Hello, everyone. Winnie Griggs here. It’s back-to-school season, and that always takes me back to the years when my four children were in school.
The elementary school they attended was a little unusual. It served children from kindergarten through fifth grade, but there were no walls separating the classrooms. Each class had its own teacher and designated space, but all those spaces occupied one large, open floor plan. Some were separated by low bookcases, some by large plants, and others had no physical boundary at all.
Imagine several teachers conducting lessons at the same time, with neighboring classes in full view—and definitely within hearing. But the teachers found ways to hold their students’ attention, and the children learned to concentrate on what was happening in their own area despite all the activity around them.
My kids are adults now, so I recently asked what they remembered about the experience. All four said that, looking back, the arrangement sounded as though it should have been distracting, but it really wasn’t. In fact, the hallways and closed-off classrooms of middle school felt a bit confining by comparison, at least at first.
When I began researching nineteenth-century schools for some of my books, I realized that my children’s open-concept school shared a few characteristics with the old one-room schoolhouse.
Of course, there was one very important difference. Each of my children’s classes had its own teacher. In a one-room schoolhouse, a single teacher might be responsible for everyone from young beginners to teenagers.
That teacher certainly had her hands full.
Rather than dividing students into grades according to age, teachers often grouped them by knowledge and ability. One group might be called forward to recite a reading lesson while the other children worked independently at their desks. Then another group would take its turn with arithmetic, spelling, geography, or grammar.
With so many lessons being conducted in the same room, students couldn’t help overhearing material meant for other groups. Younger children might pick up bits of what the older pupils were studying, while older students heard familiar lessons again and reinforced what they had already learned. More advanced pupils sometimes helped the younger ones as well.
The schoolroom itself was usually simple. It might contain rows of desks or benches, a teacher’s desk, a blackboard, pegs for coats and hats, and a stove to provide heat in cold weather. A water bucket and shared dipper were common fixtures. Compared to today’s brightly decorated classrooms, there were few visual aids or other teaching materials.
Students didn’t arrive carrying backpacks stuffed with spiral notebooks, colored markers, glue sticks, and folders. A child might bring a slate and slate pencil, along with a speller or another textbook—if the family owned one. Books were sometimes handed down through the family or shared among students.
Lunch could be carried in a tin pail, basket, or cloth bundle. Depending on what was available at home, it might include bread, biscuits, cheese, fruit, a hard-boiled egg, or a slice of cold meat.
In some communities, a child might also arrive carrying a piece of firewood or some kindling to help keep the schoolhouse warm.
Recitation and memorization were important parts of the learning process. Children were often expected to stand and repeat a lesson, spell words aloud, work a problem, or recite a memorized passage.
The school calendar could be quite different from the one we know today. Classes were sometimes arranged around the needs of the community. Planting and harvest seasons could affect both the school term and daily attendance because children were needed at home. Distance, bad weather, illness, and family responsibilities also played a part in whether a student made it to school on a given day.
Keeping so many ages occupied—and reasonably quiet—required organization, patience, and a firm set of rules. The teacher prepared lessons for every age and ability level, maintained order and discipline, settled disputes, tended the stove, and sometimes cleaned the schoolroom. She might also board with local families, moving from one household to another during the school term.
Her behavior could be closely watched both inside and outside the classroom. A teacher—particularly an unmarried woman—was often expected to serve as a model of proper conduct for the entire community.
The one-room schoolhouse wasn’t used only for lessons. In many small towns, it was one of the few public buildings large enough to hold a gathering. It might host church services, elections, community meetings, lectures, spelling bees, holiday programs, debates, and celebrations.
That aspect of the schoolhouse found its way into my newest release, The Heart of Honor.
My heroine, Mercy Owens, teaches the children of Hawthorn, Texas, in 1876. But her schoolhouse is more than her workplace. It also becomes the gathering place for the committee planning Hawthorn’s celebration of the nation’s Centennial—and the town’s own fiftieth anniversary.
Mercy is determined to make certain the sacrifices of Hawthorn’s citizens are properly remembered.
In many ways, the schoolhouse is at the heart of both Mercy’s life and her community, just as those simple buildings stood at the heart of so many nineteenth-century towns.
Goodreads Book Giveaway
The Heart of Honor
by Winnie Griggs
Giveaway ends August 17, 2026.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
The elementary school my children attended was considered modern and innovative, yet its open design echoed a much older style of education. In both settings, children learned to concentrate amid the murmur of other lessons. Learning didn’t always stay neatly confined to one class or one age group.
