40 Things You Experienced At School That No Longer Exist

Remember Trapper Keepers? These stylish binders were perfect for children who wanted to keep their school work in order. They were great! So what happened to them, then? Well, as Reader’s Digest noted, the introduction of electronic tablets makes this nifty product somewhat obsolete today. What a bummer.

If you ever needed a particular book or source to complete a piece of work, you could always rely on the school library. And whenever you borrowed anything, the workers there would fill in a checkout card. It was a form of record keeping. But those cards aren’t needed anymore — the information is stored electronically via computers.

Ah, wall pencil sharpeners. That takes us back! As the name suggests, these bad boys were secured to the walls for youngsters to use during classes. Yet the bulky metal objects were far from perfect. They often created a mess, and left your pencils looking a little worse for wear. Kids nowadays can call upon automatic tools for the job. Lucky them.

In the past, no classroom at school would be complete without a pull-down map sitting on top of the board. Educators often called upon these maps during history and geography lessons, giving kids a visual reference guide. Thanks to the introduction of overhead projectors and computers, though, they’re no longer required.

Back in the early 1990s, Crayola released a brand-new product — “Magic Scent” crayons. You know, the crayons we spent a little too much time inhaling? Well, the aromas were so nice that some youngsters felt compelled to eat them at school. Yikes. The foodie options were subsequently benched a year later. As Redbook noted, they’re seen as “collectibles” today.

Boy oh boy, is this a blast from the past. For a lot of us, Microsoft WordArt was the go-to tool if a project required a fancy title page. The sheer number of available options was mind-blowing back then! Sadly, though, you’re highly unlikely to see anyone using WordArt these days.

Yes folks, you’re reading that correctly. According to Reader’s Digest, analog clocks are indeed being consigned to the past at certain institutions. Why? Well, it’s said that some children find it difficult to keep track of the time permitted during tests. So, digital alternatives are taking their place. But several educators are fighting for standard timepieces to stay put. We should all know how to read an analog clock, right?

Do you have any memories of chalk holders at school? These awesome tools were always knocking about in music class, allowing educators to jot down musical notes on their boards. Mind you, something tells us that most youngsters now wouldn’t have a clue what they are, what with SMART Boards and all.

Is it just us, or did anyone else find graphing calculators to be pretty intimidating tools? They had so many different buttons! Regardless of those feelings, math classes often made them essential gadgets to help students wrangle all those formulas and equations. Now, though? We're sure graphing calculators are still pretty common, but apparently, lots of kids utilize their smartphones these days.

While school students still use pencil cases today, one option appears to be off the table for good. And quite frankly, that makes us really sad! Yes, we’re referring to SpaceMaker pencil boxes. No child of the ’90s could do without these beauties. But according to Bustle, it looks like they aren’t produced anymore. What a shame.

Ah, the nostalgia! There used to be a time when gel pens were seemingly everywhere at school. It’d be hard to name a kid who wasn’t packing at least one in their bag each day. Yet that’s not the case anymore. As per Redbook, they’re very much a thing of the past now. We wonder why the sleek pens fell out of style?

Lunch boxes really were all the rage back in the day — especially metal ones. Not only were they sturdy, but many boasted cool designs to stand out, too. So, what happened to them? Well, Reader’s Digest stated that “brown paper bags” eventually took their spot. A far less glitzy option, right?

In addition to your pens and pencils, there’s a very good chance that you had a heavy metal protractor and compass packed away in your school bag. They were a must for geometry classes, even if the latter could rip paper to pieces! Reader’s Digest claims you won't see these tools in classrooms anymore...at least not the sharp, heavy metal versions. Most schools have switched to lightweight plastic ones now, if they use them at all.

If you ever needed to trim a piece of paper during a lesson, then you’ve probably had experience with paper cutters. These tools made the job a lot easier than just grabbing a pair of scissors and hacking away at the edges. But the students of today are unlikely to know what they are, as schools don’t always use the heavy medieval-looking paper cutters anymore.

Were you one of those school children who brought a thermos with them when things got chilly? They were perfect during the cooler months, keeping soups and beverages warm in the hours before lunch. The items aren’t so frequent nowadays, though. Reader’s Digest says “more insulated coolers” are called upon. Fair enough.

If you grew up in the 1980s or ’90s, then you’re sure to remember Lisa Frank products. As far as brands go, few could top it during that spell. From folders to pencil boxes, the company produced a ton of stuff for school kids. But regardless of its popularity back then, you’re highly unlikely to spot those eye-popping supplies knocking around classrooms today.

Yes, younger readers! In the past, typing classes were very much a thing at school. Whether it was a typewriter or computer keyboard, students got the chance to improve their skills with each lesson. As technology now plays a larger part in our lives, though, there’s no need for it anymore. Typing is so prevalent at home that children learn the basics way earlier in life.

P.E. classes could be tricky at the best of times, but nothing was tougher than taking on the gym rope. Did anyone like scaling those things? It was equal-parts hard and utterly terrifying! Luckily for the kids of today, they usually don’t have to endure it. We can’t say we’re not a little jealous.

Before the internet became a necessity in society, schools didn’t have WiFi access. So, youngsters had to rely on books and print-outs during their lessons in the past. Obviously, that isn’t the case today. Most institutions will be hooked up online now to aid both the kids and their teachers.

The idea behind Crayola’s “Twistables” crayons is pretty cool: if you’re running out of wax, just turn the ends to reveal more wax, kind of like a mechanical pencil. That made the product a go-to school tool for a time, yet Redbook claims students don’t utilize them anymore. They haven’t completely disappeared from stores, though, so it’s not all bad news!

