Category: Original Photo

Student: Ellie P.

Age Division: 6-8

Title: Traveling Back to the One-room Schoolhouse

There are a few times during the day when our teachers take us outside for a mask break. It was during this time that I noticed an old white building.  It sort of looked like a little white one room church.  It was really neat to see it.  Because of my interest in it, my teacher took a few of us over and showed us around.  We even got to go inside.  It was super cool.  However, it was abandoned and everything was left as it was.  My parents are always talking about the good old days.  So, when I was in there, I got to thinking about life back then and what it would be like in a one-room schoolhouse.  I did set up a few things on the desk for props as I sat in the seat where one of these kids sat from a long time ago.  As I was getting ready to take the picture, I was looking at the objects and the desk from the perspective of a child who went to school in a one-room school.  All kinds of questions came to mind.  What would it have been like to go to school here?  I can’t imagine only being in school with just a few kids when I am used to hundreds.  However, it seemed similar to what we have experienced in our classrooms with alternate schedules.  If Covid had hit during this time, would someone be sitting in this seat?  I even sat in the chair to see what it would be like to be them.  I also backed away and to the side to get a different perspective.  I took one from the teachers point of view and from the side as if there was a child looking across the aisle at this empty seat and desk.  Then I imagined what it would be like if I lived at this time and walked by the desk wondering where my friend was. Did they get sick? Did something happen to them or their family?  Did they move? Will I ever see them again? I also thought about how this is similar to what we have been experiencing.  I looked at empty desks with names and some without.  I have seen friends and some I have not seen all year.  So, that is why I chose the perspective to the side looking over and down at this empty desk.  Everything is there and waiting.  The lunch box was brought in and books laid on the table, but where is the student?

I used my iPhone 11 to take this picture.  I tried to make the focus on the area where the student would be sitting with everything else slightly out of focus as if the student asking these questions were in deep thought about where this student had gone?  Then I zoomed in carefully and took the picture.  I tried to capture the light that was coming in through the window and the view of how one might look at the desk and then out the window wondering where they were.