bobbyjohn Loc: Dallas, TX

Students back then were taught Etiquette. I guess there was more of an emphasis on good manners back then. We always stood and, in unison, greeted another teacher who entered the room. We learned to respect our teachers, police, and anyone in authority, play nicely with others and how to behave in public, say please and thank you, to hold doors open for others and giving seniors your seat on the bus or train.

The nuns were strict on discipline, but fair. Some of the "punishments" they handed out then would today be considered child abuse, but we all survived, and were the better for it. We learned the 4 R's: Reading, Riting, Rithmetic, Religion. We prayed, we attended mass on Sundays and sometimes on our daily schedule, and went to Benediction every Friday. During the month of May, we walked in procession around the school, honoring Mary with hymns and culminating with the crowning with flowers of a statue of Mary. We said the Pledge of Allegiance daily.

Boys wore white shirts and ties and blue slacks. Girls wore appropriate blouse and skirt.

Do you have any memories of your elementary or parochial school days?

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NMGal Loc: NE NM

I definitely remember having my knuckles rapped with a ruler because I was writing left handed. It didn’t help much.

cedymock Loc: Irmo, South Carolina

Classrooms look the same in 1963-64 (my 4th grade) in public school, students just dressed different.

BassmanBruce Loc: Middle of the Mitten

Sounds like you went to the same school I did. The pic is very reminiscent.
NMGal, to me your experience was child abuse.

Ollieboy

If a teacher enforces the rules, the students get lawyered up real fast.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

All very similar. Except for the ties and white shirts. Shirts did have to have a collar and no Levis. The girls wore uniform skirts and white blouses. If I recall, the skirts did have an "apron" type front and back to them.

What I didn't like was the classes that were cut short to compensate for church. During Advent and Lent, every day we attended mass at 11:00AM, also first Fridays. Due to that, they cut the amount of time for math and science. They could have eliminated catechism class due to the fact that we were going to church anyway.
--Bob

edrobinsonjr Loc: Boise, Idaho

Me too, but I won in the end. Still can't stand anything to do with that church. No offense.

nervous2 Loc: Provo, Utah

Things were pretty strict in the 1950s--in some regards probably a little too strict. Now, in accord with the pendulum effect, we have moved a great deal too far to the other extreme. Frankly, from what I've heard, a little of the 1950s decorum might be a good thing to reintroduce in our schools. BTW, did they separate classes by gender in your school? Not too many young ladies that I could see.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

No, we were integrated. The only time they separated use was around 7th grade. They took all the female students into a large meeting hall and the boys were given an extra recess period. I'm sure it was to have "the talk" with the girls. When all that was over, we, being curious, asked some of the girls what that was all about. We were told it was a secret and they couldn't tell us. Interesting, to say the least.
--Bob

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

We learned to duck down under our desks as if that was going to protect us when the evil Russians dropped their atomic bombs on us. They even showed us movies of atomic bomb blasts to reassure us that we would most likely be incinerated. We knew we wouldn't be believed by adults if we told them about Mr. Dunne, the gay math teacher, who bent down next to our desk and rubbed our legs whenever we were foolish enough to ask a question in class - which we only ever did once. We knew we would get smacked or beaten by our parents for most infractions even before being asked to explain what happened. We learned that black people would not be allowed to buy houses in our neighborhood and that it was time to go home if any black folks showed up at the swimming pool. Ahhh.... such fond memories!

kpmac Loc: Ragley, La

My 7th-grade teacher made us stand up, face our home, and apologize to our mother when we misbehaved. Someone was assigned each day to bring flowers for the homeroom. If you forgot you were made to stand in front of the class and recite poetry. I think we are all bettered by those experiences.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

I spent a couple of years in Parochial school. Very advanced over public school and VERY strict (some might term it abusive). One nun was assigned to meet out punishment at lunch. She sat in a chair and there was a line waiting to be punished. When it was your turn (for some minor infraction) she grabbed your chin and slapped you twice, hard. There was an honor system of sorts in class. If the teacher left the room there was to be complete silence. When she returned, she asked that anyone who had made a sound to write their name on the board, which we dutifully did. The punishment was to hand write many dozens of pages of multiplication tables. I can remember spending until well after midnight after my parents had gone to bed a number of times writing them in the 3rd grade. I would not describe these as happy memories and would never have considered subjecting my boys (who turned out just fine) to this type of “discipline”.

Beowulf Loc: Aquidneck Island, RI

In the mid-50s, I attended a Catholic boys' high school in Rhode Island. Capital punishment was very common among the religious brothers and lay male teachers. Much beyond the ruler on the knuckles type, for what would be considered minor infractions today, boys were grasped by the collar and tie and several extreme force palm and backhand slaps would be applied. In a few instances, boys were actually beaten until they fell to the floor.

I remember one religious brother who would reward an incorrect answer by a punch to the gut. It was common practice for his students to spend time at home doing as many situps as possible, along with the usual two hours or more of homework just to harden themselves in case of erroneous answers.

During the two years there as an honor roll student I felt that the level of instruction in most subjects was lacking. I transferred to a public high school in the same city and found that the level of instruction was much more challenging. The teachers there were much more proficient in their subject matter. I still managed to graduate with honors and enter college.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Yes, it was common knowledge that Friars were much rougher than Nuns. You have to wonder if they were acting out of frustration/anger.

Poohpz Loc: Rhode Island

LaSalle? My son went there 2002-2006. It is so much better than 1950's. Great teachers, my son learned so much there. He, too, was an honor student. All A's, a couple of B's. Went on to college (Suma Cum Laude) and is working as a computer engineer. Very proud of him. A lot less discipline than what you had, but they demanded respect and did enforce the rules in a better way.