Happily Strapped In School

[zzontar]

The best teacher I ever had back in the strap days would hurl whatever was in his hands at you if you didn't pay attention. EVERYONE paid lots of attention and thereby got a lot from the class as he was a good teacher IMO. If that class was today most kids would be texting and chatting and playing games and many wouldn't get much out of class at all, but everything would be politically correct!

[Dizzy1]

Do All you fine folks who think correcting negative behaviour with violence is ok,

A spanking and violence are two very different things.

[JayByrd]

The best teacher I ever had back in the strap days would hurl whatever was in his hands at you if you didn't pay attention. EVERYONE paid lots of attention and thereby got a lot from the class as he was a good teacher IMO. If that class was today most kids would be texting and chatting and playing games and many wouldn't get much out of class at all, but everything would be politically correct!

I'm probably somewhere between your age and the age of current K-12 students. The strap or any sort of physical punishment was history by the time I got to school. I did have a substitute teacher in Grade 3 who threw a textbook at my head when I wasn't paying attention. I learned to despise her and have zero respect for her as a human being; even at that young age I could see she was a piece of garbage. So I guess it can be a teaching tool.

As for your depiction of modern classrooms, it's not exactly correct. There are rules, and ways of enforcing them, that don't involve hitting anyone.

[Dizzy1]

My grade 7 teacher was awesome - one of the kids was being a smart *bleep* so he got a chalk brush right on the side of his head. Smartened him up pretty good. Another good tactic was public shaming, when one got their desks dragged out into the hallway.

Detentions were fun as was writing lines. Do they still allow those? Or is that too harsh by todays standards as well? Guess we have to set up an intervention and talk about feelings why little Johnny is texting instead of paying attention.

[zzontar]

As for your depiction of modern classrooms, it's not exactly correct. There are rules, and ways of enforcing them, that don't involve hitting anyone.

I was underplaying it, I've met many, many kids who admit that all they do in class is text. Of course it's against policy to have a cell phone blocker in school because people only knew how to contact the office in case of emergency before cell phones. Students pay much less attention in class then they used to, many can re-write tests until they pass, some teachers I've met weren't allowed to mark wrong answers with red ink because it would give the student the impression they did something wrong. Kids can graduate with no life-skills, manners, and have the false self-esteem that they can breeze through life like this. Unfortunately many find out that just knowing how to text faster really doesn't get them far after graduation but hey, as long as it's politically correct it's good.

[Dizzy1]

I did have a substitute teacher in Grade 3 who threw a textbook at my head when I wasn't paying attention. I learned to despise her and have zero respect for her as a human being; even at that young age I could see she was a piece of garbage. So I guess it can be a teaching tool.

You have zero respect for her now? You had zero respect for her before you got the book tossed at you.

[zzontar]

It's got to suck being a parent nowadays when it's the first generation since the dawn of time where kids are the ones who are supposed to be heard and respected over the adults.

[Dizzy1]

It's got to suck being a parent nowadays when it's the first generation since the dawn of time where kids are the ones who are supposed to be heard and respected over the adults.

I feel just as bad for the teachers, if not worse.

Kids talking back to them, they're just expressing their inner feelings, we must respect that despite the respect towards themselves ...

[JayByrd]

You have zero respect for her now? You had zero respect for her before you got the book tossed at you.

Respect has to be earned, sometimes even the respect of a child. You don't receive it just because you rolled out of bed this morning. Maybe she was a precursor to the "generation of entitlement" we all hear about.

At any rate, unless she was just looking for a means to vent her anger (possible), it didn't have the desired effect. So maybe it's not the only way to accomplish something.

[Dizzy1]

Respect has to be earned, sometimes even the respect of a child. You don't receive it just because you rolled out of bed this morning.

Respect to any fellow human is automatic - just for the simple fact that they are a person, just like you. Its their actions that deem if that respect is maintained or lost.

Maybe she was a precursor to the "generation of entitlement" we all hear about.

Generation of entitlement has nothing to do with respecting people. The irony of your posts is that you expect respect but you don't deem its necessary to give it to someone else.

[JayByrd]

Respect to any fellow human is automatic - just for the simple fact that they are a person, just like you. Its their actions that deem if that respect is maintained or lost.
Generation of entitlement has nothing to do with respecting people. The irony of your posts is that you expect respect but you don't deem its necessary to give it to someone else.

Are you saying I received respect in this instance, but didn't give it? My expectation would simply not to get something thrown at me by the person who's supposed to be teaching me. My inattention wasn't disrespectful...though she may have taken it that way if she thought the proceedings were all about her. If I'd told her to go suck rocks, that would be disrespect.

And really, what is "respect" when you're 8 years old? It's really just compliance, isn't it?

[JayByrd]

It's got to suck being a parent nowadays when it's the first generation since the dawn of time where kids are the ones who are supposed to be heard and respected over the adults.

I don't find that it sucks, though we certainly face challenges that our forebears didn't. It really depends on each family's circumstance, and what they're able to impart. The "supposed to be heard and respected over adults" isn't something I've put in place in my home.

[Dizzy1]

My inattention wasn't disrespectful...though she may have taken it that way if she thought the proceedings were all about her. If I'd told her to go suck rocks, that would be disrespect.

So, the teacher is there to teach, you felt it was necessary not to give her your attention as you are supposed to. If that isn't being disrespectful, what is it then?

And really, what is "respect" when you're 8 years old? It's really just compliance, isn't it?

No, at that age you've learned to respect adults and their position (in this case, a teacher) - you understand that they are there for a purpose and if you do something that you're not supposed to, they are there to make it clear to you that what you are doing is unacceptable and you need to correct your behaviour.

[whatwhat]

No, at that age you've learned to respect adults and their position (in this case, a teacher) - you understand that they are there for a purpose and if you do something that you're not supposed to, they are there to make it clear to you that what you are doing is unacceptable and you need to correct your behaviour.

I agree that some adults do deserve respect, such as teachers. But just because you are an adult does not mean you automatically deserve respect. And children deserve respect too.

In high school, I had a teacher who had a soft NERF ball. He would throw it at kids when they were talking or not paying attention. It would get peoples attention with out hurting the kid. There are ways around it.

[Dizzy1]

I agree that some adults do deserve respect, such as teachers. But just because you are an adult does not mean you automatically deserve respect. And children deserve respect too.

Like I posted earlier ...

Respect to any fellow human is automatic - just for the simple fact that they are a person, just like you. Its their actions that deem if that respect is maintained or lost.

In high school, I had a teacher who had a soft NERF ball. He would throw it at kids when they were talking or not paying attention. It would get peoples attention with out hurting the kid. There are ways around it.

There are ways around it, such as as using a NERF ball - until that gets frowned upon because its the same principal as using a textbook or chalk brush.