Does anyone remember an article floating around the internet about the 18 year old who didn't know how to address an envelope? It was funny, but not at all surprising, at least to me. While my adult children do know how to address an envelope (only due to my rule of them handwriting thank you notes), I have to admit there are basic skills they probably should have learned, but never did.
I will take partial blame. I could have taught them more. Some of it was laziness on my part and not wanting to deal with the kitchen mess. But a lot of it was that they just never seemed available due to school, sports, extracurricular activities, or homework. And then there were the things they missed out on that I learned in regular old public school.
I will take partial blame. I could have taught them more. Some of it was laziness on my part and not wanting to deal with the kitchen mess. But a lot of it was that they just never seemed available due to school, sports, extracurricular activities, or homework. And then there were the things they missed out on that I learned in regular old public school.
Let's talk about subjects that no longer exist in today's classroom:
 |
| Typing Class. The noise is what I remember the most. I'm not sure any of my kids ever learned the proper method of typing, but they've somehow managed to use a keyboard everyday of their lives. |
 |
| I think very few people under the age of 40 have a clue how to read or write Roman numerals. |
.jpg) |
| Home Economics, where you learned how to cook, sew, write checks, comparison shop, and fill out a paper job application. I remember making stuffed baked potatoes (something my mother would have never made) in Home Ec and thinking they were the best darned thing I'd ever eaten. I also remember my BFF exacting revenge on some dude who had wronged her by nonchalantly turning up the heat on his Baked Alaska and ruining it. We laughed about that for years. One thing we were taught that I think is ridiculous to this day is to crack your eggs separately into another cup instead of into your other ingredients in case the egg is bad. Decades of cooking and I can't say I've ever come across a 'bad egg.' |
.jpg) |
| The Card Catalog. A favorite pick-up spot at my college library if you appreciated the studious types. |
 |
| Cursive Handwriting. The only 'C' I ever received in elementary school was in 2nd grade handwriting. My teacher seemed to be 85 years old and criticized the lack of a slant in my cursive writing. You could say I'm still bitter . . . |
 |
| Shop Class. I had six weeks of metal shop and enjoyed making candlesticks and a letter holder, all using some sort of blow torch to weld the pieces together. In woodworking class, my husband made a small lamp that resembled an old fashioned water pump. We used it in our bedroom for many years. I suppose all that shop equipment would be deemed too dangerous today. |
I learnt to type at about age 10. I can type very fast with two fingers - so fast that I held down a typing job for a while. I never learnt to touch type. Sometimes I write cursive, sometimes separate letters. Roman numerals I can decode easily. Apparently there are kids who can't read Roman numerals on clocks and watches because they're used to digital time-keeping.
ReplyDeleteThat is crazy to think of people not being able to decipher the time on a Roman numeral clock. Just crazy!
DeleteNo, I haven't read that article, but like you, I'm not at all surprised. I work with much younger coworkers who have never written a check before. I need to ask them the next time I work if they know how to address an envelope. I bet not. LOL!
ReplyDeleteAnd okay, I am LOVING your list of things that no longer exist in today's classroom because every one of them I know!
I actually loved typing class (IBM Selectric), which unbeknownst to me, prepared me for when computers were invented and was then able to use the keyboard because of knowing how to type!
Yes, to roman numerals! Do you remember a time when at the end of a movie, during the credits, you would see the copyright/release date, which was always in roman numerals?
I never took Home Ec (but wanted to). However, I did take "Shop Class" where us boys were taught how to make things.
I used to work in a library, so yes, I clearly remember the card catalog. I also remember when they use to have Microfilm.
OMG, cursive handwriting! Yup, took that in Catholic school as well! Most kids today don't know how to write cursive.
Fun, fun, fun post, my friend! What a great trip down memory lane. I miss the basics at times!
X
I have heard that it’s quite common now for young adults to not know how to write a check. However, I have a sister-in-law my age who did not know she had to sign a check at the bottom after she graduated from college. It made me wonder about her education AND the fact that she had never had to pay for anything before age 22! WTH?