Still, I can only imagine the skill—and stamina—it took for one teacher to manage an entire schoolroom by herself.
What about you? How do you think you would have fared in a one-room schoolhouse with several ages and lessons going on around you? Leave a comment to be entered in a giveaway for a signed copy of one of my books.
Both of my parents attended one-room schools and my mom has a desk from hers.
My kids’ elementary was built as an open concept school, but by the time they attended, walls had been added to create rooms in the quads.
I think I could have handled it since there were a few times I was independent study in a classroom with a different subject.
Interesting family history. Cool that your mom has a desk from her schoolhouse.
I don’t think I would have been good. I have a short attention span and need to see what is going on around me. Thank you for the opportunity to win a copy of your books.
You’re quite welccome!
When I was in 7th grade, my middle school went to an open classroom concept, so there were three classes going on at the same time, with three different teachers. Through the experience I learned how to tune out superfluous activity and to focus.
A great lesson to learn young
I think it would have been distracting, especially when the younger children would have to read and are barely learning to, I think it would have bothered me as a fast learner and reader.
I caan definitely see that
My husband attended a one room school – this was in Iowa during the 50’s. There were 6 students and his grade was the largest -3 students.
Have fun!
would be interesting
Yes it would
Our house was a one room school house – it still has the slate on the wall in our bedroom! It was rolled down the road to replace the house that burnt. It was used until 1907! I went to a first grade in a 4 room school house that had 2 classes in each room so 1,2 then 3,4, 5,6 and 7,8! My sister was in 2nd grade with my 1st grade class – same teacher!
Oh how interesting! You must have some fun stories to tell about those days
Hey Winnie! I think I would have adjusted.i worked as a paraprofessional for a couple of years teaching those children gettin extra help learning. I would take about 7-10 of them in a small room between classrooms. These children could get distracted easily so, I had to make learning by being a little creative. It was a special time and the other teachers were very supportive. One of the most joyful times in my life teaching those kids.
Thanks for the article! My parents also were taught in a small school house until 8th grade. And then were transported to our small town for grades 9-12.
Oh how special to be teaching such a class. It takes a really special person for such a role
I have always been fascinated with one room schoolhouses. My late husband and I sought them out during our trips. I always took pictures of them. I even wanted one on my property to tutor from after retirement. Dreams always come true, but reality has a way of setting us on a different path.
What an interesting hobby. Those photographs must make a fascinating collection
I think one room schools are very similar to homeschooling several children in regard to lesson planning. Every student learns differently and good teachers find a way to convey knowledge to snyone.
An interesting comparison and a good one
I think my father went to a one room school. Not sure how I would do in one. I do think today the classes if over crowded and some children get left behind sometimes. Although learning problems are caught more today then they were years ago.
They overcrowding is true in some areas and students don’t get the individual attention they used to
Being nearly 82 years old, I attended several one room schools. My father was a farmer, never owning his own farm, we did what was called “tenant farming”. We moved into a farm setup, usually in March. Being we lived in Iowa, it was utterly freezing out and probably snowing as well. A number of times it was for only 1 year, so we looked forward to moving again the following March. Anyway, this put us in rural, one-room schools. It worked out quite well, with the teacher having the greater burden of teaching grades from Kindergarten through 8th grade. At 9th grade we were bused to a town school. It was quite an experience, and I do not recall any problems, even such as you see on “Little House on the Prairie”. I’m not saying it didn’t happen in some country schools, just not the ones we attended. It was a learning experience.
Interesting. You must have some really fascinating stories to tell
I don’t think I would have done well because I am easily distracted.
it seems to definitely be a sink or swim environment
I taught Sunday School that was Kindergarten thru 6th grade. I had the older students help the younger ones.
Delegation is a wonderful thing
I think I may have did well in a one room schoolhouse. One year, I was in a split class of two grades. I was in the younger grade, but because I excelled in my classes, I was blessed to be able to learn some of the advanced lessons from the next grade. My Mom went to a one room schoolhouse it was 1-8th grade. She struggled when she had to go by bus to the high school. Thank you for the opportunity. God bless you.
Interesting that she struggled when she changed to regular classrooms. My kids said it was an adjustment also
I attended a one room schoolhouse in southeastern Colorado for the first through third grades. I remember during the war they could not find a teacher so one of the young farmer.’s wives was our teacher. We loved her. She did fun things with us. My sister and I lived close to the school and walked there but I was always envious of the kids who lived far from school and rode horses to school.. I wanted to do that. Geez. This makes me sound older than I am. Hah
I love hearing first hand stories and yours sounds like a lot of fun!
