There's a Hole in My Desk

Sometimes I hear my students complain about the desks in my classroom. They’re pretty basic desks of a modern design. 

The problem seems to be that the work area is a little on the small size, so it’s hard to have a book open along with a notebook. There’s only a little rack under the seat for storing extra books and supplies, and invariably whatever is stored there, is knocked to the floor by the end of class.

The writing surface is canted back at about a 15 degree angle and the surface is a little slippery, so things tend to slide off the desk. Things like books, notebooks, pencils, pencil cases and especially water bottles. 

I can’t imagine how many water bottles I have heard hit the floor this year. 

Back in olden times, when I was in Wickford Grammar School, we had complaints about our desks too. They were full desks with large, heavy wooden writing surfaces and lots of storage under the flip-up top. The desks were so large, you could probably fit an entire year’s worth of worksheets, homework, hand-outs and books in the desk at one time. 

And that was one of our problems. The inside of the desk was like a black hole. Social studies packets went in, but they never came back out again. Well, not until the last day of school, when you cleaned out that massive desk, and found everything you thought you’d lost.

The tops were heavy and were prone to falling on fingers that lingered too long on the edge of the desk. No child who used these desks were left unscathed, we all had smashed fingers.

The desks were old, which ment 50+ years of students had used them before we got to them. The desk tops were wooden and kids had carved their names and initials into them. This may sound quant, but it made the surface very difficult to write on.

Finally, there was that feature that truly gave away their age...the ink well. 

Yes, the desks I used in second grade, 1967, dated from an era before the ballpoint pen had come into common use. If you look at the picture, you’ll see the inkwell in the upper right hand corner of the desk. 

All the desks in my school were the same, heaven forbid if you were left-handed.