DeleteI enjoyed typing class as well. I think I got up to around 85 wpm. I do remember the Roman numerals after a movie, and I would always try to quickly decipher them!
I wonder how many people our age still write in cursive? I kind of do an in between where I’m printing but connecting the letters. I took a few calligraphy classes asan adult and sort of copied that method. Hope you have a great week, Ron.
This is a fun post! Yes, I had all of the same things in school. I had to take typing class, learning the 'proper' way to type even though I already knew. My mom had a typing book when I was a kid that had the keyboard on it and I learned then. ASDFJKL; is your starting point. lol I always got A's in handwriting class. Funny thing I remember, I took one semester of short hand and was told I'd never make it because I was too neat and wanted all of the characters to look perfect. They replaced it with a business class with an awesome teacher. For extra credit he taught any of us that had jobs how to do our taxes. Another thing most under 40 never learned is how to drive a stick shift.
ReplyDeleteThat’s neat that you learned how to type at home from a book. I remember all those typing exercises we did to warm up our fingers. I took bookkeeping in high school and I liked it so much, I was an accounting major in college . . . until I took Cost Accounting and thought it was dreadfully boring and difficult, so I changed majors. Learning to do taxes was a good idea in high school. I never learned to drive stick, as none of our cars had it. My husband did, because that’s all his family drove.
DeleteI did learn to type the traditional way - I took a class in high school - and I am a VERY fast typer. My kids don't type the same way but they are pretty fast. You know, I'm not sure if either of them - age 18 and 17 - know how to address an envelope. I should really check if they can. I was just saying, with regards to card catalogues, that when I was in grad school I had an actual preference between microfiche and microfilm. I mean. Times were different, what can I say. I don't think anyone does research by going to the library anymore, and finding textbooks!
ReplyDeleteI think I got up to 85 wpm in high school. I have no idea how fast my kids can type, but they seemed to get by with all their high school and college papers. I was one of those weirdos who liked doing research papers because I loved the library. It was like being a detective and uncovering clues. So much info to find on the microfiche and microfilm.
DeleteOur Christmas card envelopes were green, w/white boxes on front, and back. I know the proper way to fill all out on the front (don't use computer labels, I hand write name/address), but have at times stuck our peel off return label on the back. I did again, because that was the design of the envelope (white return box on the back). One of our cards was delivered back to us!! I took it to the p.o., clerk told me if it goes into the machine that way, it will read it as delivery address. It never happened before, but something to keep in mind. We've gotten lots of mail with a return address on the back.
ReplyDeleteI had typing and shorthand classes and did pretty well in both. Actually, my typing speed was very fast in high school! I just did a few free tests online out of curiosity and my average now is 60ish wpm.
I had sewing, metal shop, wood shop, but I think only a marking period worth of each. The vest fit, but was a hideous color/trim and I wouldn't have worn it. And I cannot sew a thing today. The one shelf was crooked and eventually thrown out. The all wood one, I still actually have and use for perfume in my bedroom. My grandson goes to the same school I did and they have brought back the Industrial Arts program and he's so far made a stool and a tool caddy.
My father had beautiful cursive handwriting. Mine was always neat, but a bit curly. My daughter still writes in cursive and was trying to teach my granddaughter, not sure how far she got.
I was in the co-op work program my senior year, so I took the train to Philadelphia and worked in an office for 4 hrs. I missed driver training though, and didn't actually learn to drive until many years later.
~Mary
That is so interesting about the label on the back and it being returned! I will keep that in mind to never do that!!! I'm sure my typing speed is nowhere near what it was in high school or even in my 20's when I was using word processing at work. I sewed some hideous garments in Home Ec.! LOL! I specifically remember a dark brown with little leaves (fall print) wrap around skirt and a red jumper. So 1970's!
DeleteOh, that's so cool that your grandson goes to your former school. I'm glad to hear Industrial Arts is making a comeback. We need people with those skills! I was able to take driver training in the summer at my high school. It was boring but I did get my license only a few months after I turned 16.
