What were the schools like in the early 1800s?
A Typical School Day in the 1800s Upon entering the building, pupils hung their coats in the vestibule before entering the classroom. The teacher would ring the “tardy bell” and all would rise for the opening exercises. After 1892 this might involve the children joining the teacher in saluting the flag as they recited “The Pledge of Allegiance”. In earlier years, the opening exercise often began with reading a chapter from the Bible, with each student reading a verse or two. This might be followed by the group reciting the Lord’s Prayer in unison, then all were seated. After seated, students received directions and assignments, books, slates, or copy books were taken from the desks, questions were answered and students were expected to settle down to begin their tasks. The youngest children, sometimes called the A-B-C Class, were called upon first, the class in First Reader, then those in Second Reader, and so on. The teacher would use the hand bell to signal the end of one class’s rec
