This web blog is dedicated to all those underappreciated (and underpaid) professional educators who care deeply for their students both personally as well as academically and are willing, when all other options fail, to use corporal punishment to deter classroom misbehavior. Teachers Who Paddle is not a site that promotes sadism or the abuse of any student nor tolerates comments that support such a view. However, it is TWP’s opinion that the use of corporal punishment, if used judiciously, moderately, and sparingly, is not abusive. Those who strongly disagree or are offended by TWP’s position on corporal punishment in the previous sentence should click the back arrow on their window control panel and LEAVE NOW.

ABOUT THIS SITE

Welcome to our little blog! This blog teacherswhopaddle was started in August 2008 and continued through early November 2010. The four of us (Jenny, Wendy, Michelle and Blog Editor Renee) originally set out to give a teacher’s perspective on a very difficult issue -school corporal punishment- and ended up with one of the most viewed blogs in the wordpress community. In late 2010, the four of us decided that 113 posts were enough and discontinued writing new posts.

But like t.v. stars after the airing of the final episode of a t.v. series, we were just not satisfied with the fact that ALL future viewers would see the last post as the blog’s home page. So, I (Renee) decided to “rework” and “reorder” our blog so you, our readers, can read and better understand what we are all about. In the TABLE OF CONTENTS below, you will find a numerical list of all our posts with links for each one. Due to the technical limits of wordpress, you will have to “copy” and “paste” a link on your pc’s browser window in order to view that post. But if you cannot do this -Don’t worry! The old archive system still works -Although it may take longer to find the post you are looking for.

A couple of final notes. First, this is an “inactive” blog. By that, we mean that there is no posting of or replies to reader comments. The reason: The four of us have families and careers to tend to and that’s all we care to handle! Secondly, for those who wish to be a part of a dialogue: Check out the link NETWORK54 on our blogroll. It IS active and there are a LOT of forums. (Be forewarned: If you are a ranting anti c.p. zealot -Be ready to back up whatever you say because the Network54 folks can give as good as they get!)

Hope y’all find our posts insightful, informative, touching and heartening. Writing this blog certainly was for us!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

2. TEACHERS WHO PADDLE

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01

3. MISSION STATEMENT & Other Things

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/2/

4. LEGAL ISSUES AND DEFINITIONS

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/4/

5. IMPLEMENTS and TECHNIQUES

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/5/

6. PART I: POLICY SUGGESTIONS

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/6/

7. PART II: WHY TWP OPPOSES PADDLING IN SECONDARY SCHOOL

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/7/

8. ABOUT US & YOUR FAQ’s

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/8/

9. INTRODUCING A “ROOKIE” TEACHER TO THE PADDLE & YOUR FAQ’S

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/9/

10. MICHELLE GIVES HER FIRST PADDLING & THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF A NATIONAL C.P. BAN

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/10/

11. A TEACHER’S PADDLING: THE OTHER END

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/11/

12. TWP’s COMMENTARY ON “A TEACHER’S PADDLING: THE OTHER END”

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/12/

13. EDITORIAL:SELF-ESTEEM & DISCIPLINE, PADDLING IN SECONDARY SCHOOL: A CLARIFICATION

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/13/

14. EDITORIAL:SCHOOL STUPIDITY & WHAT TO DO AFTER PADDLING A STUDENT

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/14/

15. WENDY’S WORST(?) PADDLING & EDITORIAL: RED FLAGS TO WATCH FOR

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/15/

16. RENEE’S HALLOWEEN (AND FIRST) PADDLING & THE NEWEST FAQ’s

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/16/

17. A TEACHER/PRINCIPAL’S PAST AND PRESENT TROUBLE

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/17/

18. TWP’s COMMENTARY ON “A TEACHER/PRINCIPAL’S PAST AND PRESENT TROUBLE & OUR THOUGHTS

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/18/

19. MICHELLE’S ENCOUNTER WITH A P.T.A.V.E. MEMBER

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/19/

20. HOW JENNY HANDLED A PARENT’S PADDLING COMPLAINT

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/20/

21. I AM THANKFUL FOR…

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/21/

22. EDITORIAL: WORLD & U.S. CORPORAL PUNISHMENT

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/22/

23. A DIFFERENT OUTCOME & YOUR FAQ’S

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/23/

24. I WISH…

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/24/

25. OUT & IN

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/25/

26. AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT BARAK OBAMA

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/26/

27. PADDLING & NON-PADDLING SCHOOLS: AN EX-STUDENTS PERSPECTIVE

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/27/

28. PADDLING STATES AND GRADUATION RATES: A TWP “FACT CHECK” & A BAD SCHOOL BOARD DECISION

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/28/

29. EDITORIAL: INGRAHAM v. WRIGHT & MORE FACT CHECKING

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/29/

30. A TEACHER TAKES A STAND & YOUR FAQ’s

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/30/

31. Ingraham v. Wright: THE AFTERMATH and WHY IT MATTERS & YOUR FAQ’s

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/31/

32. WENDY’S MISTAKE, WHY TWP DOES NOT DIRECTLY POST COMMENTS and HOW TO SEND US YOUR COMMENTS

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/32/

33. EDITORIAL: WHY THE “ANTI’S” HATE TWP & (LOTS OF) YOUR FAQ’s

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/33/

34. A REQUEST, MICHELLE RESPONDS & (MORE OF) YOUR FAQ’s

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/34/

35. FACT CHECK #3, EDITORIAL: A “NANCY” PROPOSAL, & “WE ARE NOT MAKING THIS UP!”

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/35/

36. SURPRISE NEWS ON GRADUATION RATES, WENDY RESPONDES, & READER RESPONSES

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/36/

37. THE POWER AND MISUSE OF WORDS, JENNY RESPONDS, AND TWP’s POSITION ON JUDICIAL C.P.

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/37/

38. RENEE RESPONDS (AT LENGTH) & READER RESPONSES

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/38/

39. AN OPEN LETTER TO Mr. JORDAN RIAK

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/39/

40. YOUR FAQ’s & P.T.A.V.E.’s NO-ANSWER

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/40/

41. P.T.A.V.E.’s (BELATED) RESPONSE

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/41/

42. P.T.A.V.E.’s QUESTIONS, TWP’s RESPONSES & A SPECIAL TWP COMMENTARY

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/42/

43. GUEST CONTRIBUTOR RESPONSES, MORE READER RESPONSES & “APPROPRIATE” PADDLES

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/43/

44. A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A TWP TEACHER & YOUR FAQ’s

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/44/

45. AWARD WINNERS, BUMPER STICKERS, READING LISTS/VACATIONS & A TWP COMMENTARY

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/45/

46. WE’RE BACK, UPDATES & OTHER THINGS

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/46/

47. RENEE RESPONDS TO READER’S QUESTIONS & READER’S COMMENTS

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/47/

48. WHAT EVERY TEACHING APPLICANT NEEDS TO KNOW: A TWP PERSPECTIVE

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/48/

49. JENNY AND THE CASE OF “THE MISSING FROG” & YOUR FAQ’s

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/49/

50. JENNY ANSWERS & HOW TO (AND NOT TO) PLAN COMMUNITY GROWTH

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/50/

51. RENEE’S DOUBLE” PADDLING & YOUR FAQ’S

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/51/

52. TWP’S ADVICE TO “STUDENT-TEACHERS”, PROF. N COMMENTARY/TWP’S RESPONSE, & TWP YEAR 1 REVIEW

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/52/

53. A SPECIAL MEMO

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/53/

54. RENEE’S REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATIVE WORKSHOP, A PREVIEW OF FUTURE TWP POSTS, & MORE PROF. N COMMENTARY

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/54/

55. RENEE’S PADDLE INSPECTIONS & RENEE vs. “THE OL’ BALL COACH”

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/page/55/

56. PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE week #2, R.C. pt. I, READER COMMENT/TWP RESONSE & YOUR FAQ’S

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/

57. TEACHER FEATURE: MICHELLE PADDLES A “FLIRT”, R.C. pt. II & PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE week #3

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/2/

58. A TWP COMMENTARY, R.C. pt. III & PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE week #4

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/3/

59. A READER COMMENTS/TWP’S RESPONSE, TEACHER FEATURE DOUBLE: WENDY and MICHELLE RESPOND & PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE week #5 (RENEE PADDLES)

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/4/

60. PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE week #6, R.C. pts. IV and V, UNBELIEVABLE! & YOUR FAQ’S

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/5/

61. MORE READER’S COMMENTS/TWP’S RESPONSES, TEACHER FEATURE:JENNY/WENDY (AUBURN DUO), R.C. pt. VI, PROF. N COMMENTS/TWP RESPONDS & PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE week #7

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/6/

62. READER’S (SILLY) QUESTIONS FOR JENNY/WENDY, PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE week #8, R.C. pt. VII & FACEBOOK “FACEOFF”

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/7/

63. PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE weeks #8 and #9, EDITORIAL: A “GOOD” STATE LAW?, R.C. pt. VIII, PROF. N. VISITS THE U.S.A. & YOUR FAQ’S

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/8/

64. TWP SPECIAL: A MEMPHIS “MELTDOWN”, PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE week #10 (RENEE PADDLES AGAIN!), TEACHER FEATURE: MICHELLE’S FIRST WEEK & R.C. pt. IX

