Opinions Needed: Kindergarten Teacher's Disturbing Actions

[Lost in the Woods]

As someone who endured a sadistic boarding school at age 9 this makes me cringe. The idea of using fear or actual physical punishment is way over the line particularly with our most venerable. Intentionally inducing fear as a motivator in other contexts is called terrorism. Think of how this plays out when those kids grow up with the thought of physical force, or the threat thereof, as being acceptable.

 

[Lola234]

As someone who endured a sadistic boarding school at age 9 this makes me cringe. The idea of using fear or actual physical punishment is way over the line particularly with our most venerable. Intentionally inducing fear as a motivator in other contexts is called terrorism. Think of how this plays out when those kids grow up with the thought of physical force, or the threat thereof, as being acceptable.

I'm so sorry for what you've endured. I know that my experiences aren't that bad. But I just can't understand how someone can treat a child like this and why some people think working with children is the right job for them. I don't have my kids yet, but if someone did this to my kid, I... I can't even express what I'd do to that person.

 

[Friday]

Sadly I’d say, depends on where this takes place and when. In the US in the 1950-1970 id say this was normal. Not okay and yet normal.

Ditto. I’ve lived in places where teachers DO hit children with wooden spoons/rulers/switches/etc., places where that’s a joke everyone (teachers & kids) laugh about the so called “threat”, and places where that’s somewhere on the spectrum of in bad taste to unconscionable.

When & Where & Context? Matters.

 

[Lola234]

Ditto. I’ve lived in places where teachers DO hit children with wooden spoons/rulers/switches/etc., places where that’s a joke everyone (teachers & kids) laugh about the “threat”, and places where that’s somewhere on the spectrum of bad taste to unconscionable.

When & Where & Context? Matters.

It happened when physical punishment was illegal. Since I was little, I don't remember context much but I know it was during nap when some kids didn't want to sleep.

 

[Friday]

It happened when physical punishment was illegal. Since I was little, I don't remember context much but I know it was during nap when some kids didn't want to sleep.

So the idea of it scared you, but children weren’t actually beaten by said spoon? (Or other object).

 

[Lola234]

So the idea of it scared you, but children weren’t actually beaten by said spoon? (Or other object).

Actually, after that, I saw one boy being beaten up with that. Not me thankfully, but I felt super bad for him.