Old schoolhouse rocks
WASHINGTON — On a recent weekday, dozens of children sit up straight as boards, on hard wooden benches, as a schoolmarm hits her open palm with a hickory stick.
In the 19th century, "if you got a rapping at school, your parents found out and you got a whupping at home," she says, her voice as sharp as her boot heels.
Jaws drop. Backs stiffen.
In the 19th century, schoolmarm Stephanie Runckles continues, "discipline was not a problem."
It's not a problem here, either, where children flock to learn, listen and endure long-abandoned disciplinary actions with the pride of teacher's pets. Titled "School's In/School's Out," this one-room schoolhouse re-creation -- held for one hour every summer Thursday in conjunction with the exhibit "American ABC: Childhood in 19th-Century America" -- has been the Smithsonian American Art Museum's surprise hit of the season.
"I just thought people would go
Attending class on a typical Thursday are 7-year-old history buffs who ask questions about Laura Ingalls Wilder, 6-year-olds who own American Girl dolls modeled after historical girls, and 5-year-olds fascinated by the odd lady in the poufy dress who waves a commanding stick like a stern Pied Piper.
The schoolhouse wasn't what the curators first planned. The initial idea was an interactive exhibit with computers and kiosks -- the usual bells, whistles and drop-down menus often used to appeal to 21st century students.
But "there's something cold about computer screens," Perry says.
So, says American Art Museum Director Elizabeth Broun, "we stepped back and thought: 'What are we thinking? We're in the 19th century -- let's keep it to their methods.' "
They gave up on 21st century pizazz. It was time to go old school. Literally.
A vital step was finding just the right schoolmarm. Runckles, a history buff who home-schooled her own now-grown children, works during the school year at the one-room Seneca Schoolhouse Museum in Poolesville, Md. There she imitates teacher Emma Darby, who taught at Seneca after her husband died in the Civil War, and Smithsonian curators were "quite impressed" with her, public programs manager Nona Martin says.
Early every Thursday, the schoolmarm set the stage for the lessons at "School's In/School's Out." (The final session was held last week.)
"Today," she begins, "we are going back in time to Aug. 10, 1873."