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/9/

65. SPECIAL MEMO FROM MICHELLE TO PAULA FLOWE, A TWP COMMENTARY, PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE week #11 & R.C. pt. X

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/10/

66. JENNY’S FIRST PADDLING, PRO. N. RESPONDS, PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE week #12 & R.C. pt. XI

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/11/

67. TWP SPECIAL: A PRINCIPAL’S WARNING TO TWP, A “NON-INTERVIEW” INTERVIEW, EDITORIAL: “ON/OFF” & R.C. pt. XII

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/12/

68. LESSONS FROM OHIO & LIKELY OUTCOMES, PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE week 13 & R.C. pt. XIII

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/13/

69. Q/A ON NASHIA’S PADDLING, WENDY’S FIRST PADDLING & I AM THANKFUL FOR…

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/14/

70. COMMENTS FROM ARIZONA/TWP REPLIES, HOW WE SPENT THANKSGIVING & JUST FOR LAUGHS

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/15/

71. TEACHER FEATURE: CONSEQUENCES OF A “FOUL” MOUTH, A “DISCIPLINE PLAN” FROM ARIZONA, PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE week 14/15, & R.C. pt. XIV

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/16/

72. TWP’S CRITIQUE OF “A DISCIPLINE PLAN FROM ARIZONA”

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/17/

73. PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE week #15/16 (RENEE PADDLES A BOY), R.C. pt. XV & I WISH…

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/18/

74. SHARON’S “FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE”, TWP’S COMMENTARY ON “SHARON”, READER REACTIONS & NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/19/

75. A TWP DISCIPLINE PLAN, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS & WHAT ABOUT TWP’S KIDS IN SCHOOL?

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/20/

76. TEACHER FEATURE: MICHELLE GOES TO CALIFORNIA!, RENEE CHRONICLES XVI & “SHARON”/TWP FAQ’S

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/21/

77. MICHELLE ANSWERS “TONY BRIAN” AND CO., A TEACHER’S REGRET, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS II & R.C. pt. XVII

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/22/

78. A TWP SPECIAL: CHILD ABUSER/TEACHERS, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS III, PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE: JANUARY & R.C. pt. XVIII

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/23/

79. A RETIRED TEACHER’S PERSPECTIVE, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS IV, R.C. pt. XIX & PROF. N. REPLIES/TWP RESPONDS

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/24/

80. A TWP COMMENTARY ON C.P. AND TEACHER TRAINING, TWP ANSWERS “TIME WELL SPENT”, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS V, R.C. pt. XX & YOUR FAQ’S

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/25/

81. A TEACHER-STUDENT “REUNION”, TEACHER AFTERMATH I & R.C. pt. XXI

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/26/

82. WHAT HAPPENS AFTER A C.P. BAN, TEACHER AFTERMATH II, JENNY’S FIRST WEEK & R.C. pt. XXII

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/27/

83. TWP RESPONDS, PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE: FEBRUARY, AFTERMATH III, A “WRONG” PADDLE & R.C. pt. XXIII

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/28/

84. EDITORIAL: RESTRAINTS/ISOLATION, TWP COMMENTARY ON 14TH AMENDMENT, AFTERMATH IV, PROF. N. RESPONDS, R.C. pt. XXIV & YOUR FAQ’S

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/29/

85. THE ANTI’S REAL FEAR OF CAMERAS, REV. WADE/TWP Q/A, TWP SNEAK PREVIEW & R.C. pt. XXV

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/30/

86. RECOLLECTIONS BY JENNY pt. I, GOOD NEWS FROM ALEXIS & STUDENT TEACHING CHRONICLES OF RENEE pt. I

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/31/

87. PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE: MARCH, RECOLLECTIONS BY JENNY pt. II & STUDENT TEACHING CHRONICLES OF RENEE pt. II

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/32/

88. TWP VS. THE “TALKING CHAIR”, RECOLLECTIONS BY WENDY & STUDENT TEACHING CHRONICLES OF RENEE pt.III

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/33/

89. RECOLLECTIONS BY MICHELLE & STUDENT TEACHING CHRONICLES OF RENEE pt. IV

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/34/

90. HOW A TWP ADMINISTRATOR SPENDS HER WEEKEND & TEACHER FEATURE: MICHELLE, A FIREDRILL AND FIREWORKS

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/35/

91. TWP’S Rx FOR BULLYING, TWP’S PERSPECTIVE ON “JESSICA SERAFIN” & STUDENT TEACHING CHRONICLES OF RENEE pt. V

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/36/

92. JENNY AND THE “LOST CHILD”, A “DISHONEST” PROPOSAL, STUDENT TEACHING CHRONICLES OF RENEE pt. VI & YOUR FAQ’S

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/37/

93. AWARD WINNERS II, GUEST CONTRIBUTORS II, VACATION READING LIST, JENNY/WENDY SHOOTOUT & RENEE’S FIRST DAY

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/38/

94. A LETTER TO THE U.S. CONGRESS

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/39/

95. WE’RE BACK!, WHAT WE DID ON OUR SUMMER VACATIONS & READER’S (SILLY) COMMENTS/TWP’S REPLIES

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/40/

96. A “REV.” EXPOSED, WHAT EVERY NEW TEACHER SHOULD KNOW & YOUR FAQ’S

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/41/

97. SCHOOL C.P. and LEGAL TROUBLE: WHAT TO DO/NOT TO DO & 2 READER COMMENTARIES/TWP REPLIES

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/42/

98. A TWP “INSERVICE”, TWP’S “SNEAK PREVIEW OF COMING ATTRACTIONS & OUTRAGEOUS COMMENTS/TWP’S RESPONSES

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/43/

99. RENEE AT THE ADMINISTRATIVE RETREAT, RENEE’S TEACHER EVALUATIONS, PROF. N. COMMENTARY & YOUR FAQ’S

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/44/

100. RENEE CHRONICLES: THE COLLEGE YEARS pt. I, RENEE vs. “THE OL’BALL COACH” & YOUR FAQ’S

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/45/

101. GUEST EDITORIAL, RENEE CHRONICLES: THE COLLEGE YEARS pt. II & MICHELLE’S FIRST DAY ANNOUNCEMENT

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/46/

102. PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE: A NEW YEAR, RENEE CHRONICLES: THE COLLEGE YEARS pt. III & YOUR FAQ’S

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/47/

103. ALUMNI INQUIRES TO RENEE, RENEE CHRONICLES: THE COLLEGE YEARS pt. IV & AN AMANDA UPDATE

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/48/

104. EDITORIAL: THE “DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR” MYTH, RENEE CHRONICLES: THE COLLEGE YEARS pt. V & ATHLETIC ADVENTURES OF MICHELLE

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/49/

105. RENEE’S 1ST TEACHER EVALUATIONS, RENEE CHRONICLES: THE COLLEGE YEARS pt. VI & ALUMNI INQUIRES TO MICHELLE

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/50/

106. PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE: 1ST PADDLING OF THE YEAR, RENEE CHRONICLES: THE COLLEGE YEARS pt. VII & ATHLETIC ADVENTURES OF WENDY

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/51/

107. HOW TO/NOT TO TALK TO AN ADMINISTRATOR, RENEE CHRONICLES: THE COLLEGE YEARS pt VIII & TEACHER FEATURE: MICHELLE GIVES A “GOOD” ONE

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/52/

108. RIDICULOUS QUESTIONS TO MICHELLE, RENEE CHRONICLES: THE COLLEGE YEARS pt. IX & ATHLETIC ADVENTURES OF JENNY

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/53/

109. A READER’S COMMENTARY, ATHLETIC ADVENTURES OF RENEE, RENEE CHRONICLES: THE COLLEGE YEARS pt. X & YOUR FAQ’S

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/54/

110. A PRE-ELECTION PRIMER, HOW CONGRESSWOMAN RENEE WOULD DO IT! & RENEE CHRONICLES: THE COLLEGE YEARS pt. XI

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/55/

111. WE WIN!!!, A WAY FORWARD & RENEE CHRONICLES: THE COLLEGE YEARS pt. XII

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/56/

112. 2 IMPORTANT OPEN LETTERS, TWP ANALYSIS: THE GETTYSBURG OF THE ANTIS, IF I WERE A FLY ON THE WALL… & A SPECIAL MESSAGE

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/12/page/57/

113. PROF. N COMMENTARY, OTHER READER COMMENTS, RENEE CHRONICLES: THE COLLEGE YEARS-GENERATIONS,TWP: 40 YEARS LATER & GOOD BYE!

http://teacherswhopaddle.wordpress.com/2010/11/

A PADDLING

The paddle swung briskly through the air from a 90 degree angle and connected with the denim jean covered bottom of Billy with a loud pop. “Oww” Billy yelped and pleaded ” Please… no more!” as his left hand started to reach back while his right held to the wooden chair seat in a vise-like grip. Miss Smith, only out of college a few months and feeling about as bad as Billy, replied, “I hate doing this but I lost count of the number of times that you were warned about throwing paper airplanes in class just TODAY!” ” I won’t do it again…please!” Billy pleaded. Miss Smith calmly replied “I’m going to give you just one more-that will make three instead of the five I could have given you.” The paddle found its target once more with another loud pop and then …silence with only the sound of a sniffling 10 year old filling the teacher’s lounge. When Billy stood up and turned around to look up to Miss Smith, a tear rolled down one cheek. With a lump building in her own throat, Miss Smith, who never thought about paddling students during her college years, looked into Billy’s red eyes and said “We are done with this and I just want a fresh start beginning now… with no hard feelings…ok?” Billy, without a word, put his arms around a startled Miss Smith’s waist. Patting Billy’s head, Miss Smith spoke softly, “Billy, lets get back to the class so you can get started working on your fractions and decimals.”

