Then: Abbe Creek School is located in Linn County, Iowa on Highway 30 a few miles west of Mt. Vernon, Iowa. The brick building was built in 1856. In the late 1800s and early 1900s it was used as a church and school. It was a one room schoolhouse.

Now: Harrison School is located at 1310 11th Street NW in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The brick school that is now being used was built in 1930 and has grades preschool through fifth grade. It has eighteen classrooms in the main building.

Then: A few were men, but most were women. Women were not allowed to continue teaching if they married. Women teachers could not date. Men teachers could date once a week if they went to church twice during that week.

Now: Some are men, but most teachers seem to be women. Women can keep teaching whether they are married or not. Both men and women can date whenever and how often they wish. They don't have to go to church if they don't want to.

Then: Spelling was very important. When the children had spelling, they had to repeat the word orally in a complete sentence and then spell the word. Older students had to work with the younger students in math and other subjects. When a child read a book it was read orally. The child had to stand in front of the class and hold the book with three fingers on the outside, and two fingers holding the pages on the inside. Their feet had to be in a special position. They often read the Bible.

Now: Spelling is very important. Now children are given the words orally but must write the word on paper. Older students in our school have reading buddies and often work with younger students in other subjects. Boys and girls read independently, with buddies, or in a group. They can read almost anywhere they want. Children don't have to hold the books any certain way. Now boys and girls are given a lot of choice in regard to the books they want to read.

Then: When a child misbehaved the teacher would punish the child by drawing a circle on the chalkboard and making the child put his/her nose on the chalkboard in the circle. The child had to stand there as long as the teacher wanted. Another way of punishing the child was paddling. If a child got an answer wrong he or she might get slapped on the hand with a ruler. Children who gave wrong answers sometimes had to wear a dunce's cap.

Now: Children who misbehave are sent to the principal's office. Sometimes the misbehaving student has to stay after school. Nobody paddles students or calls them dunces. Children are expected to follow the rules, and if they don't other children, teachers, or the principal help them understand why the rules need to be followed.

Then: Teachers often lived with a pupil's family for at least one month of the school year. Sometimes one family kept the teacher all year. They had to be close to the school so they could be there early in the winter to start the fire. They had to do their own custodial work.

Now: Teachers have their own house or apartment. They live anywhere they want to. They do not need to start fires to keep the school room warm. Custodians are hired to clean the rooms.

Then: The students played "call ball" -- a game where a ball is thrown and bounced up into the air and someone calls to catch it. If the person catches the ball he or she gets to go to the middle and do the bouncing. They played tag and jumped rope. They did not have any playground equipment.

Now: We play four square (a ball game played in a grid-like square), kick-ball, football, and other ball games. We play on the playground equipment, jump rope, and run races.

Information collected through interviews and a visit to Abbe Creek School. The information shared by personnel from the Linn County (Iowa) Conservation Board, was invaluable in developing the statements about schools today and long ago.

This information was reported by:
Dennis, Kim, Angela, Anna, Donnie, and Mark
Mrs. Crowley's 4/5th grade multi-age class

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