Young Writers Society

I have been homeschooled my entire life and have no idea what normal school is like. So if you could write what your school is like, especially the kids and teachers, that would be very helpful.

What age group are you thinking? High school?

Middle school, mainly

So, inside a classroom, you'll get to see a wide variety of students. There are nerds who'll keep staring at the books all the time. Then the boys of my school used to play a lot in the classroom, beating, shouting loudly, gaining everyone's attention, kicking sharpeners, trowing chalks and erasers over each other... Doing all kinds of mischievous activities (Don't think they don't have manners or anything, it's just that they would pass the free time that way. Free time before the teacher enters the class or when the teacher is absent)
Then there are those, specially girls, who keep gazing at crushes in the free time or even when the teacher is teaching something.
Some are extremely focused, some will be doodling in their notebooks while something is being taught.
Then, some one in a classroom will always be there who'll be a complete introvert, always sitting alone, isolated, getting bored. Someone might be sleeping all the time. Some are bullys. Some will keep fighting, beating each other out of anger. Happens. There are outbursts of emotions in school going children. That doesn't mean they are extremely mannerless or something.

There are annual functions in schools where a large population of kids participate in dancing, some others participate in singing and some yet others will participate in drums. The dance teacher was kind of rude, rejecting the students and kids and breaking their hearts (I was always rejected lool)

Now coming to teachers, who are again of many types. Some are evil--- always scolding and insulting students for some or the other mistake in front of the whole classroom-- the whole classroom responds to this, by laughing loudly in chorus, or getting extremely silent--- depending on the type of humiliation done.
Then those teachers who'll be extremely sweet and very polite, never scolding anyone for anything they do (My English teacher was like this <3) Some are good looking, some are not so good looking, some are flirtatious too---specially female teachers who keep flirting with boys of the classroom.

There is favourite student policy amongst the teachers too.

This topic is something on which I can go on speaking ......

These kind of experiences will definitely differ from person to person, because each school is different and kids are all different. For me, personally, my middle school experience was good. I was severely bullied during sixth grade, so middle school was basically a haven for me. During seventh grade, I hung out with a friend that lived in the same apartment complex, then when she graduated, I met my then best friend and hung out with her and our group of friends.

I remember middle school having a lot of drama for me, more than I had ever experienced before - probably because it was the first time I had a group of friends. I don’t remember much of those years because they were about ten years ago. Middle school was also the time I had my first real boyfriend, love, and heartbreak. It was a wild ride.

As for what the school looks like, my school was beautiful. The school was pretty new iirc, it had only been built a few years ago. The field was huge and green and the classrooms were huge. I wish I could describe it to you more but it looked just like any other school.

I’m not sure what else to say. I don’t remember a whole lot of middle school but high school, man, I loved high school. I have very fond memories from my high school. it’s been about 4 1/2 years since I graduated from high school. Crazy how time flies...

Thank you, guys! Very helpful.

Some more questions

Homework? How much and what is it like?

What happens when you get called to the principal office?

What is a usual punishment if you break a rule?

What is lunch like? The food and the seating arrangements?

Are their mean/popular kids like in the books and what are like in real life?

It's been 2 and a half years since I finished school, and the 12 years are already one big blur, with a few good and many memories that were embarrassing once but just funny now. Hindsight, I guess. ( I also stayed in the same town, same school for 12 years of schooling, so maybe that contributes to the " it's one big blur" part)

Homework was just the usual, making assignments, diagrams, projects, files, observation records etc. It was done just the night before most of the times, a habit I had to work hard to shake off in uni.

A teacher took me to the principal's office once, and he wasn't there so nothing came of it xD

The punishments varied, since the rules varied according to the teachers' mood and how strict the current principal happened to be. ( It was a convent school in India, so principals (priests) changed every 3-8 years.)
I have been slapped by multiple teachers,sent outside to stand in the sun many times, hit with a steel scale as an 8 year old for saying something supposedly dirty that I didn't understand back then. ( it wasn't obscene, just plain stupid. That teacher was a bit hot headed and I just happened to be unlucky that day)
In later years, punishment became more verbal and related to deduction of marks.

There wasn't a clear " popular kid / nerd " dichotomy as it's displayed n Western media. I suspect it's because nerds hold an exalted position in Indian society, above sportsmen and the like in the "hierarchy" if I may say so. I am a big-time nerd, and I was part of a gang of self deprecating clowns/nerds ( all dudes ofc ), so I never got bullied though I think my jokes might have made some people feel bad.
That's all, I guess. I still meet up with those guys everytime I go back home, and they are all I have that remains of my school days.

A place where you will get pushed to the edge by the total pressure of academic workload, drama with schoolmates, friends and school authorities, and club obligations (if any) on top of your own external social, family and personal problems (i.e. depression, poverty, etc.). No joke, it will at some points push you to lengths most parents nowadays would probably not bear witnessing.

Ever stayed up until 2:30 in the morning to finish a project and at the same time prepare for an exam just seven hours later? What about experiencing the wrath of a hella angry teacher, who yelled "I do not give a f_ck if you fail" at your entire class one Friday afternoon? How's crying so hard after seeing your class, whom you've supported, cheered on and fought side-by-side with all throughout the tournament run, lose the grand finals of the school's tug-of-war championship to the powerhouse class? Those experiences are hella fun, yo. You don't get them at home very often.

As gritty as I made school sound, it ain't all that fortunately. You'll meet people in there, like all the classmates, teachers and friends you'll make. You're gonna have a whole lot of laughs from them, learn lots of real, hard things from them, and most of all, get their full support when you're in your darkest times in school. When I broke down after the tug-of-war finals, my mates came by my side to comfort me, and my adviser grabbed me by the sleeve and told me to get up because I can't stay sad forever. Real nice people you'll meet there.

When you do get out of the edge with the help of all the people you meet, you'll come back a changed person.

I know I gave a very emotionally-charged and pretty non-objective view of school, but I believe one can't know school without knowing the emotions and memories one can forge in this social institution.

This is an old topic, but I figured I could say some stuff about middle school.

First, some schools are going to be indoor if in typically colder/warmer areas so that air conditioning or heating can be a thing. In my case, it could get decently warm at my school, and we were in outdoor classrooms, with a few rows of rooms and a central library, place for the ASB (Associated Student Body), an auditorium, and a main outside seating area with a small stage in the middle of the school.

Second, comes the fact if one were to be in certain programs on campus or not. My middle school had a few, you could join the ASB, join an "Accelerated" version of classes, or among a few clubs, such as sports/books/math clubs, to name a few. That impacts your classmates/work-loads/teachers for sure.

Third, hormones are a thing, growing/maturing bodies are a thing, and people can get frustrated or uncommunicative in a variety of ways. However, one can have a decent time in school, if they're interested in their subjects or at least learning in some kind (could be languages/science classes) and that definitely affects how one can view school.

In my personal experience, the school was alright. I wasn't involved with drama, didn't know too many "stereotypes" as I was in the accelerated courses, and ended up being in classes with mostly slightly more mature students and those who cared more about learning.

Hope this helps!