LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
As an alumnus of one room schools, the recent article by Darlene Stevens concerning the one-room schools of the Medina Community really drew my interest. As the article said: “If walls could talk”? Please let me tell you just a little of what they might have heard.
I attended the Balcones (one-room) School located next to the Balcones Creek where it crosses the old Scenic Loop Road in Kendall County. Our school year began in late August when the mothers of next years students collectively decided it was time to kick things off and prepare the school for learning. There were no janitors or maintenance people, so everything was done by the families of the students. We had one wonderful teacher that ensured we learned what we needed to know. She was responsible for routine maintenance and cleanup, keeping the fire going in the wood stove in the winter, and of course student discipline. After the mothers did the initial cleaning, it was up to the students, with close guidance from our teacher, to make sure everything was up to par.
Student discipline was a mystery. None of us really ever fully understood how it worked. Magically, if anything unusual happened at school all the parents immediately knew. Our teacher famously had a paddle if needed, but I never remember it being used. In those days we knew that if the teacher used her paddle, when we got home, another paddle would be waiting.
School hours were flexible in that the day wasn’t done until the lessens ended. Our teacher patiently went from one grade to the next helping each student. The wonderful thing about a one-room school was hearing everyone’s lessons so that if you didn’t learn it the first time you had many more chances.
There were no report cards. Somehow all of the parents knew how their kids were doing – even with the primitive crank telephones we had. Our teacher was one of the finest managers and most perfect role models I have ever seen. And she always had all the parental support she needed just by sending a note home with the student.
We didn’t feel we lacked for anything. Some things included everyone’s participation. We had field trips, student plays, we learned patriotic songs. We had about twenty-five students in the school, four in my year (class). Looking back, I can truthfully say it was maybe the best time of my life.
Steve Porter Brief resume: Steve continued his education graduating from Boerne High School, an accounting and two graduate degrees from St. Mary’s University and one from UTSA. Steve is a retired Army Colonel, retired CPA, and retired Lawyer. He believes the Balcones School gave him a very good foundation for life.
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