How to organize and document school memories
I’m amazed at how differently schools in the United States are approaching the school year amid the Coronavirus pandemic. Of course, each state (city, town, etc.) has different numbers and risk factors, but overall it sure seems risky to start school up again in most places. I also totally get that kids need to learn and also need access to the many other services and benefits that come with school. My heart goes out to all families right now as they try to get this figured out. I certainly don’t have the answers, but I am going to encourage you to snap some photos and jot down the details of what the beginning of a new school year means for your life right now - even if you don’t have kids. Really. Just stay with me on this and I think you will understand why I’m proposing that idea.
Whether or not you have school aged children (or ever have), you were educated in some way during your life. As this new school year begins, this is a great time to look through your own photos and memorabilia and share them. Like many people who grew up in the 1970s and and 1980s, I don’t have a ton of pictures and “stuff” from my youth. It was a different time then and there certainly was not great technology for memory keeping. In fact, if you look at the quality of photographs over the years there are ups and downs. Black and white pictures from the 1950s and early 60s are a much better quality than the early color photos of the late 60s and 70s. That happens again when you look at digital photos in the early 2000s. Then again when phone photos hit the scene. I’m guessing it will happen again in the future when we switch technology again, but I think we will never tolerate such low quality photos again. But I digress…
Ok, so we were talking about documenting our own school memories so here I am in 1975 in all my First Grade glory. No front teeth, messy hair from playing at recess, and six years old.
I used my School Days papers,template set, and pocket cards to create this layout. When I use patterned paper for a background, I love to use small prints that don't compete for attention. Then I use bolder patterns for accents. Because I used a template, this page came together in minutes once I decided on the photos.
Reflecting on my own school years
I have several years of memories to put together from my own schooling. I had what would be called a pretty typical middle-class suburban kid education in the 70s and 80s. I went to public schools for elementary school, junior high, and high school. I also went to college and graduated with a degree in English. I realize that I had a lucky childhood and had experiences that many do not get. I got good grades overall and I did pretty well in high school on my grades considering how little I actually studied. I was always much more interested in socializing than studying. It wasn’t until I got to college that I got serious about getting really good grades and that was only after I goofed around quite a bit my first semester. Nothing scandalous, just a lot of late night giggle sessions in the dorms.
I do have one interesting twist in my education story though. I missed almost half of my junior year of high school because of a major leg surgery. That is a story I definitely need to scrapbook! I was on “home study” during that time and the district sent a teacher to work with me. I was even in the newspaper because I think I was one of the few students on home study who wasn’t pregnant or in rehab so I made a good photo-op.
How am I going to tackle documenting my school years?
Here are the steps I’m going to take (some are already done):
Gather all physical photos and memorabilia and separate them by year.
Gather any digital or scanned photos and file them by year. You can read more about my photo organization system here.
Make a list of moments, themes, and ideas you want to include with your memories. Just open up a word document or find a notebook and start writing. Don’t worry about going in order, just let it all spill out and keep coming back to the list until you feel like you have a basic framework. Then you can separate them out and include them with your files after that. You can read more about how lists help me prepare for sharing my memories here.
Then just start tackling it all one page or one memory at a time. If you see a kit that inspires you, pull out some school photos and make a page. If you read a journaling prompt that reminds you to tell a school story, get writing. It doesn’t have to be complicated. You can even just make some easy photo collages or very simple pages. The point is to pair the photo(s) with the words that make up the memories.
Once you have a page or even an album done, print it! Share it! Enjoy it!
Rinse and Repeat
Use this exact same approach for anyone else you want to help record their school memories. It might be more difficult to get photos and information from some. I don’t have a lot from my husband’s youth and he seems to remember very few details. For others, it might be a lot easier. With my own kids, I was already a scrapbooker and I saved a lot of stuff. I also was a grownup who can remember their early years when they won’t be able to. I have pieces of both of my children’s education documented and then years without anything, I’m really looking forward to filling in the blanks and helping them have their own school stories to remember and share.
The start of each school year is a great reminder to revisit those memories and take the time to document them. During this time where school looks different than ever before, this is especially important. Use the steps I listed above to help you organize and record your own memories or others. Now is the perfect time!
Related Links
School Days Bundle (items also available individually)
