An old idea that works
I read a recent article in the New York Times about corporal punishment in public schools. I thought that it was banished long ago, but some folks are finding that maybe we lost something when our modern society trashed this archaic practice.
I'll give a link to the article at the end of my blog.
I was reminded of my teaching days back in the late sixties when I was teaching Eskimo kids in Nome, Alaska.
I was teaching math in the high school and I had a couple of classes comprised of low achievers. Some of them were cut-ups and enjoyed giving their teachers trouble. About two weeks after school started in the fall one boy by the name of Henry came to me and said, "Mr. Burton I know what you need." About two days later Henry walked into my classroom with a smile on his face and an oak board about 3/8" thick by 2" wide by 24" long and writen on it with black ink were the words, "Board of Education."
I hung the board on the wall and about two days later I had to ask Henry to step out into the hall where I asked him to bend over. I then applied the "Board of Education" to the seat of learning. We walked back into the "Very Quiet" room and commenced the learning of Mathematics.
I used that "Board of Education" no more than a half dozen times and hung it on the wall for the rest of the year. I remember talking with other teachers about this group of students and hearing remarks like, "I can't do anything with them," or "That bunch is terrible." I remember saying one time, "That's odd, I don't have any problem with them, they are a great bunch of kids." I remember them looking at me with a look that said, "Yeah, right."
But I was truthful, I didn't have any problem with them and I really enjoyed those classes. As a matter of fact the guidance counselor asked me one day what my secret was for the sucess that I was having with my classes. I remember another occasion when I overheard the principal remarking that no one in her school used corporal punishment. Apparently no one voiced any complaints, students or parents.
Isn't it too bad that our modern society has evolved to such a high state of sophistication where the "Board of Education" has been replaced with such things as "Time Out?"
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/30/education/30punish.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin
I read a recent article in the New York Times about corporal punishment in public schools. I thought that it was banished long ago, but some folks are finding that maybe we lost something when our modern society trashed this archaic practice.
I'll give a link to the article at the end of my blog.
I was reminded of my teaching days back in the late sixties when I was teaching Eskimo kids in Nome, Alaska.
I was teaching math in the high school and I had a couple of classes comprised of low achievers. Some of them were cut-ups and enjoyed giving their teachers trouble. About two weeks after school started in the fall one boy by the name of Henry came to me and said, "Mr. Burton I know what you need." About two days later Henry walked into my classroom with a smile on his face and an oak board about 3/8" thick by 2" wide by 24" long and writen on it with black ink were the words, "Board of Education."
I hung the board on the wall and about two days later I had to ask Henry to step out into the hall where I asked him to bend over. I then applied the "Board of Education" to the seat of learning. We walked back into the "Very Quiet" room and commenced the learning of Mathematics.
I used that "Board of Education" no more than a half dozen times and hung it on the wall for the rest of the year. I remember talking with other teachers about this group of students and hearing remarks like, "I can't do anything with them," or "That bunch is terrible." I remember saying one time, "That's odd, I don't have any problem with them, they are a great bunch of kids." I remember them looking at me with a look that said, "Yeah, right."
But I was truthful, I didn't have any problem with them and I really enjoyed those classes. As a matter of fact the guidance counselor asked me one day what my secret was for the sucess that I was having with my classes. I remember another occasion when I overheard the principal remarking that no one in her school used corporal punishment. Apparently no one voiced any complaints, students or parents.
Isn't it too bad that our modern society has evolved to such a high state of sophistication where the "Board of Education" has been replaced with such things as "Time Out?"
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/30/education/30punish.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin
posted by Jim Burton at 8:17 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home