Young!
In the UK High school goes up to the age of 16 then you
do your main subject exams.
After that you can get a job or go into higher education if you want
to stay on in education, college for example, apprenticeships or vocational training.
Then at 18 it's onto university if you want to, unless you decide to
take a gap year out from education.
My High School was a single sex all girls school - not sure if they exist in the
USA. It was very traditional, respect and manners were drilled into us all.
We had to stand up every time a teacher walked into the classroom. We
had to wear a school uniform based on blue/white/pink but apart from the colours
it wasn't a rigid uniform with everyone wearing the same style.
I learnt the flute in high school and twice a week for half an hour, a music teacher
came into to give me one on one lessons (not just me but others also who
were learning various instruments). This meant I was able to sneak out of
regular lessons for half an hour twice a week.
My main academic subjects were
English
Maths
Biology
Physical Science (which was like physics but not quite so full on)
Geography (I loved learning about other places)
History (Absolutely loved history, think I was the only one)
Art
There were other subjects also, sort of more casual easy going subject
matter slotted inbetween the rest. Like personal development can't actually
remember what we did in that class! Cooking this was good if it coincided around
lunch time.
The art teacher was in her 60' why she hadn't retired I have no idea. I think she
came with the building.
She was outrageous and a bit eccentric, she was a people
watcher and use to tell us all her observations about semi naked people running
around on beeches with bits hanging out!
She was the only teacher who managed to make the pupils blush, usually it was
the other way around.
My own registration/class room teacher was way too meek and mild sometimes it
was embarrassing watching him trying to control a class of 30 teenage girls.
He insisted on calling us all young ladies and tried to treat us as if we were
all grown ups, we ran rings around him! Poor bloke!
Memorable moments, well apart from the above, one stands out in particular.
A newbie male stand in biology teacher had to take our class for a few weeks to provide
cover. At the time he arrived we were smack bang in the middle of the
reproductive system! I don't think that poor man managed to get through a single
lesson without turning beetroot red. Imagine teaching a group of giggling teens!
The physical science teacher a woman, was like this real feminist man hater, she also
was like a female member of the gestapo. I swear she would have had us goose stepping
if she could. Female science teachers were rare in those days so I suppose she had
stepped on a lot of toes to get where she was.
There wasn't any bullying that I was aware of. It was "simply quite unacceptable
and not at all lady like" ethos of the school.
Ah those were the days young and care free.