We’ve all gotten pretty used to modern teaching practices by now, so you might be surprised by how vastly different things were just a few decades back. Let’s take a look at some of the things teachers did in the ’70s that would never fly today.
Smoked in the Teacher’s Lounge
You didn’t have to look hard to find where the teachers went to smoke. There was usually a room tucked away in the school where smoke lingered like fog, even long after lunch was over. Staff would head in for a quick break, light a cigarette, sip lukewarm coffee, and chat about their day. Students knew exactly what was going on in there, and no one questioned it – it was just part of the job back then.
Used a Paddle as Discipline
Some teachers kept their paddle on display like a trophy. Others tucked it in a drawer but didn’t hesitate to pull it out when needed. The idea of physical punishment wasn’t controversial in many communities. If a kid acted up, a few swats were seen as just part of keeping order. Parents didn’t complain – in fact, some expected it.
Let Students Ride in Their Cars
Every now and then, a teacher would offer to drive a student home or to an event. It could be for a sports game, a field trip, or just because the student missed the bus. Nobody thought it was strange. There weren’t a bunch of rules about liability or boundaries.
Teachers were seen as trusted adults, and offering a lift was considered kind, not questionable. Today, that kind of thing would need written permission, background checks, and probably a school board meeting.
Played Dodgeball with No Limits
Recess could get intense, and dodgeball was the king of chaos. Teachers didn’t just let kids play – they encouraged the madness. The rubber balls were thick and heavy, and kids whipped them with all the force they had. If you got hit in the face, that was your problem. Nobody was worried about concussions or lawsuits. Teachers watched from the sidelines, laughing and cheering right along with the students.
Handed Out Candy as Rewards
Plenty of teachers kept a candy jar on their desk as a go-to reward system. Finish your math early? Have a Jolly Rancher. Nail a spelling test? Here’s a handful of M&Ms. The sugar content didn’t matter, and allergy warnings weren’t really a thing yet. Some teachers even handed out gum during class.
Used Overhead Projectors and Transparencies
Technology in the classroom meant one thing: the overhead projector. Teachers would write on clear sheets with markers, slide them onto the warm glass, and fiddle with the focus knob until the image showed up on the screen. The bulbs burned out constantly, and the fans made an annoying hum, but it was cutting-edge for the time.
Wore Outfits That Wouldn’t Be Allowed Today
Fashion rules were a bit looser back then. Male teachers wore short-sleeved button-downs with loud patterns and wide ties, while some women wore skirts that would now violate dress codes.
A few teachers even wore open-toed shoes or let their shirts hang loose over their pants. No one was measuring skirt lengths or checking for collar compliance. It was the ‘70s, after all – everyone was a little more relaxed, including the adults at the front of the classroom.
Showed Educational Films on Reel-to-Reel Projectors
There was something oddly exciting about film day. Teachers would roll in the tall metal cart, fiddle with the reel-to-reel machine, and dim the lights. The film would flicker to life with a loud whir, and the narrator’s voice was always slow and serious. Sometimes the film broke or jammed, and class would pause while the teacher fixed it with tape. Students loved the break from routine, even if the topic was something dull like soil erosion or the history of corn.
Sent Kids to Sit in the Hallway
Getting sent to the hallway wasn’t rare – it was almost expected if you talked too much or forgot your homework too many times. No form to fill out, no parent call. Just a sharp glance, a finger pointed toward the door, and out you went. Some kids sat on the floor for a few minutes. Others were left out there the entire period. It was a kind of public timeout that didn’t involve office referrals or follow-up consequences.
Played Records During Class
Music was used a lot more often, and not just in music class. Teachers might play a record to help kids memorize grammar rules, learn multiplication tables, or calm down after recess.
Big boxy record players wheeled around on carts were standard in most classrooms. You could hear the gentle crackle as the needle dropped, and the music had that warm, tinny sound unique to vinyl. Sometimes, if there was extra time, teachers would let students pick a song just for fun.
Let Students Grade Each Other’s Papers
It sounds strange now, but peer grading was a real thing. After a quiz, the teacher would say, “Swap papers with your neighbor,” and everyone would mark each other’s work with a red pen. Kids read answers out loud while classmates checked boxes or wrote little Xs. There wasn’t much concern about privacy or embarrassment.
Allowed Lots of Downtime
Not every moment of the day was planned. Teachers often left time at the end of class for students to just read, draw, or talk quietly. If you finished your work early, you weren’t given more worksheets – you just relaxed. Sometimes the teacher would read aloud or let the class play Heads Up, Seven Up.
There wasn’t the same pressure to constantly “maximize instructional time.” People believed kids needed space to breathe and be kids, even during the school day.
Talked About Their Personal Lives
Teachers didn’t shy away from sharing stories about their families, vacations, or opinions. You might hear about their kids’ birthday party or how they spent the weekend fixing a broken fence. It made them seem more human, and students liked that connection. Nowadays, teachers tend to keep things more professional or carefully filtered, but back then, the line between teacher and person wasn’t as guarded.
Used Red Pens for Everything
Grading wasn’t subtle. Teachers marked papers with bold, confident red ink – big circles, Xs, and underlines that left no doubt about what was wrong. A paper full of red didn’t mean a private meeting or gentle feedback; it just meant you needed to study harder. These markings were clear, sometimes harsh, but rarely questioned.
Had Class Pets Without Asking Anyone
In some classrooms, there was a fish tank or maybe a hamster cage tucked in the corner. Teachers would bring animals in without permission slips or allergy checks. The pet was part of the room’s personality, and kids took turns feeding it or cleaning the cage. Sometimes the pet escaped, and chaos followed – but it was part of the fun.
Didn’t Use First Names
It was always “Mr. Smith” or “Mrs. Johnson,” and you never questioned it. Even if a teacher slipped up and referred to themselves by their first name, students didn’t dare repeat it. The formality created a sense of respect – or at least that was the idea. Today, some teachers go by their first names to build connection. But in the ’70s, that boundary was strong and rarely crossed.
Gave Out Detention Slips Without Discussion
If you messed up, you got a detention slip, plain and simple. There wasn’t a long conversation or an email to your parents. You might get handed a slip mid-lesson, and that was that. It was usually handwritten, signed at the bottom, and meant you had to show up after school to sit in silence. The system was quick and straightforward, and no one really argued about it.
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