Back then, school wasn’t a “safe space,” it was more of a “figure it out and don’t make it worse” situation. And somehow, between the fear, the pop quizzes, and the absolute lack of second chances… we survived.

1. No bail-outs from parents.

You didn’t finish something? You got detention? Your parents forgot to sign a slip? You deal with the consequences. Admin will call home and they will bond with your parents over how disappointing this was for all of you. 

2. We were scared to breathe in class

I once laughed in class and my terrifying teacher asked me if I’d like to take a walk to the principal’s office. No, there’s no more context here. This is how it happened. I was afraid to get up and get a Kleenex. Now, my students call me bro. 

3. Phones were the highest contraband.

If you ever made it known that you had a phone, that phone was gone. Your parents were getting a phone call while they were at work. Then, at the end of the school day, they would have to drive over to school and pick it up. A fun bonus: You’re grounded. 

4. No Extensions. No Grace Period. Deadlines Actually Meant Something.

There was no “upload it by midnight.” There was no “as long as it is turned in before grades are due, no penalty.” There was only shame.  

5. Nothing triggered panic like “Pop Quiz Today!”

“Pop quiz today.” Four words that activated our fight-or-flight response faster than seeing flashing lights in the rearview mirror. The adult equivalents? A declined debit card. An unexpected phone call. A meeting titled “Can we chat?” We weren’t being assessed. We were being stress-tested. And honestly? It worked. I am now permanently prepared for disaster.

6. We thought teachers just… lived at school

We did not know where they lived, what their lives looked like after 3:15 p.m., or whether they had friends (Did they have any?) If we spotted them in Saturday sweats at the grocery store, it felt like a celebrity sighting and also was disorienting. We would lock eyes, panic, and pretend we had never learned long division from this person. That was the extent of our curiosity. Now, students can access your vacation photos, your college roommate’s wedding, and your accidentally public and very old Youtube Playlist. “Trolls” isn’t an internet term anymore. It’s just another word for “my students.”

7. No excuses. Just consequences.

I still remember the guilt-soaked panic of approaching my parents at 8:47 p.m. to announce that my paper was due tomorrow and the printer was out of ink. Not low. Not fading. Out. There would be a heavy sigh. Keys would be grabbed. We’d make a late-night run to the grocery store like we were handling a domestic emergency. Thirty dollars. For ink. And the whole drive home was steeped in shame and personal accountability. No one blamed the system. No one emailed the teacher. We simply absorbed the consequences of our procrastination and vowed to “plan better next time,” knowing full well we would not.

8. School really had us thinking we’d use the dewey decimal system every day.

The way in which we dedicated weeks of our library class to learning this system really made me believe that at some point in adulthood I’d be cornered at a dinner party and asked about whether something clearly belonged in the 300s (Social Sciences) or had drifted irresponsibly into the 500s (Natural Sciences).

9. Studying didn’t involve games

Imagining my teachers, who sat and lectured for 90 minutes,  trying to orchestrate an intense game of Reviewsical Chairs while hits from the 2000s play, feels like a fever dream I’d pay to witness. 

10. School had us believing these computer lab skills were life skills

Can we please integrate gradient word art and animated clipart as part of our email signatures? I need a medium for this artistic talent. There is a 6th grade graphic designer living inside of me who dies a little every time she reads “Best Regards” in Arial 11.