I took typing classes in high school and it was my favorite class. After typing for most of my adult life I got pretty fast and accurate! Now the only typing I do is for my blog! I never did learn the roman numerals so I never can figure out what Super Bowl it is!! I didn't think they taught cursive in schools anymore but my boss's daughter was practicing hers at the store one day so I guess they still do in some schools. I don't remember cooking anything in school but I do remember making a shift dress. It was light blue and I wore it often!
ReplyDeleteTyping was a pretty fun class. I still use my desktop when I need to write/type a longer email and I definitely use it to type my blog posts. I'm surprised you didn't learn Roman numerals in school, but it's nice to hear that cursive writing isn't becoming extinct.
DeleteOh my gosh. This is so interesting. I took keyboarding in high school, so it was on a computer. My kids are amazed at how fast I can type. I have no idea how they manage without an official lesson in this. We had a field day with Mini when it became clear that she didn't know how to operate a manual can opener (I no longer have an electric one - too much counter space). We attended Catholic school and we didn't have cooking or home ec classes, or if we did - I didn't take them. I think some of my kids would've benefited from that. I taught my girls how to use my sewing machine a tiny bit during the pandemic when I was making masks. I do feel like there are things they should learn from me, but they are always so busy with sports and summer jobs and homework. They are fairly clueless when it comes to laundry too, as I don't make them do laundry until they are leaving for college. I'm doing it anyway, so it makes sense for me to just throw in a huge load. Oh, my 17 yo son asks me to read his grandparents' cards, because he can't read cursive. What on earth?
ReplyDeleteI’m glad you enjoyed this post. Keyboarding must have been the next phase after they got rid of typewriters. I remember using word processors at work after college. Lol, I understand about kids not knowing how to use something like a can opener. I felt the same way as you; never enough time with sports, etc. I did teach my kids how to do their own laundry by age 14. I couldn’t keep up with the smelly sports uniforms, so they were on their own. Not being able to read cursive is hilarious! But understandable these days.
DeleteUnfortunately, Bijoux, I could not "identify" with a lot of the classes described in this post. The parochial high school I attended was focused on academics and there were no home ec, shop, or even typing classes. That said, I had a Smith Corona manual typewriter and was self taught at home. I did learn to write cursive in elementary school (also parochial) and still write letters and cards and checks by hand. And I have heard a recent story about a medical professional who could not read cursive, indeed WTH!
ReplyDeleteI guess the parochial schools didn’t have money for extras. I remember my dad had a grey Smith Corona that I practiced on at home. It was small but dependable. It’s weird that a medical professional couldn’t read cursive. All my kids had it in school and they are only late 20’s to early 30’s.
DeleteI learned cursive, but being left handed, it wasn't easy getting my letter up to the nun's standards. These days I don't often pick up a pen for more than jotting down a quick note. I never did learn to type but somehow, my fingers remember where the keys are at.
ReplyDeleteBeing left handed would definitely make cursive difficult. I remember some kids really curving their left arms when writing. I guess constantly being online has made us all proficient with typing.
DeleteTyping class!! Wow, did this take me back. I never took typing in high school, despite the fact that it was an option. I took home economics and a shop class. In eighth grade, we had to take home economics one semester and shop the other. In high school, I also took home ec/shop my senior year, but it wasn't required. I did it to make up credits for graduation.
ReplyDeleteIn 2015, my oldest daughter took home economics in high school. I'm not sure if they still offer it.
Both of my daughters learned cursive, and a friend with a third-grade son reported that cursive is still taught in school, which is encouraging. It was adorable to see how excited he was to be able to write in cursive. My cursive is AWFUL. I guarantee that third-graders write better than I do.
What a fun post! ❤️
Hi Kari! I did the home ec/shop rotation in junior high and took an elective in high school called Independent Living. I remember a field trip where we had a budget and had to grocery shop at a store (and then put it all back, since we really weren’t buying anything). How funny is that? I’m glad that your daughter had the opportunity to take home economic. Our public school got rid of the kitchens/sewing machines and turned them into computer labs. Maybe they’ve changed them back since kids all use laptops now? My cursive has seen better days!
