School Life in the 1950's

The 1950’s opened up great opportunities for people everywhere. People found more influence in TV and radio than their teachers or parents. Blacks were finally given more respect and rights. A new way of technology was born, and a new life began.

During the 1950s, four important rules were challenged. The four rules were obey the authority, control your emotions, fit in with the group, and don't even think about sex. Many movies were made to teach children about the rules. Parents tried to teach their kids the rules at a young age so it would make an influential impact on them. Everyone was talking about these rules and knew not to break them including your friends, parents and school counselors. Children were told to obey the authority which meant to greet your parents as if you were glad to see them. You were expected to keep your emotions inside, if you expressed emotion they would affect and rub off on others and were almost contagious. At

These days school can be so stressful that almost 50% students end up having anxiety or anxiety attacks. There are many reasons why school is stressful, including too many curriculums, teachers, crowded classrooms or homework. School wasn’t nearly as stressful as it is today then what it was 50 years ago. One reason why school wasn’t as stressful is the lack of homework, although it’s important homework wasn’t given out as nearly as much as it is today compared back then. Less homework gave students more time to explore their interests and build their life skills. The reason why there wasn’t as much homework is because the schools were much smaller which meant less teachers, but that also meant much more one on one time with the students.

If there was one word to describe the decade of the 1950s, that word would “fabulous”. The 1950s was a memorable time in history, characterized by rock and roll, social conformity, mega-projects, and new technology. The lives of many Canadians cannot be generalized, but their values were all shaped by two major events: the Great Depression and World War II. After a period of cold war and depression the fifties became known as a time for new beginnings, for everyone including African-Americans. Events like Rosa Park's refusal to give her bus seat to a white rider triggered the civil rights movement that would bring an end to segregation.¹ There were many reasons why there was an uproar with African-Americans at this time, and one of those reasons was because of a new form of music. Then called Rock and Roll, this new type of music appeared to revolutionize musical tastes among many young people, and changed the world in more ways than one. The 1950s was also an age of the construction of many mega-projects in Canada, for example, the St. Lawrence Seaway, and Trans-Canada Highway. Much like the media portrayed life in the 1950s as peaceful and happy, in reality, the Fifties were not much different than they were on television.

The 1950s was an idyllic period for America. The passing of the Great Depression and World War II allowed Americans to entertain new dreams for social stability and economic prosperity.  However, with the start of the Second Red Scare, anti-communist sentiment dominated the American way of life and had an impact on the decade and beyond.

The 1950’s was composed of a prosperous, conformed society that was influenced by the spread of the Television and the Cold War. In the 1960s, conditions worsened in cities, feminism became more prevalent and aggressive attitudes were implemented in the fight for civil rights. Protests and war riots became more widespread across the nation due to powerful leaders and “sexual revolutions” taking place. Historians’ portrayal of the 1950’s being a very conservative, compliant society opposed to the 1960’s being full of enlightenment and rebellious actions accurately represents what was.

Please discuss the social, political, and economic conditions of the 1950’s; which lead to the social upheaval of the 1960’s.

I interviewed my 72-year-old grandma for my educational history interview. My grandmother attended Midway Elementary school for grades 1-8. Schooling was very different 60 years ago. The elementary teachers were strict. The students were expected to respect their elders, nonsense was not accepted, and obedience was a requirement. Slackers were not rewarded or given the same credit as those who work diligently. Students were not awarded solely for participation. Students were awarded for achievements. When a student misbehaved or was causing trouble and was threatened with having to go to the principal’s office that already meant you were in trouble. The students did not only get in trouble at school, but they would have harsh punishments latter at home, as well. The elementary school was a wood frame building with a bulky coal-fueled heater in the center of the room. The heater was maintained by the teacher. The students did not have a desk. They sat at wood tables with cubies in them. Students did not come to school with laptops or tablets. They had the basic materials to work with; they used paper and pencils. No electronic device of any kind was used during the class periods or during recess. Recess required strenuous physical activity. The games they played involved physical activity and mental activity. They taught the children team building qualities, and how to work with others to succeed in accomplishing a goal. The teachers taught

Academy schools and high schools had their similarities and differences in the 19th century. Their focus was to properly prep students for after either academy school or high school for the work force or to go to college. Academy schools focused on mainly religion and the curriculum. Although during the civil war there was a decline in attendance for the school. The high schools had public funds and was state supported. Like the academy schools, high schools focused on the curriculum for the students’ education. They also established schools just for young girls. These two different types of school have had their differences and similarities but have helped shaped schools in today’s times.

It was apparent no silliness was allowed, the students had to sit in a certain manner, respond in a certain manner and behavior in a certain manner. In schools today students do not have the same level of respect for teachers or adults. The rules about disciplining students is much different today than it was in the time of a one-room school house.

Marriage and domesticity became the most longful goal for most families, and was backed up by the new and improved education system. Getting married was more thought of than a University education for most people in the fifties. As the country developed through the decade, with the advent of the Cold War, and the emergence of the U.S. as one of the world's two superpowers, Americans were challenged to adapt and the importance of family and religion came very much to the fore. Civil Rights Movement was also a big deal during this time period. In 1954 the Supreme Court wrote that separate facilities for blacks did not make those facilities equal, and integration was yet birthed.

During the 1960s there was a lot of political, social as well as cultural upheaval in the country. This

Breakfast, like all meals, was Spartan, consumed hurriedly in a refectory, and followed by three hours of recreation was limited, and bedtime was early. Weekends varied the routine by eliminating classes, but Sunday usually meant more time spent on religious observances. Until the 1950s, holidays for many of the students included periods of work and play at the school. Only from the 1960s on did the schools routinely send children home for

A girl arrives to school after walking a mile from home and saying hi to her friends along the way. She is wearing her usual skirt and blouse with saddle shoes. She gets to her first period class and is assigned a presentation. First, she grabs an encyclopedia to gather information on her topic. Next, she takes out note cards to write down a few ideas for her assignment. This scenario sounds pretty different compared to what school life is like today, whereas students drive to school and go straight to chromebooks when given a task. Half a century ago, about the time my grandparents were going to school, school life was a lot different than it is today. While high school back in the 1950’s shares a few similarities with high school today, the differences are more prevalent.

Over the decades it has been prevalent of how different schools have become compared to school in our earlier days. Originally before the establishment of schools children were taught by family members in their homes. Children were taught by their families on the subjects of “literacy, transmitted religious morals, and oversaw vocational training.” (Altenbaugh, p.26) After the establishment of schools education before the twentieth and twenty-first century consisted of children learning in a large open rooms with all grades and ages of children learning together. Many children became challenged by having only one teacher to teacher to such a broad range of children as many often had to wait for their grade to be taught. Education in the twenty-first century has become much different in where students are learning. Students in the twenty-first century are learning in classrooms that are teaching individually to their grade level. Many students improved in the amount of knowledge they obtained due to the improvements