Probably would have been easily distracting.
I totally agree
When my daughter was in the Peace Corps, she taught health is a very small town. She could not go out to the local bar as it just was not done.
Teachers are under tighter scrutiny than many other groups
I think I would of done good back in the day when it was just a one room schoolhouse and different classes have a Blessed Day!
Sounds like you’re a very disciplined person
I would have been fine, I think. My dad started school in a one room schoolhouse.
It sounds as if you’re a very disciplined person
From kindergarten through second grade I lived in a small town in the Adirondacks. I rode the bus to the next town for kindergarten (which was held in a church if I remember correctly). But the school in our small town was not a 1 room schoolhouse, but 2 rooms. We had 1 teacher (I still remember her name) for grades 1-3 and 1 teacher for grades 4-6. We moved from there when I started third grade and the rest of my time in school was what we would call “normal”.
A very interesting start to your school years!
I would have probably been confused. lol
In the area I grew up in, there are 2 one room schoolhouses standing. They are surrounded by crops of one or another each year.
I think I would have done fine. I am sure it could be distracting at times.
I’m definitely not quite a certain as you are about me
I think I would have done fine. Thank you for the giveaway opportunity !
You’re quite welcome
I’m good at focusing on what I’m doing so I think I’ve would have done fine.
Nice!
I have good focus so I might be okay. Especially, since that was the standard for that time so I would not have known of anything different.
So true. And children are very adaptable
I think you have to get used to it , so keeping focused would be what needed to be done. I think I would do fine.
I suppose if that’s what you were used to it wouldn’t bother you as much
I think I would have done okay, as I tune out things around me now! lol!! I read and watch tv, and use the tv for background noise! I actually concentrate better for some things with the tv on. When reading my Bible, though, it has to be quiet!!
You sound a lot like me, attention-wise
I’m the youngest of 7 children and my mother was 40 years old when I was born so this happened a long time before I came on the scene. She taught in several different schools, one room schools, and boarded with a family in the school district. She was a wonderful teacher and mother so I can see her being able to handle that kind of situation. She was also a small woman, around 5’2″ and around 110 lbs. I had the privilege of talking to one of her former students and he said she was wonderful. I think I would have had trouble concentrating with other things going on. I would want to hear what they were learning. lol
Books sound amazing. Will check them out.
What a fascinating history your mother has.!
I think I would have enjoyed it. As a kid, I could tune out my surroundings and get lost in whatever I was doing. Come to think of it, that hasn’t really changed!
not a bad trait to have!
My cousins went to a one room school in the 1960’s. It was one of the last ones in our county and consolidated when the oldest was in eighth grade. From then on they went to school in town. Here in eastern Washington we have several schools which have only one or two rooms with less than 15 students in grades k-6. Some of the town schools have more rooms but as populations decline many of them have two or three grades in one room. When there are only 1-5 students in a grade it’s hard to justify a teacher for each grade. Most of these schools are more than twenty miles from the next closest school although the high school students often go to bigger schools, some do not. I would probably have done okay in a mixed class room because I was often given separate assignments to work on while the teacher worked with the rest of the class.
Thank you for the Goodreads link.
When I was going through college, the open classroom was something they were encouraging. There never were any until many years later when we retired from the military. One daughter was in college, one a H. S. senior, and our son was going into 5th. He went to the country school, but the elementary school in town was a round school with open classrooms. Most people didn’t like it. They considered it too distracting for the students.
As a teacher in a small one room schoolhouse, I think it would be manageable. I would have to be very organized and have the teaching units well scheduled. One thing I think you find in that type of environment is the cooperation that in many cases is so lacking today. The students learn to concentrate and work independently. Helping younger students reinforces what they have learned and teaches them how to help and cooperate. It gives them responsibility and shows them they are important and needed. Those are lessons needed to learn to be good members of society.
Being a student in that situation would not have been difficult for me. I was the oldest of 6 and had to work around them for homework and projects. I got used to blocking the out while I studied and was used to helping them with their assignments.
I would have done just fine. All I really would have needed was my assignments and then I could just do it all myself. When I was in school, I was in a class that wasn’t mine and all my work was brought to me so I could do it, so I was kind of in that situation.
When my daughters were young, their, first school was set up so a few grades were in the same class learning together. It was a charter school.
Winnie, I may not have fared well as I’m easily distracted.