The story above is, of course fiction, but is probably closer to a real life school paddling than the hate-filled drivel of the anti-corporal punishment web sites which, until now, were the ONLY voice in the so called “debate” on the matter. The intent of this blog is to be “fair and balanced” because we at TWP are teachers ourselves and are not what the “anti’s” portray us to be. We see ourselves not as “rigid old school” or “extremist-abolitionist” but rather as sensible, clear headed, reform-minded moderates which the ‘debate” sorely needs.

HOW WE STARTED

This blog started with a chance discovery, then a shock, followed by a notion, then an idea, and finally- a blog after several starts, fits, and re-starts. It started one afternoon during a typical planning period for me, your chief blogger, and three teaching colleagues who are also contributors to the blog.

Renee(me):What up on the laptop, Jenny?

Jenny:I was googling “sting” instead of “stinging” while researching insects for my biology lesson plan and- check out this weird story on salon.com by this Ted Gup fellow recalling a paddling 50 years ago he received.

Me: HA HA HA! Must ohave been some real fireworks that day for him to recall it,huh?

Jenny: Yeah- he remembers a 3 foot long paddle, his “welted ” butt and yet he says that he did not cry at all.

Michelle: Three feet! Gimme a break- I have seen paddles over at the high school and they cannot be more than 18 inches…either the writer had bad eyesight, the teacher bad aim, or we have a case of really pathetic memory.

Wendy: Unbelievable! Total b.s.- especially the part about a welted
bottom… from a paddle?…and he did not even cry?…I know what causes welts and the paddle does not…

Me: I know where welts come from but the diatribe.. it is not “National Hate Your Old Teacher Week” is it?

Michelle: No, but the article mentions another recent paddling of a girl who was bruised for days- that prompted the salon story by Mr. Gup.

Wendy: That is awful…lets see if we can find out the whole story to this…it happened only about 200 miles from here so lets meet after school and google this story.

We all agreed and did meet later and tried unsucessfully to find out more until we found http://www.corpun.com which was a treasure trove of info on corporal punishment news articles. Also, we discovered that, aside from corpun, all web sites on c.p. in school was not just negative- but pathologically hate-filled negative which seemed a little threatening to us because we all four have paddled a few of our pupils when it was warranted, although never abusively.

Because we had never abused our students by bruising or welting them when giving a paddling, that salon article shocked us and we were very disappointed that no web site or blog existed to give the teacher’s side of the issue in a unbiased manner. Instead, teachers who paddle were portrayed as sadist,perverts, pedophiles, and worst of all: rapist! (A dear friend of mine was the victim of date-rape back in college so this hits below the belt as far as I was concerned.)

All four of us decided to make our own web site to balance out the debate but had no idea what the expenses or complex tech requirements were. To our dismay, we found out the hard way the high tech sites were very costly to build and the anti-c.p. sites are funded by large tax exempt foundations with very DEEP pockets. As public school teachers, we did not have that advantage but pressed on. Not being tech savvy, it took a lot of trial and error, but here we are…thanks to wordpress.com.

A FEW RULES

DO give your positive feedback on your experiences as a principal, teacher, or even a student. DO give your recollections some depth by telling a little about yourself:interests, talents, and so forth-in other words-humanize yourself.
DO give us at TWP your positive suggestions as to how this blog can be improved.
DO NOT give us a whinney story about how mean or unfair your teacher was-there are two sides to every story and besides, you have to move on in life!
DO NOT send any comments which call teachers names like sadist, perverts, ect. (This includes anything that is vulgar or overtly sexual.)
DO NOT bother to send us an anti-paddling rant-we will not post it just like the anti-paddling sites would not post our comments.

COMING NEXT: MISSION STATEMENT & OTHER THINGS

1ST STATEMENT: The locally elected school board, as representatives of the local community, should always be the source of school discipline policy- never the federal or state government.

2ND STATEMENT: The elected school board, in accordance with state enabling laws, should have the legal right to enact school discipline policies, including the use of corporal punishment.

3RD STATEMENT: The administration of corporal punishment in school must always be in a judicious, moderate, and sparing manner.

3 TRUE STORIES

One December 2000 morning in Sadine Parish in rural Louisiana , 11 year old Meegan was tripped in a breakfast line at the cafeteria and responded by elbowing the other girl in the back. Minutes later, Meegan was subjected to a paddling by Mrs. Judy Rials, Zwolle Elementary School’s principal. The paddling with a 16″ board was so severe that Meegan was bruised for about a week. After the legal battles, Mrs. Rials was removed from her job as principal and was reassigned, along with a teacher, to a position as Technology Education Coordinator.

On a spring day in 2007, a 4th grade boy at Algood Elementary School in Putnam County, Tennessee violated a school rule and was paddled by his principal, Ms. Leann Taylor. The paddling left bruises and the parents filed charges. During the investigation, Ms. Taylor was reassigned to the central office but was reinstated a few weeks later after no wrongdoing was found by Children’s Services or the D.A.

In April of 2002 at Monahoo Elementary School, a disruptive 11 year old was removed from class. After getting permission from the grandparents, Mr. David Haas, who was standing in for the absent principal, paddled the boy 3 times. The paddling resulted in bruises and in the aftermath of the grandparent’s complaints, the Sheldon Independent School District abolished all corporal punishment.

All three stories are real life and can be found in our blogroll link under corporal punishment research at www.corpun.com. As in real life, there are real consequences when a paddling goes “out of bounds.” In the first, Mrs. Judy Rials, who was a veteran educator with years of experience, will spend the rest of her career as a central office staffer and will most likely never see a classroom or principal’s office in an official role again. Our second example, Ms. Leann Taylor, was reinstated as principal but will forever have her professional educational career blemished by one incident. Lastly, Mr. David Haas will be remembered by the other teachers in the Sheldon District as the teacher who “caused” the total district ban on corporal punishment.

All three stories have one thing in common: the outcomes did not have to happen. With some foresight and sound policy guidelines, the negative results of those paddlings would have been avoided. THAT is the purpose of this blog. If they were able to do a “redo,” all three educators certainly would do so. If you look back at 3RD STATEMENT, you will see the words JUDICIOUS, MODERATE, and SPARING. Those words are key to understanding what we at TWP are all about.

JUDICIOUS

All school discipline must be consistent, fair, and firm if it is to be effective. Whatever the rules, they must apply to everyone and be enforced the same way regardless of who the student is. If educators want their charges to respect the rules, the most popular or the athlete must be seen as under the same rules as the nerd, geek, etc. Also, the same rules must be enforced day in and day out, without fail. That is where fairness becomes a part of the process. When those conditions are achieved, it can be said the the discipline policy is JUDICIOUS.

MODERATE

In the three stories above, the discipline meted out was extreme and severe and had consequences for the educators that will affect their careers for so long as they are in the profession. The specific requirements for moderation in discipline will be given in more detail on the next blog but can be summed up in two words:Implements and Technique. If an educator uses moderation, he/she will not use an inappropriately sized paddle nor an overpowering physical force in the administration of corporal punishment.

SPARING

The sparing use of corporal punishment is the hardest to define for most educators. Nearly all school districts say that corporal punishment is to be used as a “last resort” but nearly always leave exceptions for extreme behavior which is rarely defined. In the Sadine Parish incident above, it was discovered that Mrs. Judy Rials had paddled another pupil 17 times in eight weeks. That is a clear example of not using corporal punishment sparingly as well as the “first resort” usage in the case of the young girl. By using corporal punishment sparingly and never as a “first resort”, Mrs. Judy Rials might still be a principal today.

COMING SOON TO A COMPUTER NEAR YOU:

LEGAL ISSUES AND DEFINITIONS

The following is not intended to be a source for legal advice or case law. If one is looking for legal advice, they should consult with an attorney in their community.

We at TWP want to “clear the air” concerning the legal issues with regards to corporal punishment in school. Our first step will be to dispel some myths about paddling and schools.

MYTH 1 Corporal punishment was abolished many years ago in U.S. public schools by the U.S. Supreme Court.

FACT Not only did the nation’s highest court NOT outlaw corporal punishment, but in Ingraham v. Wright (1977), the court held that corporal punishment did NOT violate the constitutional rights of school children. As of this date though, only 22 states still legally allow paddling in school.

MYTH 2 Teachers can be charged with assault and battery by the parents for paddling their children.

FACT While legal protection for teachers vary among the paddling states, no teacher, who has followed all the school policies and legal requirements, has ever been criminally or civilly convicted for paddling a student.

MYTH 3 State laws and school policies strictly regulate the severity of corporal punishment.

FACT Unfortunately, there are no statewide standards (not a good idea-TWP) and local districts vary widely on specifics ranging from vague to paddle sizes and dimensions. ( We at TWP will present our own ideas for better policy guidelines in a future blog.)