Up until recently, traditional desks were still utilized by schools. Why change a winning formula, right? Yet there has been a shift in that area. As per Reader’s Digest, more tables and “standing desks” have been brought in to replace traditional desks in an effort to improve the kids’ time in class.

Between 1983 and 2009, three-quarters of all the middle schools in America adopted the “Drug Abuse Resistance Education” initiative. You’ll probably know it better as D.A.R.E.! But why isn’t it around anymore? Well, several different reviews suggested that the scheme wasn’t too effective in reaching its goals, so the initiative was greatly scaled down and rebranded.

Were you a fan of cursive lessons back in the day? Previously, these writing classes would span roughly three years from third to sixth grade. Now, though? The Reader’s Digest website notes that a lot of institutions have dropped the subject completely. Those that haven’t only run it for third graders.

Without wishing to sound too harsh here, cafeteria food was always a bit hit and miss at school. Some days you’d get lucky, while others you didn’t! Thankfully, more places are looking to adopt healthy menus today. For instance, in Scandinavian countries such as Sweden and Iceland, there’s plenty of “organic” choices available to kids.

For some of you, it’ll be hard to imagine study rooms without a globe sitting in the corner. In past years, it was the ideal tool to show kids where the countries of the world are located. But according to Redbook, apps such as Google Maps have made them obsolete in schools now.

From mechanics to carpentry, shop lessons allowed kids to learn some manual skills at school. Nowadays, though, Reader’s Digest suggests that the subject might be too much for moms and dads to sign-off on. Is it safe enough? That’s partly why those aspects of the classes don’t exist anymore in some schools.

At first glance, it seems reasonable to enforce a ban on cell phones at school, wouldn’t you agree? Kids shouldn’t be texting — or Googling the answers — during lessons! Yet due to the continued improvements in technology over the years, those decrees could be perceived as a little outdated. Now, children can be taught a lot about their electronic devices, including tablets, by their teachers. There's an argument to be had about whether or not smartphones should be allowed in schools!

Did you like your school’s gym uniforms? Well, if you weren’t a fan, this may come as something of relief when thinking about kids today — they don’t have to wear them. Phew! Yep, as per Redbook, this is another practice consigned to the past. Those unstylish shirts and shorts are no more.

Before Google was a thing, kids needed to rely on physical research for their school work. That meant reading through several sources to spot what you were looking for. While challenging, it was also quite rewarding in a way. But of course, with online search engines now readily available, that approach is usually considered old hat for students.

Dodgeball was arguably the most hostile P.E. activity at school. Those rubber balls really did pack a horrible punch if they hit you! After tormenting students for decades, dodgeball has apparently been scrapped by numerous institutions in recent years. We get the feeling that’ll come as a relief to plenty of youngsters and their parents.

Who needs a whiteboard when you’ve got a projector? Yes, these tools were really cool in the past, as teachers would load up clear plastic documents under the light before shining its contents against the wall. Better than receiving a boring old print-out, right? Yet according to Redbook, they’re usually not used in schools anymore.

This is an interesting one. Remember those classes that attempted to teach you “life skills” such as financial management? Well, plenty of schools dropped those lessons quite a while ago. Rather than forget about it, though, a selection of institutions are looking to bring them back in some form, as per Reader’s Digest. We definitely wish we'd learned more practical life skills in school!

If your parents wanted regular updates regarding your school, they could rely on the newsletter that was posted each month. But for the folks of today, social media has filled that slot. More institutions are adopting Twitter and Facebook and using them to post news online. Talk about changing with the times.

Latin classes were very common at school in the 1960s and ’70s. Although kids can still take those lessons today, they’re a lot rarer than before. Now, subjects such as Spanish and French have pretty much replaced it in the curriculum. Something tells us a major comeback isn’t on the horizon! It is referred to as a "dead language", after all.

It’s hard to put into words just how exciting it used to be when a teacher would roll the AV cart into class. That meant we’d be watching a video for that period instead of working. But thanks to upgrades in technology, that’s now a thing of the past. Overhead projectors and SMART Boards have replaced the rickety old carts. That’s a tough one for us!

Let’s be clear here, folks — libraries haven’t disappeared from modern schools, and they still play an important role when it comes to research and community. Still, there’s been some significant changes over the last few years. Computers have a bigger presence than books today, while searching online for what you need is easier than it’s ever been. So much for the Dewey Decimal System, right?

Home Economics covered a lot of bases back in the day. You’d learn all about hygiene, cooking, and plenty more with ties to domestic life in those lessons. According to Reader’s Digest, though, many schools have scrapped it in recent years. And those that haven’t decided to rename the subject “Family And Consumer Sciences.”

In previous years, students would be sent to one of the school’s computer rooms for a particular computer-related lesson. It made for a nice change of pace. But those days are seemingly over now. With technology on the rise, more institutions are bringing laptops into normal classrooms, further aiding the kids’ learning experiences.

Chalkboards were the centerpieces of old classrooms. After all, most of the day’s learning would come from the teacher’s scratchy writing on the chalky surface. Nowadays, though, they’re not as common in schools. Instead, equipment such as SMART Boards have nabbed their spot on the walls. They’re more advanced and a lot cleaner in comparison!

If you learned about Roman numerals during your time at school, this may come as something of a shock: Reader’s Digest revealed that Roman numeral lessons are not incorporated into any lessons today, meaning children could struggle to decipher them going forward. Still, it's not like we encounter Roman numerals on a daily basis or anything...