School Daze; Was Summer Birthdays

[msbeadsley]

Shaun wrote:
<snip>

> It may seem paradoxical - but I felt *safe* for the first time in 
> over a year in that class, that day.  They didn't actually use it 
anywhere near as much as this talk lead me to believe, I might add. 
<snip>
> (waiting to be told he's a barbarian (-8 )

Not a barbarian. A barbarian would have been dealing out his *own* 
corporal punishment ala Dudley. You are actually quite civilized, as 
far as I can tell. ;-)

I went to somewhat dangerous schools for several years (muggings, 
fights, knifings). And there was *lots* of corporal punishment 
administered in my school in, oh, say, seventh through ninth grades; 
it made no appreciable difference. In tenth grade I transferred to a 
school which used almost no corporal punishment and which had few 
discipline problems. The difference was structure; expectations were 
expressed very clearly and everyone knew the consequences of stepping 
out of line. Any infractions were dealt with immediately and without 
discussion (parent conferences, detention, suspension, expulsion). I 
don't think the difference is corporal punishment. It's consistent 
discipline, whatever form it takes. (I prefer the version which does 
*not* involve giving anyone other than a parent the choice to strike 
a child, but that's just me. Hitting is clear and unambivalent and 
quick; and it's relatively easy. But other methods do not reinforce 
acceptance of violence.)

Sandy