MYTH 4 If a child is bruised, Children’s Protective Services can file charges against the teacher.

FACT Not on is it a waste of time to call these agencies, but if they even take your call, the only thing they will do is file a complaint with the school district- something the parent could just do themselves. Also, keep in mind that there are jurisdictional boundaries- both the state agencies AND the school district are in the PUBLIC domain and schools have their own investigative procedures as per state law. The best first move is to go to the principal and teacher, show them your proof- such as photos, and you will be positively supprised at the response. Understand though, the teacher/principal will most likely not be fired or even reassigned but your child will be given another teacher or school assignment-PRONTO. Such a situation is the nighmare of all educators-99.9% who never set out to bruise any child intentionally.

MYTH 5 Parents have little or no say in if their child is paddled or not.

FACT Unlike a few decades ago in which the assumption was: Register your child for school and while child is on school grounds, the school has total discretion. However, the present legal climate has changed- for the better. Below are some terms in a range from permissive to restrictive with TWP’s comments.

PERMISSIVE

Implied Consent: The oldest and most traditional policy that we alluded to above. The understanding is that if the parent enrolls their child in a school- the principal of in loco parentis ( means “in place of the parent”)is strongly emphasized and the parent is to have no part in how the school disciplines. While in loco parentis still exist, most schools today do not generally use corporal punishment under implied consent.

Default Consent: This is the most widely used and accepted policy on corporal punishment in schools today. The key is that parents, if they do NOT want their child to be paddled- All they need to do is state in writing or sign a form when enrolling their child- and the child will be exempted from all corporal punishment for that school year. But if no opting out of paddling is requested, then by default, the child will be subject to paddling if the occasion warrants it. This places the burden on the parent to decide at the start of the school year what their wishes are as to corporal punishment. This, in the opinion of TWP, is the best policy concerning school discipline.

Parent/Teacher Conference: This means just what it says-a meeting between parents and the teacher which most all teachers wished more parents would do and not only when “Billy” is in trouble. This is usually informal and can be just a phone conversation but is not considered by this blog to be a means to give or receive permission to paddle. Also, this can occur with Default Consent as a step in discipline policy.

Parental Notification: Used sometimes to supplement the Default Consent policy or, in cases of miscommunication problems between educators and parents, to replace the aforementioned. Sometimes, parents attempt to create this policy themselves and when that fails-all hell breaks loose! Unless specifically stated in policy, no parent should take it on themself to modify a policy form. School boards have been increasingly inclined to adopt this policy. While we at TWP want open communication- we also dislike the idea of notification/consent “lite” when state law allows paddling and where parents refuse to exercise their right to opt out on corporal punishment at the start of the school year.

Parental Consent: This is the most restrictive policy and as in Parental Notification, we at TWP do not believe this is the best policy. It must be understood that states, which have enabling laws concerning corporal punishment, already give disciplinary authority to educators. In our opinion, parental consent is a default ban policy because it overturns clear state law and places the parent in the position of vetoing corporal punishment without having to opt out officially. Finally, we at TWP believe that any parent who insists on Consent should be “administratively opted-out” and their child placed on the “Do not paddle” list. After all, educators have enough to do without the policy games some grownups like to play.

^^^RESTRICTIVE^^^

Administrative Opt-Out: This term is completely our idea, because of the reluctance of parents about corporal punishment. Simply put, if a parent openly disapproves of paddling and/or the child resists the paddling whatsoever- the disciplinary status of that child will be changed by the school w/o the parent’s approval. Example 1 : Parent makes derogatory remarks about paddling policy or demands to be “consulted” beforehand. Result-The child is placed on “Do Not Paddle’ list. Example 2 : The child refuses to accept a paddling or resists during the paddling. Result- The paddling immediately stops and status is changed as in #1 with the addition of suspension from school as an alternate sanction.

SPECIAL NOTE: IT MUST BE UNDERSTOOD BY ALL PARTIES THAT THE OPT-OUT PROVISION CONCERNS PADDLING- NOT SCHOOL RULES. IN AN OPT-OUT SITUATION, THE NEXT OPTION BELONGS TO THE SCHOOL AND WILL MOST LIKELY BE SUSPENDING THE CHILD FROM SCHOOL.

SEE OUR NEXT POST FOR IMPLEMENTS AND TECHNIQUES

*****SPECIAL DISCLAIMER*****

It has come to our attention by one of our dear readers that the link REB’s PADDLES is a “spanking fetish” consensual adult site. We at TWP understood this but wanted to set up a way that you, our readers, could see what various paddle types we talk about actually look like. Neither this blog nor the link in any way endorses or seeks to promote any fetish. Our purpose has been and will always be to give a different perspective on the issue of corporal punishment in U.S. schools.

(02/07/2009) It has come to TWP’s attention that the “Reb’s Paddle” link no longer works. This post will be retained for its original purpose as stated above.

IMPLEMENTS

This section deals with the actual implements used in corporal punishment in school. The names of various paddles are from our links with Reb’s Paddles or Officeplayground. These are internet sites whose paddles we rated from HIGHLY INAPPROPRIATE to HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Our criteria was based on the following:LENGTH, WIDTH,THICKNESS, and IMPACT.

COACH: This is by far the largest paddle we could find on the internet as the best example of the worst possible paddle one could use. This monster comes very close to the one mentioned by Ted Gup in his story in Salon.com a few years ago. The measurements are 27″x 4″x 1/2″ and we at TWP consider this HIGHLY INAPPROPRIATE for corporal punishment at any level. Finally, the IMPACT is so severe and bruising that any educator that contemplates using it should be stopped if other educators want the general corporal punishment policy to be retained. (www.reb-online.com/coach.htm)

18″: This paddle, the “little brother of Coach” is not much better and worst of all, is the most common paddle type used in schools today. The measurements are 18″x3 1/2″ x 1/2″ and we at TWP believe that any paddle close to this size is HIGHLY INAPPROPRIATE. Like “Coach,” the IMPACT of this paddle is too severe and bruising. Also, using this paddle opens educators up to the accusation of abuse. (www.reb-online.com/18.htm)

SCHOOL HOUSE: The idiot who invented this montrosity had to have been a sadistic sicko- certainly not a teacher! Its measurements are 25 1/2″x 2 1/2″ x 1/2″ and because of that, TWP’s grade is HIGHLY INAPPROPRIATE. The IMPACT is actually worse, not because of the holes, but rather the narrowness which would leave a horizontial bruise “stripe” across the buttocks. That and the holes are good only for wrecking careers and lawsuits. (www.reb-online.com/schoolhouse.htm)

TAKE ALONG: This strangely named paddle is o.k. if used carefully and applied to older elementary children such as 5th or 6th grade. The measurements are 11″x 4″x 1/2″ and because of its thickness being 1/2″, TWP’s assessment is MODERATE and the decision should be left to the individual educator. The IMPACT will be some redness but if the number of swats is minimized (no more than 3), there should be little residual effects other than a bit of soreness for about an hour.(www.reb-online.com/takealong.htm)

THIN: This paddle is the favorite of the contributors to this blog who all teach 3rd to 5th grade. The measurements are 13 1/2 “x3 1/2″x 1/4″ and the best quality of this paddle is that it is indeed thin! While the IMPACT will certainly leave a sharp sting, no bruising will occur except perhaps to the ego. TWP’s only wish is that the THIN was a little wider instead of 3 1/2 “. Still, the thin gets TWP’s HIGHLY RECOMMENDED ranking.(www.reb-online.com/thin.htm)

PADDLEBALL: The only paddle not made by reb’s paddles, we had to really search for this one. A teacher friend of ours who teaches preK showed us her little paddle but could not tell where it came from since she got it from another teacher who left for a position out of state. This cute paddle is meant only for prek to 2nd grade and, because of the light and thin balsa wood, should be double or triple layered to prevent breaking. Even then, the IMPACT will be only a lite sting with no chance of bruising if used with just one or two pops.The measurements are 8″x5″x1/5″ and the single layer thickness is an estimate. TWP’s rating is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED and who knows- maybe a single taste of this paddle will deter the little terrors from behaving badly in school later!

OTHER PROBLEMS

HOLES: We at TWP have heard all the rhetoric about air resistance, increased velocity, and added “sting” and this line of thinking leads to legal trouble and ruined careers- just ask any of the teachers who are mentioned in www.corpun.com.

DOUBLE HANDED HANDLES: This should be a joke but is not. Any teacher who uses a two handed grip on a paddle should not be working in education period! Enough said!

SHARP EDGES/CORNERS: One of our contributors took a second look at her THIN-like paddle and decided to smooth out the corners a bit more. That ought to show all of you readers what kind of people we really are-CARING and SENSITIVE towards our “kids.”

TECHNIQUE

Even though we at TWP really do care about our charges, when the time arises that requires corporal punishment, we use reasonable but firm techniques. Unfortunately, not all educators do so and we have addressed four techniques below- 2 BAD and 1 GOOD with 3 POSITIONS as well.

BAD

SLEDGEHAMMER:Unbelievable but true, this method involves a child bent over a couch or across a table and the administrator holding a large paddle with both hands like a construction site sledgehammer high above his/her head and bring said paddle downward with maximum force. This can only bruise and should be stopped by witnesses and prohibited by school board policy.

