

My grandson is in the 6th grade and has never been taught how to write in cursive.
Tom Black

 

[GunnyGene]

You can't take cap pistols and squirt guns to school anymore. :lol:

 

[phonejack]

For me, most boys wore ties, black or wheat jeans were ok. Blue, nope. Girls had to wear dresses, knee length.

 

[Kevin]

I taught last year in my daughter’s Catholic school. For reason best not said, she transferred to another Catholic school and I ended up quitting at the beginning of this school year, along with 6 other teachers.

But last year I co-taught with a guy who was 67 years old. He called students. Mr. Smith Or Mrs. Jones. Not all the time but enough for impact. He also retired....

They start cursive in 3rd Grade and after Christmas it is required everything be written in Cursive.

She is in 4th Grade now, no spelling tests, 90 minutes required reading per week, parents must sign. They are studying pre-algebra in math, and pretty complicated stuff in science. Lots of focus on Math and English, reading comprehension for example.

Spanish since Kindergarten.

One big reason we chose Catholic school is the dress code. It’s a typical Catholic school uniform. No fights in the morning about what to wear. Girls in skirts, boys with slacks and ties with white shirts...

Lots of computer aided learning, along with typing. But there are many Math applications to reinforce what is being taught in the classroom. Plus, computers aren’t going anywhere....

 

[gramps]

You can't take cap pistols and squirt guns to school anymore. :lol:

Nor knives. God has been removed from public schools.
gramps

 

[Fox Mike]

You can't take cap pistols and squirt guns to school anymore. :lol:

Nor knives. God has been removed from public schools.
gramps

I can't remember how many times I have had a teacher ask if they could use my penknife. Seems every boy carried one. I know I carried a penknife before I carried a wallet.

 

[contender]

All of us "old timers," who went to a public school, or even a Catholic school, or whatever,, see the changes made to the way kids are taught, and WHAT they are taught.
We all know that computers are here to stay, but cursive writing should still be taught.
Math formulas have not changed,, but they try & change that too with common core crap.
English is still the language, but now Spanish is mandatory in many schools. (A foreign language used to be offered as an extra class. And it was most often a language from an European country.)
Spelling used to be stressed, but now they accept stuff that is slang, such as WTH.
History,, it has been so raped & changed to where much of the real history, or facts have been altered to where the truth is lost.

Yes, we have all witnessed many, many changes. And I feel they are NOT for the good of the Country. Well, mostly in the public school system.

In private schools, we have uniforms, and dress codes.
And they actually do teach real math, spelling, writing, history, etc.

Home schooling has grown a lot, and quite often turns out better educated kids than any public school system (now) could hope for.

I hope & pray that parents who have kids in school now,, take the time to be involved, and to look at what is being taught, and to work on educating their kids with the true things necessary to become an educated adult. Public school is NOT doing the job it used to do.

 

[graygun]

AFAIK sentences are not diagrammed any longer;'parsing' replaced that.

I went to Catholic school through 8th grade. I don't recall students being referred to as Mr. or Miss.

 

[Bob Wright]

I only have a high school education, yet I worked with graduate engineers whose education was less extensive than mine. And many of them came to me for solutions to problems. And especially in writing business letters.

Bob Wright

 

[Kevin]

Contender, you are correct in hoping parents with kids in school get involved. So many kids at my daughters school have parents who don’t help out or volunteer with anything.

Two years ago, the dads club helped install a new playground at school. We were responsible for removing the old equipment, and leveling the ground. The money was all taken care of, but even a few weekends over the summer, we had trouble getting dad’s to come help. What a shame. I was there along with 10 dads who regularly helped. We got it done and now there is a brand new playground.

You’re also right about the public schools. My daughter always has REQUIRED summer homework (yes, for s grade.) It’s usually math and reading. No public school would dare to require anything like that. Another shame.

 

[Fox Mike]

AFAIK sentences are not diagrammed any longer;'parsing' replaced that.

I went to Catholic school through 8th grade. I don't recall students being referred to as Mr. or Miss.

Did you still have the SSND teaching or had lay teachers started when you were there? When I left elementary school in June of 1950 and all the teachers were nuns.

 

[graygun]

AFAIK sentences are not diagrammed any longer;'parsing' replaced that.

I went to Catholic school through 8th grade. I don't recall students being referred to as Mr. or Miss.

Did you still have the SSND teaching or had lay teachers started when you were there? When I left elementary school in June of 1950 and all the teachers were nuns.

I went 1-3rd at St Bernadette and recall only nuns (1955-58). At St Mary in Annapolis,there were some lay teachers. (1958-64)