DeleteI loved typing class; I think it was called Business Class in 1983.
ReplyDeleteMy girls somehow learned how to type pretty well, so I'm guessing they still had typing thrown in there somewhere. Crazy that remember you got a C in second grade for cursive; I don't remember most of my teachers or my grades.
I had to teach them how to address and envelope and write a check.
I remember learning both of those skills in school and also how to balance your bank book, how to figure out a car payment/finance, etc..
I never had shop class and somehow I missed out on Home Ec. (I went to three different high schools) But I do remember smelling all the good food at nearby home Ec classes and wished I was in there eating! Funny about the Baked Alaskan story!
I remember every teacher’s name I ever had, for no good reason. College professors, not as much. That’s a bummer that you never got to take Home Ec. We made some really fancy stuff like soufflés. It was an enjoyable class.
DeleteI'm old enough that, in my day, the boys took shop and the girls took Home Ec.
ReplyDeleteFunny, isn't it, how kids today find their way around a keyboard without ever having a typing lesson. . .
And I was just like you - it was routine for me to bring home a report card with all A's except a C in 'penmanship'. A junior high English teacher gave me a D on a paper that I knew was really good, because he said he couldn't read it. So, next paper, I printed it (out of pure sarcasm), and got an A. So, from then on, I've printed, and haven't written in cursive except for my signature. . .
I think our junior high did a switch of boys/girls in Home Ec and Shop for just one grading period, so I only had metal shop for 9 weeks. That is a crazy story about getting a D on a paper based on the handwriting. Good idea to just print! It’s funny how things that happened decades ago still stick with us. I had an English teacher who didn’t like my use of the phrase, ‘pretty good’ and I always think of her when I catch myself saying or writing it.
DeleteDid you learn to type the traditional way? I taught myself at home on an electric typewriter my uncle bought for me. My school system believed that kids bound for college didn't need to learn how to type because we'd be getting white collar jobs-- and have a secretary for such things as typing! [Not joking]
ReplyDeleteHow are your cursive and Roman numerals? My cursive is shaky and I sort of know my Roman numerals.
Any fun stories from Home Ec or Shop class? No, it was a waste of time.
If you have children, is there anything you are surprised they never learned? No children
I have never heard of a school thinking that typing was a blue collar skill. That is INSANE! Who did they think was typing your papers in college? How the tide has changed with technology and white collar jobs. My husband no longer uses an ‘admin’ (secretary) because he just types everything himself since everything is online.
DeleteI took Home Ec, Shop class and typing. I can write in cursive just fine.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter never had any of these classes in school. My grandson does pretty much all school work on a laptop so he doesn't do any cursive and very little writing. I had to buy a handwriting book so he could practice his writing because he's 10 years old and I can barely read what he prints out.
It’s crazy how our kids didn’t take some of these basic skill classes. I thought it was dumb when I saw some of the electives at our local high school. Things like photography and fencing. I’m sure that’s fun, but not a necessary skill. I’m glad you’re helping your grandson with his handwriting.
DeleteI took a semester of typing (on manual machines) in Jr. High. It was valuable for I learned how to hold my hands over the keyboard and is why I can type pretty fast on a computer. I had shop but never home Econ. Shop was terrible and most of the equipment was broken. My cursive is okay and I've never used Roman numerals above four digits.
ReplyDeleteI think learning to type is Avery valuable skill. That’s too bad about Shop class and doesn’t sound safe at all.
DeleteI took typing, home ec and shop class. I remember that my poor dad had to wear an ugly and poorly designed belt I made him for father's day in shop class. I also made a hideous wall clock out of wood that was supposed to be the state of Alaska but looked more like giant liquid fart. My kiddos (8th and 5th-grade) know cursive and Roman numerals but none of those other classes.
ReplyDeleteWell, that was nice of your dad. I mostly remember wearing a painted macaroni necklace from one of my kids.🤣 Glad your kids know cursive and Roman numbers!
DeleteHey, Bijoux!