BASEBALL GRAND SLAM: Like SLEDGEHAMMER, this is something only a moron for a teacher would consider- Swinging a paddle like a baseball bat with both hands. This is too extreme and no witness should allow this type of technique to be used- much less school board policy!

GOOD

TENNIS SWING: The only method endorsed by TWP, it is what it is called- a tennis racket-like swing about 90 degrees from start to impact and parallel with floor. Also, teacher should use only single handed grip of paddle with other hand on lower back of recipient. The hand on lower back will prevent an accidental blow to any area other than the intended target-the buttocks. In addition, if recipient ducks or turns, the teacher will detect that in time to stop the paddle swing and avoid an accident.

POSITIONS

OVER THE KNEE: The classical spanking position is not recommended by TWP for school corporal punishment but is not unheard of with the youngest children. The teacher mentioned with the PADDLEBALL paddle did use this sometimes but never more than a couple of times.

BEND OVER CHAIR: When a child needs to grip something, this is best and as an extra benefit, the hands are less likely to flail back-thereby avoiding injury. Regardless, both teacher and witness need to watch out for the hands.

BEND OVER WITH HANDS AGAINST WALL: Better than previous, this position works best with older kids. The best advantage is that no chair is needed and the child’s hands are watched more easily by the witness.

COMING NEXT:

POLICY SUGGESTIONS/WHY TWP IS OPPOSED TO PADDLING IN SECONDARY SCHOOL

This blog by TWP is intended to be a starting point for a honest debate about corporal punishment’s place in U.S. schools. The suggestions and opinions are only ours at TWP and may or may not be the policy of an individual school district. These suggestions and opinions come from actual educators in the field and not from an “ivory tower” perspective of a university faculty person who has never been in a school classroom.

POLICY SUGGESTIONS

We at TWP decided, that in order to present our suggestions in a coherent manner, to subdivide this section by the hierarchial ranks of the school district from ELECTED SCHOOL BOARD at the top to STUDENTS at the bottom. A quick glance will reveal the absence of PARENTS in our “educational chain.” This was purposeful because we at TWP feel that parents DO have a meaningful role to play- just not in the daily operation of the school classroom. That is where in loco parentis (in place of the parent) comes in. We did set up a separate section to address to parents the concerns of TWP.

:

ELECTED SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS: In our opinion, these elected officials should be at the top of the school system ladder because they represent the community that elected them. While beyond the scope of this blog, we also believe that it is bad policy for there to be appointed school boards- who will represent only the persons that did the appointing. As such, the elected member WILL reflect the consensus of his/her community when it comes to the role of policymaking. This is why we at TWP are adamant about school boards, preferably elected, deciding school policy- especially corporal punishment policy. However, the opposite is happening in certain parts of the U.S. where state legislatures are trampling local policy-making authority by the enactment of total bans on all corporal punishment. The viewer needs to think about this: The same people who debate tax policy, budget issues, and of course ROAD CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS are going to tell 4th grade teacher Ms.Smith how not to manage her classroom! And we do not want any “help” from Congress-those morons have f@#%&* everything else so HANDS OFF OUR SCHOOLS-y’all in D.C. have done enough damage already.

SUGGESTION 1: While states who have already banned c.p. are a lost cause, in the 22 states where it is still legal, local school boards with c.p. need to make it clear that any future state ban will mean that the state will be given ALL THE RESPONSIBILITY for operating the local schools. TWP believes that state governments will reconsider if they have to coordinate 1,000′s of school bus routes state wide- not to mention hiring/firing personnel (1000′s), cafeteria menus (10,000+) and so on…

SUGGESTION 2: On the implement and technique side, the board could follow our tips in the last blog by TWP. (See IMPLEMENTS and TECHNIQUES blog) The policies would raise some eyebrows- but eliminating bad implements and techniques, which only increase the odds of unwanted bruising, is a no-brainer. Also, school boards need to endorse a consistent policy such as DEFAULT CONSENT and back it up with additional policies that will automatically suspend misbehaving student if a parent so much as “scribbles” on the consent form. (See LEGAL ISSUES blog)

SCHOOL DIRECTOR/SUPERINTENDENT: This designation includes all central office personnel who are in a supervisory capacity but excludes staff or clerical office workers. Directors, assistant directors, coordinators and so forth all tend to work in an office setting away from the schools they administer. However educratic that may seem- it does serve a purpose. Like top generals to the President, these administrators report directly to the school board and see to it that the policies are transmitted to the principals who are over individual schools. ( In TWP’s opinion, too many educators aspire to these positions instead of the #1 job-TEACHING!)

SUGGESTION: All administrators need to remember that they are not quasi-board members. Rather, they should try to represent to the board the front-line employees (principals and teachers) and spend less time kissing a**! Case in point was a paddling by a female principal of 12 kids. She merely forgot to call a couple of parents who requested to be notified prior to c.p. They hand wrote the request on a default consent form-BUT NEVER TOLD ANYONE AT THE SCHOOL ABOUT THE “CHANGE” AFTER TURNING IN THE SCHOOL REGISTRATION PAPERWORK! In that same school year, a new director was hired- and he was quick to curry favor with his employers, the school board. End result, the lady principal was reassigned to a teaching position-all because of a paperwork snafu and a “brownosing” new director. Moral: a “knife in the back” by a central office administrator will just “kill” the morale of lower level principals and teachers.

PRINCIPAL: The most recognized position in U.S. schools besides the teacher, the principal should be considered the “Captain of the ship” and is the highest ranking administrator at a individual school. At TWP, we are of the opinion that while the principal is the overall head of the school, that does NOT mean he/she should always be the disciplinarian. Rather, TWP believes that, aside from suspension and expulsion, the classroom teacher ought to be the one to mete out most all discipline. Consider this fact: The classroom teacher knows his/her students best and they in turn know and respect (over time) their teacher. The principal does not get the opportunity to know the kids in a classroom setting- He/she is too busy managing the facility, planning schedules, and fielding the usual complaints from parents, central office, ect. This is also why some schools have assistant principals to deal with classroom issues.

SUGGESTION 1:Rather than adding an assistant principal, the classroom teacher needs to take charge as a complete authority figure because the kids, in turn, will respect the teacher more. Otherwise, we feel that the teacher comes off looking weaker when he/she has to send the unruly child to the principal for discipline- especially c.p. This does not preclude the principal from giving a paddling but the kids should not see the principal as just Mr./Ms. Paddle.

SUGGESTION 2: A policy addition/change that the principal can make, with the board’s o.k., is of the witness to c.p. With the problem of lawsuits and teacher/principal-as-witness creditability issues, the perfect solution can be found only at TWP! That is the use of the school nurse, as a health care professional, as a witness to all paddlings. As non-educators, they will definitely be seen as impartial in any legal testimony. In the role of nurse, the nurse could privately check the student after the paddling and document by camera that there were no bruises. If child later shows up badly beaten in a lawsuit- the nurse just shows her photos and someone other than the teacher is in BIG trouble. (TWP thinks that this happens a lot more than is reported.)

TEACHER: We have subdivided this section into 2 parts: Tenured and Untenured.

Tenured: Those teachers with civil-service like job security should be the ones to push for the changes that we at TWP have outlined. Start with a small group like all the 4th and 5th grade teachers who work togather at recess or planning periods. We believe that most teachers will at least consider our ideas. That is a start and other teachers can be gradually brought into the fold. Of course, the one or two holdouts (principals or teachers) are another problem and only if everyone else is on board should an ultimatum be given: Follow our example (such as lighter paddles) or you are on your own as to c.p., witnesses, litigation, ect. This must not be a threat but rather just a promise of “no business as usual” and that might convince the remnants.

Nontenured: This is almost always a 1st or 2nd year teacher who can be terminated w/o cause. As such, they must never be used as witnesses by their bosses (principals). Of course, new teachers can only “suggest” changes to paddling implements and techniques. HINT: Nontenured teachers should not hide their status in any legal matter-who knows, a court of law might order that tenure be given immediately in return for truthful and complete testimony by a 1 or2 year teacher!

STUDENTS: We at TWP understand the ackward feelings of a school student to this blog-which is written by and for educators who use corporal punishment as a part of classroom discipline. Our reason for this subsection is two-fold: To reduce the incidences of paddling (We dislike giving them as much as you do receiving them!) and to show that we educators are not just a bunch of ogres intent only on inflicting pain and suffering. We think the tips below will serve you, our students, well in the new school year.

ATTITUDE: The best way to start the year is with a positive attitude- and the worst, with a negative one. Think about it- if you had the teacher’s job over 25+/- students, which ones would start on the wrong foot? The bad attitude kids of course- and teachers dread those the most! A positive start on day one is a great way to encourage the teacher’s positive perception of you-TRY IT!

YOUR FRIENDS: It has been said that “bad company” invities bad consequences. If you hang out with the class “clowns” in back of the room- do yourself a favor and move. Teachers zero in on persons who have reputations, usually well earned, from the previous year. Also to be avoided are classmates who put down teachers and principals in general- those are the social misfits and do not have your interests at heart. Finally, those extremist anti-paddling web sites should be a no-go since, like the social misfits, they exist only to stir up ill feelings between teachers and their students. Just stay away from negative influences-who needs it anyway!

