There’s No Place Like Homeroom, There’s No Place Like Homeroom

And that’s true, at least at Parkland. I assume it’s everywhere. Homerooms no longer exist. They may have disappeared 49 years ago as far as I know. I’ve been out of high school for fifty years!

Emma was on line completing her parking pass for Monday. She couldn’t complete it because she didn’t yet know her English teacher’s name. I heard this and asked what an English teacher has to do with a parking pass. Then she reminded me…no homeroom! But, everyone takes English.

So English class is the new Homeroom, much like 68 is the new 58, or 48!

I loved homeroom. It was sort of our base of operations. We would arrive there before classes started and get ready for our day. It was here that we checked in with friends that were in the same alphabet range! It was here that we heard school announcements. It was here that we handed in any necessary school wide paperwork, like parking pass applications. It was here that we recited the Pledge of Allegiance. My homeroom was Room 20 at Slatington High School. Our homeroom teacher was Sara Miller. She also taught German and Latin, but I’m sure her duties as homeroom teacher were her most taxing. I kid.

Without homerooms, think of all of the political careers that never get launched the proper way. I was Homeroom President in my junior year. I must have done a good job (whatever I did I can’t remember) because I was next elected Vice President of Student Council. My political career peaked as a Slatington Borough Councilman. Yes, I served, loyally, my homeroom, my school, and my town. But without a homeroom, would I have gotten that vital launch?

Like Joni Mitchell said, “You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone”. Kids today don’t know what they are missing without homerooms. I didn’t know the importance in my life of homeroom until I realized they no longer exist. But it’s nice to think back to Room 20, and to my fellow A-G ers, and to Sara Miller, and to having a chance to settle and prepare for your day. Everything is crazy and moving too fast today. I think kids could use that 15 minutes of homeroom. A place to settle and a place to launch.