ReplyDeleteYou brought back so many memories with this post. I took typing for one semester when I did a print shop class--remember printing presses?!? That was in fact my favorite shop class and that was in senior year. Didn't like the metal shops that much.
I remember card catalogs, of course. Hated Roman numerals back when I was a kid, but then I hated all kinds of numbers.
And I have horrible memories of the nuns blowing a gasket at my hideous penmanship--which is a word you don't hear much anymore.
I'll have to see if my nieces are aware of any of the topics you covered. I might get a laugh!
I think I remember the printing presses and there being an art elective at my school that used one, but I can’t remember the name of the class. Graphic Arts? I was a little afraid of both the teacher and the equipment in metal shop! Penmanship sounds so antiquated now. I bet your nieces think we’re old timers. Sigh . . .
DeleteMy home economics teacher was a hag that I still dislike to this day. But, I did love the sewing and cooking portion of the class. My kids never had home ec. The younger one never learned cursive. I did have to take a typing class to graduate. My high school didn't require it, but I dropped out and got my last few credits in night school and it was a requirement there. My girls never had a typing class a day of their lives but can type better than I can. They did both learn to address an envelope, though I think I taught them that since we also required them to send hand written thank you notes for any and all gifts they received. My oldest daughter complained to her current boyfriend that I didn't do enough to teach her basic housekeeping skills growing up. In a sense, she is right. However, when I tried teaching her to cook, she complained. When I told her to clean something other than her room, it was "but, why?!" Then she'd half ass it and I'd have to go over it again, so it was just easier for me to do it myself. I did teach her to do her laundry before she left for college, but she insists her roommate taught her how. Some kids you just can't win with. But, she's living on her own now and doing fine, so let's thank heavens for the wonderful souls that she can YouTube what I failed to teach them. And me. Cause I've YouTubed many a thing myself!
ReplyDeleteLOL, your comments are the best, Theresa! I love your honesty. My kids used to complain (once they were in college) that I didn’t teach them things. They didn’t understand what I went through, trying to get my Middle Child through school. Everything was a struggle (and some of it still is). It was all I could do to get dinner on the table and run them to their activities, after dealing with her homework, making her flash cards, etc. I look back and wonder how I survived!
DeleteYes, they eventually figure things out on their own. I was lucky that I learned practical things in school, Girl Scouts, and 4H. My mom allowed me to do some baking growing up, but that was about it. We were generally not allowed to use appliances because she claimed we were hard on things and might break them!?! My brother and I are the least aggressive people you’d ever meet.🤣
Absolutely. I think the generation/culture/education a person grows up with affects how they parent more than anything. My mom did not grow up in a touchy-feely household, so we did not get much affection growing up, or even much talking about anything. I know that once she had grandkids, she realized what was lacking in her parenting style and she always complimented my parenting, which was nice.
DeleteI’m probably telling my age here, but typing was one of the required classes when I went for my Associate’s Degree. I think I was one of the last classes, though. So, I did learn to type the traditional way, but on a computer keyboard. Nick learned to type the traditional way on a typewriter and still beats the daylights out of keyboards. His keyboards need to be replaced fairly often.
ReplyDeleteI struggle with Roman numerals past 12.
I was homeschooled from fifth grade on, so Home Ec was more of an excuse not to do traditional schoolwork. My sister and I both had to take some remedial classes when we went to community college. But we did both learn to cook, clean the house, do laundry, etc.
I didn’t read the article about the 18-year-old not knowing how to address an envelope, but it doesn’t surprise me. Letter writing seems to be a dying art. One of my friends has a seven-year-old who thinks it’s fun to write letters. I gave her a bunch of stationery, and my M-I-L is her pen pal. I told my friend she needed to cultivate her daughter’s interest in letter writing. She may end up being one of the very few people in her generation who can write a letter.
I have a friend who is ten years younger than I am, and she has never had a checkbook, which seems really weird to me. She has a checking account but has always used direct deposits, debits, and cash apps. I assume that means that a lot of kids probably aren’t learning to write checks, which probably isn’t a big deal since they’re not used much.