RULES: All rules are for the efficient operation of the school and classroom. If you have a problem with tardy bells, school uniforms, or class routines- go ahead and ask about modifications but regardless, do not defy the rules just because you do not “like” them. Part of growing up is doing things that you may not enjoy- thats life.

TEACHER FRIENDSHIP: If you have a favorite former teacher that you can talk to one on one- that can be beneficial. Remember that all teachers do confide to each other- so DO NOT tear down your new teacher as mean or unfair. If you are having a hard time with your new teacher, your “teacher friend” MAY let you know that the new teacher has personal issues (sick child/spouse or death in family) or just the new school year assertiveness that all teachers are known for. Just be patient and give the new teacher time to know you. WARNING: Do not expect your “teacher friend” to bail you out of trouble- so behave yourself!

WHEN IN TROUBLE: If you are in touble for something in which you were caught “red handed”, the first thing is to own up to what you did. Forget the excuses, alibis, or “everyone else…” because teachers have heard it all before. A contrite persona will result in less severe consequences than a rebellious front- every time. Lastly, if you have been warned repeatedly about a paddling “the next time” and the paddle comes out- just remember-you put yourself in that position and the teacher is doing what he/she dislikes the most. With a submissive resignation, the paddling may be lighter than otherwise-the teacher wants to teach you-not paddle you!

COMING NEXT-PART II:

WHY TWP IS OPPOSED TO PADDLING IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

WHY TWP OPPOSES PADDLING IN SECONDARY SCHOOL

No need to back space out of this blog- you are in the right place: TEACHERS WHO PADDLE Blog. We are sure that you are wondering if we have been taken over by the extremist site Project No Spank but all will be clear as you read the entire blog.

WHY TWP?

Lets start by understanding why TWP blog exists. We are a REFORM oriented blog site created by and for teachers who do use the paddle on occasion to enforce discipline in the classroom. The four of us: Renee(me), Wendy,Michelle, and Jenny, all are elementary teachers who discovered by chance how bad the “debate” is on corporal punishment. Actually, there is no debate at all- just name calling filth of the most vile nature such as “sadist”, “perverts”, and the worst:”rapist”! (A dear friend of mine was a real date-rape victim) So, when we set out to communicate our principles, we decided our basic beliefs could be summarized in three words :JUDICIOUS, MODERATE, and SPARING. (See Blog MISSION STATEMENT for more details on definitions)

WHATS THE DIFFERENCE?

We at TWP do believe there is a difference in the way elementary and secondary schools function These differences lie at the heart of why we support, with qualifications, the use of paddling in elementary schools and not secondary schools.

Single vs. Multiple Teachers: In the elementary schools, kids do not change classes on a regular schedule as in secondary school. Being with one teacher, the kids learn the teacher’s likes, dislikes, and limits as to behavior soon after school year starts. The teacher gets to know what makes each child “tick” and everything is in sync as rules and expectations are set. However, in the secondary school system, the students have 5 or 6 teachers in a regular day. The problem is that every teacher is different and manages his/her classroom differently. That is o.k. until the paddle swings. Our experience is that for some teachers, talking out may be a paddling offense and the next door teacher, only a detention slip for intentionally tripping a classmate. We at TWP feel that this disparity, which does happen far too much, causes secondary schools to fail the JUDICIOUS test that requires consistency in the application of corporal punishment. On the other hand, elementary school fits our criteria because, although not perfect, the odds of consistent and JUDICIOUS application of corporal punishment is much greater.

THE TEACHERS: If one thinks all teacher are alike- think again! While TWP respects all teachers, they are only alike as to college education and professional status. About 95% of elementary teachers are female and around 90% of secondary teachers are male. It should be an obvious point that a male teacher/coach weighing 210 pounds will do more damage with a 18″ paddle than a female teacher of 125 pounds. It is true that there can be an abusive paddling from any teacher but, all other things equal- the odds increase greatly for bruisings from men who are most of the secondary teachers. Therefore, the fact that secondary teacher paddlings have a higher probability of being abusive means they fail the MODERATE test of corporal punishment at TWP.

ALTERNATIVES: The secondary teacher normally has a number of options that elementary teachers can only wish for: Detention Hall, In-School-Suspension, and even reassignment to evening school. The elementary teacher has none of these except for afterschool detention- and only when bus schedules allow. Keep in mind that 16 to 18 year olds drive which creates better options with some older students. Elementary kids do not have that recourse and as a result, discipline must occur during the school day. In addition,the reality is that in school suspension was meant only for secondary students. The futility of placing 8,9,or 10 year olds in a room with strict silence requirements for 3 to 5 days sounds to us as just misguided. As to night school- GET REAL!- No parent is likely to agree to that set up for a young child. With all of these facts, the elementary schools get the nod over secondary schools from TWP even though the latter grades better on SPARING use of paddling with the use of the alternatives.

HOW WE WOULD DROP PADDLING IN SECONDARY SCHOOL

I. The first thing that we would eliminate is the “choice” between paddling and in school suspension. That is a false choice because some students can handle a paddling better than others. This makes both punishments, which should NEVER be a choice, totally unfair because they are administered for the same offense.

II. The next step is to create a tier system of punishments. The first would be 1 hour afterschool Detention Hall for 1st time and minor offenses: Tardies, Uniform or Dress Code violations, cell phone ringing, ect. For multi-repeat offenders- all day in school suspension ranging from one to five days, with no afterschool activities. Losing a few “big” games might drive the point home for a few pampered jocks who otherwise prefer taking “swats.” Finally, in case of serious offenses such as fighting that leads to injury or misconduct in ISS, the paddle could be used as an option in addition to the max days of ISS instead of out of school suspension. TWP thinks that the behavior of students, who prefer paddling over ISS, will show marked improvement if ISS becomes mandatory while the paddle ceases to be an ISS escape key.

III. The final step is the longer term elimination of the paddle option in place of out of school suspension. With the increasing rarity of secondary school paddling, it can be dropped with a mandatory out of school suspension as the next step after ISS. If a second out of school suspension occurs in a single year, that student must be reassigned permanently to an alternative correctional school. This should be the last step before expulsion.

So, there it is- our reasoning for the phased elimination of corporal punishment at the secondary school level. But make no mistake, TWP does support the careful application of the paddle in the elementary schools and will continue to do so as long as this blog is online. Please let us know what you think about TWP as well as what questions you may have- BUT BE RESPECTFUL!

SPECIAL NOTE: PARENTS

As we promised in PART I, this is our message to all the parents of elementary school children. Your kids are our students and we take that responsibility very seriously. The best way for educators and parents to work for the benefit of all students is by communicating with each other. This can be achieved by the following:

EARLY YEAR MEETING: By getting to know your child’s teacher early on, misunderstandings later may be avoided or minimized. All teachers wish that parents would do this and your child’s teacher will be very pleased if you come by the school for a get-to-know session. Also, the discipline beliefs of the teacher can be gaged- such as if she paddles or not and for what reasons. If you are opposed to paddling or have concerns- this early meeting is extremely important! Just remember, the typical teacher is uncomfortable with paddling and will certainly be willing to discuss your concerns in a RESPECTFUL manner.

OPT OUT/CONSENT FORMS: Since most teachers are reluctant to use the paddle, you should not have a problem with exempting your child. Do understand though that the opt out forms need to be given to the front office-not the teacher. Of course, your child’s teacher will appreciate your letting them know about the request and will seek to help out if there are questions. Do understand that the opt out concerns paddling only and the teacher will remind you that the oddds of your child being suspended greatly increase when the paddle option is eliminated because paddling almost always comes before suspension.

TEACHER’S PADDLE: If you are uncertain about paddling but do not want your child to be a candidate for suspension, it is o.k. to ask to see the paddle. Of course, you should ask in a non-confrontational tone due to the fact that teachers are sensitive to anti-c.p. criticism and, in fact, are a little embarrassed about them. When he/she shows the paddle, try not to humiliate them by gasping or other silly non-verbals because, contrary to popular myths, paddles are the least favorite classroom tool of teachers. Finally, if the paddle’s size seems too inappropriate, do not go “ballistic” on the teacher-he/she was probably given it with the room and desk. Instead, refer the teacher to our blog at TWP and offer to buy a more appropriate paddle. If the teacher refuses or cannot show it due to school policy, then turn in your signed opt-out papers to the office- the teacher will understand.

COMING NEXT: ABOUT US & FAQs

Dear Readers: The following is a brief sketch or outline of who we are, our personal thoughts about education, and some of what we do when not teaching. Of course, no traceable personal info will be found here and do not bother to ask. As we requested for your feedback to “humanize”, we have also done likewise.

RENEE (BLOG EDITOR)

AGE:29

COLLEGE: UNIVERSITY of GEORGIA, B.S. Degree, Elementary Education; M.S. Degree candidate, Educational Administration.

HONORS/ACTIVITIES: Pi Lambda Theta and Kappa Delta Pi honor societies, Alpha … … sorority, College Environmential Club.

BEST EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE: To see the eyes of a slower learner light up when they finally understand a concept.

WORST EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE: Dealing with the apathy of parents who do not care! Hey folks, they are YOUR kids- take some interest in their education.

