Featured High School Unearths 100-Year-Old Chalkboards

Discussion in 'Antique Discussion' started by Ladybranch, Aug 16, 2016.

  1. Ladybranch

    Ladybranch Well-Known Member

    Came upon this news item today. It is about classrooms in an OK high school being remolded with new chalkboards. When the contractor pulled down the old boards they found that:

    "Beneath the current boards rested another set of chalkboards - untouched for nearly 100 years. Protected and totally undisturbed, the century-old writings and drawings looked like they were made just yesterday. Here, a November calendar rolls into December. A turkey marks the celebration of Thanksgiving."

    The principal and teachers of the school were amazed with what was found and especially with the teaching manner used. Nowwwww I am amazed that the lessons, drawings, etc... found on the boards survived, but not necessarily in the teaching method used. I can remember pics drawn on the boards, the penmanship, verses used but not quite as much detailed colorful drawings. The the principal's 80 something old mother was overwhelmed with the site for the memories it brought back. My mother, born 1912, would have found it familiar also. Another surprise for me was that the principal was *surprised* of the penmanship used. Do they not teach penmanship anymore? Do they not teach cursive writing?

    At the end of the article is a video on other old boards found in the school.
    http://www.littlethings.com/1917-chalkboards-untouched/

    --- Susan
     
    Figtree3, SeaGoat, tyeldom3 and 6 others like this.
  2. Poisonivy

    Poisonivy Well-Known Member

    What fantastic finds, Little snapshots in time.
     
    KingofThings likes this.
  3. KingofThings

    KingofThings 'Illiteracy is a terrible thing to waist' - MHH

    Thank you! :)
    I recall seeing this 14 month old PC story for they were black boards then....for they were.....BLACK!
    ~
    As far as I know cursive has all but stopped. :(
    Hell...many of the teachers probably can't write that way! :(
     
    tyeldom3 and yourturntoloveit like this.
  4. GaleriaGila

    GaleriaGila Hola, y'all!

    Thank you for that, Ms. Lady!
    Like time-traveling...
     
    tyeldom3 and KingofThings like this.
  5. Poisonivy

    Poisonivy Well-Known Member

    I still write that way and its never occurred to me that it isn't taught that way now, If it isn't its a great shame.
     
  6. KingofThings

    KingofThings 'Illiteracy is a terrible thing to waist' - MHH

    How will they read such things or sign anything?
    We're going back to an X??? :p
     
    tyeldom3 and yourturntoloveit like this.
  7. johnnycb09

    johnnycb09 Well-Known Member

    Sadly , apparently even READING cursive , much less writing it , is a dying art . Those boards are wonderful .
     
    tyeldom3 and KingofThings like this.
  8. clutteredcloset49

    clutteredcloset49 Well-Known Member

    They don't spend the time on penmanship like we were taught. Where every "a" and "o" had to be perfectly round, every "i" dotted, "t" crossed.

    Most of the writing is done on computer. They are taught typing skills at a very early age. We didn't get typing until high school.

    That round multiplication method is interesting.

    Cool article Susan. Thanks for sharing.
     
    tyeldom3 and KingofThings like this.
  9. Aquitaine

    Aquitaine Is What It IS! But NEVER BORED!

    Apparently one of my nephews was told to 'sign' his name for his permit.....and he was flustered........he could only print it!!!!! SO, SO SAD!!!!!! The "dumbing down" of America.........and THAT'S REALLY SAD!!!!!!!:mad::rage::punch::oops::oops:......and angrifying!!!!!
     
    KingofThings and tyeldom3 like this.
  10. SBSVC

    SBSVC Well-Known Member

    Heck, I was born in the 1950's, and that chalkboard doesn't look "strange" to me at all!

    My elementary school teachers (K-4, anyway) ALL used to draw "relevant" illustrations on the board in colored chalk and leave them there for days, or even weeks, at a time!

    I remember Mrs B's "3 ships of Columbus", Mrs H's changing holiday icons, and Mrs R's "weather forecast" suns, clouds & showers...

    As for cursive, I was taught by one of the best. My handwriting looked EXACTLY like the examples that were displayed across the wall, above that chalkboard!

