What it Was Like

The Impact of African American Schools

-Education

Students of various grade levels learned within the same classroom. Academic lessons included reading, writing and arithmetic, the standard “3 R’s”. Lessons learned in the classroom were not limited to academics. An integral part of the curriculum were the life lessons. Having respect for others was particularly important to educators. Students completed various tasks which helped one respect others and the environment. On cold days boys were often told to pump water and build fires. While both males and females were obligated to help clean the classroom.

The African American School Experience

-A Student’s Perspective

Thompkins Hallman, attended Quince Orchard School and recalled a day in the life of an African American student. Hallman remembered long walks to school and the one room schoolhouse filled with twenty kids of various ages and grades. Hallman emphasized how disciplined these students used to be. Not only were the teachers strict, the parents were as well, which made students think twice about misbehaving. 

A Teacher’s Perspective

Nina Clarke author, and former teacher in Montgomery County taught first and second grade at Quince Orchard. Clarke recollects about struggles of limited resources. Books with missing pages and no covers were common, and lack of space led to Clarke’s students sharing a room with a third and fourth grade class. 

How does your elementary school experience mirror the students who attended African American Schools?