FAVORITE NON-EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES: Hiking and off road motorcycling when not in aerobics workouts with contributors. (whew!)

JENNY (Contributor)

AGE:27

COLLEGE: AUBURN UNIVERSITY, B.S. Degree, Elementary Education.

HONORS/ACTIVITIES: Kappa Delta Pi, Delta … … sorority, Science Teachers Club, Biology Club.

BEST EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE:Taking my class on a field trip to the Atlanta Aquarium- Just seeing the look on their faces when they saw the whale was priceless!

WORST EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE: When my outdoor chemistry demo backfired and caused a bad odor to get into the school air vents- No harm- everyone just opened their windows for awhile.

FAVORITE NON-EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES: I have a passion for floor gymnastic that goes back to when I was only nine. While I can only do a little bit of that now, my floor dance routine is well known in my aerobics class. When not doing that, my newest passion is whitewater rafting! (Thankyou, Renee!)

WENDY (Contributor)

AGE: 25

COLLEGE: AUBURN UNIVERSITY, B.S. Degree, Elementary Education.

HONORS/ACTIVITIES: Kappa Delta Pi, Sigma … … sorority, Marching Band, Music Education Club.

BEST EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE: When my 1st year was over and all my students made grade and were promoted- I felt so proud- despite my rookie mistakes- they overcame them and achieved! (Hey Wendy- You did not do any worse than any other rookie ever did-including myself- so go easy on yourself!-editor)

WORST EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE: Explaining to some parents why homework that is due on Tuesday morning is LATE if turned in the next day.

FAVORITE NON-EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES: My favorite activity is distance running and as a former cross country runner, I still compete in 5K runs on weekends. I also love music and play the organ in my church.

MICHELLE

AGE: 24

COLLEGE: UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA, B.S. Degree, Elementary Education.

HONORS/ACTIVITIES:Kappa Delta Pi, Kappa … … sorority, Cheerleader, Finalist-State Miss Teen, Dance-a-thon charity coordinator.

BEST EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE: Every day – watching my students as they progress! I try to make each day a new learning experience for everyone.

WORST EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE:We all agreed to leave the subject of this blog out of ABOUT US but I cannot think of anything worse- having to paddle my students. My two worst days were when I had to paddle and I hope every day that the paddle will stay where I keep it- in my desk drawer! (We understand, sweetie- and Jenny, Wendy and myself all feel the same way!)

FAVORITE NON-EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES: Because of my background as a cheerleader, I have an affinity for aerobic exercise and have dragged my fellow contributors into it as well. As a co-instructor, three days a week, I have “whipped” Renee, Jenny, and Wendy into shape! (YEAH…RIGHT!-editor)

YOUR FAQ’S

Note To Readers: We at TWP have decided not to post comments but instead, to answer your comments, questions, and criticisms which we have received since the start of our blog. Do please READ our blog first before sending us your replies-It never ceases to amaze us how uninformed some comments have been!

Are you a “pro corporal punishment” site?

We expected this one- reader probably did not read the MISSION STATEMENT. We at TWP are a middle of the road blog. TWP believes that elected school boards must be the only ones that make school discipline policy. In that capacity, they, as representatives of their communities, should have the right to set all policies, including corporal punishment. However, TWP also believes that corporal punishment must be administered Judiciously, Moderately, and Sparingly.

Why do you advocate paddling children?- There are so many other positive options besides punishment.

Questions like that makes TWP wonder if people even know that all current educators have at least a 4 year college degree with one or more classes in classroom management. The blog contributors , all teachers, spend additional in service training twice a year on various methods of classroom management. As to paddling, we really use the paddle sparingly- SIX times all last year among the four of us. We practice what we preach and the paddle IS the last resort with us and we use it less than any of the other teachers in our school- as far as I know.

What do you think will happen if they take your paddles away?

Our schools will still be open for business as normal and we at TWP have the best, most supportive administrators anywhere! (Our principal is aware of and wholeheartedly agrees with TWP!) Anyway, the elimination of the paddle will not mean that the rules are thrown out. Rather, w/o the paddle as a last resort, the next option will be suspension and as educators, we hate the idea of children not being in school. The reason we all wanted to be teachers is to teach children IN THE CLASSROOM. Our school faculty is proud of the fact that all of our “kids” have been academically promoted each year-and w/o the high suspension rates of other schools and/or districts.

Why were you so shocked about the anti-c.p. web sites?-There are people who are opposed to paddling in schools.

No one who chooses to go into education is unaware of anti-c.p. opinions. The four of us attended three different universities and ALL of our professors were very opposed to the use of paddling in schools. The four of us did not take sides on the pro/con debate of c.p. but understood that some districts had it and others did not. We were not picky with where we ended up teaching at-we were just so thrilled to be teachers! We are not opposed to anti-c.p. sites- Everyone has a right to their opinion. We just feel that the poisonous venom of the “debate” such as referring to teachers who paddle as “sadist”, “perverts”, and worst of all as “rapists”( A dear friend of mine was a date rape victim in college so this is a sore point for me) is totally out of bounds. Instead of namecalling, the debate needs to be toned down and all sides need to be more civil towards other points of view.

What do you say to people who believe that non-paddling schools and districts are better academically than the ones that do use paddles?

One has to remember that -like individual students- every school district is different in its demographics (social, economic, cultural, ect.) and so to are the individual schools within larger districts. This is the reason most educators dislike academic comparisons between schools and/or districts. The same can be said for states and regions. We at TWP think it is unfair to compare a mostly rural and more economically disadvantaged district (our school district) with one that is urban inner-city or in a wealthier suburban area. Likewise, any cross country comparison of our school or district to schools or districts in California or New York would, in our opinion, be invalid because of the social, economic, and cultural differences.

Do you not believe that paddling leads to more school violence between children and/or violence against teachers by students?

No, TWP does not believe there is a direct correlation between violence in schools and the use of the paddle in school discipline. The last two years, I have attended national education convention/workshops and talked with teachers from around the U.S. I have been told in no uncertain terms that school violence is a problem that occurs in ALL types of schools. A couple of teacher friends of mine in a large urban district have faced violence themselves and yet their district abolished paddling years ago. As to our school, it is fairly placid but every once in a while, we have a tussle between some kids and we teachers- always on the lookout-break it up. And, fyi, we have never paddled any kid for minor scuffles-kids will be kids!

How can you be so mean as to force children to submit to your likes/dislikes by using a paddle?

Perhaps we could have worded that sentence better. Our intent was to focus on the teacher setting a tone at the start of the school year as to acceptable and unacceptable behavior. We constantly strive to make our classroom learning experiences as enjoyable and positive as possible. Regardless, our classes are not micro-democracies where the children vote out their teachers every morning and chaos reigns all day. I sometimes think our kids are better at accepting rules than some “adults” who have sent us their “feedback.” As to these rules- they are simple and fair- one has to overtly and CONTINUOUSLY break them before any usage of the paddle is contemplated- and the child is always forewarned about the paddle. In conclusion, with all that, none of our students should ever be paddled but a few are- because of their repeated and willful defiance of the school’s rules.

Why did you laugh at Ted Gup’s story of his abuse by a teacher? Is that not insensitive and unprofessional?

First, we were not laughing at Ted’s abusive paddling (We felt bad about what happened and consider it abusive) but rather at the idea of the “3 foot long paddle” and how “sharp” his memory was after 50 years. Second, the fact that he wrote about his “welts” and did not cry leads TWP to believe that Ted used some literary hyperbole in his account. If the story is true and had one of us been there, the paddling would have been stopped as soon as it started!

What do you say to people who claim that non-paddling teachers are better educated than paddlers?

We all had a good laugh at that one. All four of us were in education honor societies and will cede nothing on that point. The biggest problem for inexperienced teachers entering into the profession is that most end up teaching in the worst districts (urban), in the worst schools (inner-city), which have the least supportive administrators (teacher-friends tell us). Sadly, most of those teachers in non-paddle districts “wash-out” in their first or second year and leave the profession. The “survivors” transfer out to “lower-problem” schools and eventually accumulate years of experience. Hence, the smart tag means just “more experienced.” And remember- urban areas have larger populations and-as a result- more teachers. We at TWP think that a teacher, with 20 years experience in ANY school district, is “smarter” because of the years in the profession.

COMING NEXT: INTRODUCING A “ROOKIE” TEACHER TO THE PADDLE and YOUR FAQs

MICHELLE: Why are we meeting in here? This is not a classroom.

Wendy: I know dear but we need to work on something that Mr. Smith just touched on a little while ago… the use of the paddle in classroom discipline.

Michelle: I don’t know about y’all , but I am not using a paddle to…

Renee (me): Michelle dear, none of us likes or wants to use a paddle but after all the other options, including phone conferences with the parents, what is the next option? Sending the student to Mr. Smith? That will result in a suspension-Too many of those will reflect adversely on you!

Jenny: Remember what Mr.Smith said about taking charge of our own classrooms and not calling on him to be the “policeman” of the school?

Michelle: I know… but I can’t bear the thought of “beating” a kid for misbehaving. (In college, she heard all the anti-c.p. rhetoric in her education methodology classes!)

