The picture is of a gym class in a 1900 school, but let’s look at some facts about punishment in a Gilded Age school.  A typical school philosophy was  “Speak the truth, be honest, be punctual, be clean and kind.”  Showing respect was also highly emphasized.  Here is a list of some common methods of punishment.  I saved the worst for last.

  1. A rod or ruler used on the knuckle or butt.
  2. Standing in the corner or putting your nose in a circle drawn on a chalk board.
  3. Dunce cap on a corner stool.
  4. Memorize or copy long passages on morality.
  5. Writing a sentence on a board ala Bart Simpson.
  6. Loss of recess.
  7. Cleaning of the classroom after school.
  8. A bad boy would be force to sit with the girls wearing a bonnet.

https://www.rd.com/culture/what-school-was-like-100-years-ago/

http://www.heritageall.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Americas-One-Room-Schools-of-the-1890s.pdf

Gym class in a 1900 NYC school


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