I’m just very glad I’m not responsible for making sure anyone knows how to do basic life things before being sent out into the world!
That’s funny about Nick and the keyboards. You do have to type more gently than on a typewriter. That is really cool about your MIL’s pen pal. I loved having pen pals as a kid. I had one from Connecticut and one from France, but neither were as interested as I was. Letter writing is certainly a lost art. I can’t imagine not writing checks. I still pay medical bills and my daughter’s piano lessons with checks. Honestly, it seems easier sometimes to write a check and mail it than to have to log on with passwords, etc. It’s actually the price of postage that got me to pay some bills online. Also, there have been a number of people in the area who have had issues with check washing fraud, so now I’m worried about mailing checks. Ugh.
DeleteI learned to type the traditional way, my junior year in high school, and I loved it then and love it now! I have always loved pushing buttons, haaahaa! I'm not great at Roman numerals but I am great at writing in cursive, and I think teaching children to write in cursive develops their brain in a way that printing cannot. Whenever a tutor a young child in reading, we include training in cursive writing (Spell to Write and Read program). I have no home ec stories that I can remember! But I am a domestic diva as you know, haaahaaha! My children, all four of whom are pretty smart, come out with stuff sometimes that makes me scratch my head. Mainly it's expressions they use, or spelling mistakes. For example, Stephanie has ALWAYS said "on accident" instead of (correctly) "by accident." I can't move her off of it. Audrey insists on saying "based off of" instead of (correctly) "based on." AAARRGHH! Also she spells the word "whoa" thusly: WOAH. That makes me want to lose. my. mind. haaahahaha xoxo
DeleteHow did I know your cursive writing is beautiful?? It's just something I picture about you! That is funny about your family using the wrong expressions or spellings. My oldest daughter kept using the word, 'sus' instead of saying 'suspicious' and it was a while until I realized it was a common slang term. I do think people in different regions of the U.S. use different phrases, but I don't know why Stephanie would say 'on accident' if you never did!
DeleteI remember all those things, but typing class was on a computer, not a typewriter. Quieter, at least! But probably less satisfying. I took home ec, but for a portion of the semester, we had to swap classes and do some shop class. I appreciated that. Card catalogues were a favorite pick up spot for studious types. Ha! Kids these days are missing out! :) -Betsy
ReplyDeleteThat’s nice to hear you had a typing class on keyboards. Yes, it was satisfying to do the carriage return! Sounds like your school had a similar set up to mine with the partial semester shop class. I’m presuming we went to neighboring school districts if you grew up in west Akron, which is very cool!
DeleteThis post brings back memories! My typing class actually looked very similar to the one pictured above. And yet, I worked on a computer in the school office. I'm pretty sure they transitioned away from those typewriters within a year or two after I took the class.
ReplyDeleteI never did take Home Economics - not sure how I dodged that - but shop class was fun. I made a wooden dolphin carving that I still hang in my home (or will, once we move in) to this day. I've never been the most mechanical person in the world, so the fact that I was able to make such a cool woodworking piece always brought me pride and joy.
Your generation was definitely at the cut off point for typewriters. It was my senior year of high school that we got a ‘computer lab’ that consisted of 2 Apples and 6 Radio Shack TRS80’s. Everyone fought over the Apples! I took basic computer programming that year. Good memories!
DeleteThe dolphin carving sounds like a work of art. You should post a photo of it on your blog.
Great idea! Once I figure out which box it's in (could take a month!) I'll write a post about that.
DeleteLooking forward to it!
DeleteI actually took a typing class in college to try and get faster. It didn't work. I managed the 25wpm to pass.
ReplyDeleteI just added to my roman numeral knowledge. I didn't know about the line over the V and X.
Never took a cooking class. If I did, people would have died from my attempts.
Card catalogs... Author, title, subject.
My cursive is a good as any doctors out there.
Shop class. I still have a lamp I made in grade school. I've replaced the socket two times and taken it apart and restained it once.
That’s cool that you still use the lamp!
Delete