    Then, in the late 1970's, when I was working in the DC area, a few company checks were stolen - and cashed - with MY signature on them! I can still recall the police officer pointing to the canceled checks, demanding, "Is that YOUR signature?"

    As I told him, "It might be, but I did not sign those checks!"
     
    KingofThings and tyeldom3 like this.
  11. tyeldom3

    tyeldom3 Well-Known Member

    No they don't teach cursive anymore... At least where we live. My 16 year old had to sign something at the bank a few months ago and didn't know how. So the customer service lady showed him how to write his name in cursive then sent him home to make it his homework that night....and come back the next day to try again! It worked and now he knows how to write his name, but that's about it.
    Also, when I was in school, they did not allow us to have/use calculators. Now they do, and they don't really teach multiplication the way they did when I was in school. I knew my multiplication like the back of my hand and most of the kids now hardly know any of them cause they can just use there calculator for that.
     
    SBSVC and KingofThings like this.
  12. KingofThings

    KingofThings 'Illiteracy is a terrible thing to waist' - MHH

    Good grief!!! :(
     
  13. KingofThings

    KingofThings 'Illiteracy is a terrible thing to waist' - MHH

    Indeed. :(
     
  14. SBSVC

    SBSVC Well-Known Member

    For whatever reason, I got a bit of a stall while writing my entry, above... It posted before I had finished!

    The checks in question were definitely NOT signed by ME, but whoever (and, in truth, I have always known who did it!) signed those checks got away with it!

    Ever since, my cursive has become much looser & far less "perfect" - and my signature, such as it is, is now practically illegible!
     
    KingofThings likes this.
  15. gregsglass

    gregsglass Well-Known Member

    Hi,
    Here in my section of Jersey they have gotten rid of cursive. My three nephews scribble their writing to the point of where I have to get them to translate. There is no way their teachers could possiblably read their reports. It is all of impossible for me to check their math. Everything is broken down into ones fives tens etc. I showed them the multiplication table in back of their books and they looked at me like I was an idiot. Then I showed them that all numbers multiplied by nines added up to nine and they thought I was a witch
     
    KingofThings and SBSVC like this.
  16. KingofThings

    KingofThings 'Illiteracy is a terrible thing to waist' - MHH

    Ha!!!!!
    Well...they can't write your commitment papers so you're good.
     
    Bakersgma likes this.
  17. Bakersgma

    Bakersgma Well-Known Member

    I was writing out delivery instructions at the nursery recently and the clerk (reading upside down) commented about "what nice cursive writing." (And she was old enough to have been taught cursive too!) It came up one night at dinner and my grandson (just 13 and starting 8th grade next month) said that he had learned cursive in 4th grade. I was surprised to hear it, because all he ever does by hand is print!

    In the meantime, his Dad's signature is horrendous. Just a long line of loops with a single line through the middle. :eek:
     
    KingofThings and SBSVC like this.
  18. SBSVC

    SBSVC Well-Known Member

    In the meantime, his Dad's signature is horrendous. Just a long line of loops with a single line through the middle.

    Baker's, that sounds like my DH's... A couple of "bumps", a loop or two, and a squiggly line!

    It's funny, because he, like my own Dad AND his, was a child of the NUNS (i.e. Catholic school!) Both my Dad and his had gorgeous cursive handwriting!
     
    KingofThings likes this.
  19. Bakersgma

    Bakersgma Well-Known Member

    My son is an architect! You'd think he'd do a better job on his own siggy!
     
    KingofThings and SBSVC like this.
  20. SBSVC

    SBSVC Well-Known Member

    Oh, but Baker's, does he have AMAZING printing?

    (I had an architect friend, years ago, whose printing was phenomenal!)
     
    KingofThings likes this.
Draft saved Draft deleted
Similar Threads: High School
Forum Title Date
Antique Discussion Russian Silver Spoon royal or just high falutin? Jul 15, 2023
Antique Discussion Japanese Lacquer Tray with High Relief & Gold Work Feb 13, 2023
Antique Discussion Hand Carved Seriously Old Oval Picture Frame; An Eagle in High Relief May 4, 2022
Antique Discussion Interesting Oak Highboy Aug 13, 2020
Antique Discussion Mason Grand High Priest Jan 25, 2020

Share This Page