Renee (me): Listen to me, Michelle- You are not the first teacher to feel that way…I did too…But there was another teacher hired back when I was hired. She just flat out stated “I refuse to paddle students and will use all the other options instead.” Well, she set out doing that and when the other options eventually failed with a few kids, there was nothing left except “blowing her stack” and calling the office when she lost control altogether. It got to the point that she was calling the office and sending students to the office on a daily and even a hourly basis. The other teachers and Mr.Smith all tried to help her but she just lost control of her classroom and never got it back. Six weeks into the school year, Mr. Smith had to terminate her contract when he received too many complaints from the board and parents. Last I heard, she is out of teaching and is working as an insurance salesperson. After four years of college, do you want to sell insurance on commission?

Michelle: I understand what you are saying but I still hate the idea of…

Wendy: We do too…but we also have a job to do and part of that is control of the classroom.

Jenny: You may not ever need to paddle but I found out that it can deter the worst behavior of some students. Give me those large paint paddles, Wendy- from your “money pit” house project. (Wendy and her husband were trying to remodel a 100 year old house) They are so light and thin separately but stack them together with super glue and you have a very stingy 16″ paddle that is still light and will not break or bruise.

Michelle: it certainly is light but what that little drill for? Holes?

Renee (me): No- not what you think… just one hole for the handle. Jenny, hand me that drill. (Drilling) There! A hole so you can hang your new paddle on the wall…at no extra charge! (We all laughed)

Michelle: Thanks, but I think I’ll just keep it in my desk drawer.

Jenny: Whatever- but be sure to impress on the kids that you are no different than any other teacher…and that, if all else fails, there is the paddle. Let me have those clamps, Wendy…There- now leave them on overnight and your paddle will be ready by tomorrow.

Michelle:(Slapping paddle on her left hand palm) Ouch! It is stingy!

Jenny: (Giggling) Now Michelle…if you ever use it…apply to the lower seat of the pants! (We all laughed)

Renee (me) Alright y’all, lets leave it on this shelf overnight…Michelle-we better be on our way…following you if we want to make it to that aerobics class you recruited us to.

We then all left the school following Michelle, a truly reluctant paddler if I ever saw one, to her real favorite pastime- High impact aerobics. That first year was not easy for her but she made it. She only paddled one student in her 4th grade class and I witnessed it. Looking back, I think she took it worse than he did! I actually had to console her after sending Ricky back to class-He was sorrowful but the paddling (3 swats) was not hard. A more in-depth blog will recall Michelle’s first paddling- in the near future.

YOUR FAQ’s

What is the target audience of your blog? Elementary teachers? Teachers at large? American or worldwide?

The first thing to understand is the more limited scope of a blog like ours compared to a web site such as World Corporal Punishment Research. (See Blogroll for links) To compare the two would be like a mom-and-pop shop to the Wal Mart Corporation. We at TWP only have so much time to dedicate to this project and the scope of the latter is worldwide which is beyond our means. So, we set out to target the U.S. teachers first, with our perspective on c.p., and then the general internet audience. As to our elementary background-Of course that has an effect on our perspective, but not as much as one might think. Two of our contributors have connections to secondary education- one whose father is a high school coach in a nearby county and the other is married to a high school teacher. So while our own training is in elementary education, we do have some perspectives on secondary education as well.

With compulsory attendance laws already in place, why do you support the idea of hitting students?

For the record, please refer to the MISSION STATEMENT blog: We at TWP are neither “old school” nor “social anarchistic” in our philosophy. Rather, as a middle-of-the-road blog, we seek to be fair and balanced in our approach to a very difficult issue. As to compulsory education- that is one of three pillars supporting the entire education system in the U.S. today. The other pillars are “right to a universal free public education” and “teacher as authority figure” also known as in loco parentis. The first, compulsory education, actually predates the right to education and creates a captive audience in the classroom. In the last thirty years, the U.S. courts and the Congress have created the “right to an education” and courts have upheld “teacher authority” as to corporal punishment in Ingraham v. Wright .(1977) We believe that all three pillars have their place and if one is removed, the others will fail. A future blog will discuss the law of unintended consequences as to the loss of any of these three pillars.

How do you make a distinction between an abusive paddling and an appropriate one?

First, we encourage our readers to review IMPLEMENTS and TECHNIQUES which sets a foundation for answering this question. In addition, there is the immediate effect and the longer term considerations. The immediate effect should be a sharp sting that subsides almost as soon as student is returned to the classroom. This is the most important principle of our blog: The paddling must be limited to short and temporal physical pain (a shock) and a longer psychological effect (getting their attention and changing behavior). Where TWP differs with “old school” pro-paddlers is that the paddling must NOT have longer term residual effects- physical or psychological. For the physical (only a small part), there must be absolutely NO bruising or marks of any kind. This is why we only endorse lighter and thinner paddles. A good rule of thumb is: If child is paddled at 10:00 a.m., then if parent comes to the school at 3:00 p.m. and visually checks for bruising- there should be NO BRUISING FOUND other than a little pinkness- at the most. We at TWP call this the 10-3 rule. As to psychological effects- keep in mind that, as teachers, we still have to educate the child for the rest of the day and school year. So the second principle is that the teacher must reassure the child that he/she is not their enemy and that he/she hated to paddle them as much as they did receiving it. Another must is repeating the reason why the paddling occurred in a calm, reasoned voice. This applies to before carrying out a paddling as well as after: As the authority figure, the teacher must be in control of their temper at all times- ANGER IS NEVER ACCEPTABLE! Sometimes, it may be best to talk to the child later in the day when both sides have cooled off. You readers would be amazed how a few words make a HUGE difference to a child like “Lets put this behind us” or “No hard feeling,o.k….Lets make a fresh start…” (I prefer this one- Michelle was the originator)I have never observed any child that I have paddled to have negative resentment towards me or any other teacher after I have reassured them.

COMING NEXT: MICHELLE GIVES HER FIRST PADDLING

and

THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF A NATIONAL C.P. BAN

It was a brisk October Tuesday morning and my third grade class had just finished recess as the fourth graders under the watchful eyes of teachers Michelle and Jenny started theirs. Everything was normal and routine as I got my class settled down for their reading time. About ten minutes later, I heard a couple of knocks on my door.

“Can I see you for a moment, Renee,” whispered a frowning Michelle who stuck her head inside the doorway of my classroom. She held her lightweight 16″ x 3 1/2″ x 1/4″ paddle by the handle- the flat business side tucked under her right arm. She silently mouthed “Witness” as I stepped outside- observing the to-be-recipient looking downward at his shoes.

Ricky was the one student of Michelle that concerned me most. He and his friend Lou were the worst behaved in my class the prior year and I got Lou into Jenny’s class so at least the two might be separated during classtime-for Michelle’s sake. I had paddled both the previous year and it worked then but now?

“Ricky pushed a girl off the swing a few minutes ago- shes not hurt but for a few scratches,” Michelle intoned as her voice quivered.

“Lets go!” I replied as we turned in the direction of the teacher conference room. “Jenny’s covering recess?” I asked. Michelle nodded as we entered and I shut the door behind us.

“What do you have to say for yourself, buster?” I snapped. All Ricky could muster was a mumbled “Sorry.”

“Sorry?…Is that it?…Well, Ricky dear, ‘Sorry’ doesn’t cut it…not after you have been warned repeatedly about ‘rough play’ last year and this year!” I spoke sternly while observing a crestfallen Michelle- I just knew she was dreading what was to happen next.

As Michelle’s mentor, I took charge of the situation and ordered Ricky to bend over a small wooden stool. “Grip the stool seat, keep your head up, bend your knees a bit,” I ordered, and finished by asking, “Is there anything in your back pockets?”

Ricky just shook his head as I motioned for Michelle to stand at Ricky’s left side.

“Remember what I told you: Left hand on lower back…a little below the belt,…Now hold paddle and line up top edge just one inch below the top of the pockets…thats it, now hold paddle back 90 degrees, keep wrist loose and swing with the forearm and wrist together.

Michelle briefly closed her eyes and looked as if she wanted to be anywhere else but where she was. She then swung the paddle which landed with a “Pop” sound-and Ricky flinched.

Then Michelle , trembling slightly, swung again- connecting with a loud “Smack” which startled her-she would have dropped the paddle if it were not for the wrist strap-and caused Ricky to gasp and sniffle.

Michelle looked at me and I thought for a moment that she would cry. (Unbelievable!) As she looked at me, I silently held up one finger and mouthed “One more.”

I heard a sniff as Michelle nodded- she swung the paddle and soundly connected with a loud “SMACK” which Ricky gave a barely audible “Owww.”

Michelle then softly spoke while wiping a tear from one eye, “Ricky, turn around and look at me.” A flushed-faced Ricky looked up as his eyes welled up with tears. “Ricky, I had hoped to never use a paddle but I cannot let you get away with pushing other kids around during recess…understand?”

A tearful Ricky mumbled, “I’m sorry…please don’t paddle me any more!”

“Ricky, we are finished and your punishment is over- but no more shoving other people, o.k.?” When Ricky nodded, Michelle patted him on the shoulder and said, “No hard feelings,Ricky? Put this behind us?”

Then Ricky stepped forward and threw his arms around Michelle, startling her and myself. “I’ll be good…I promise!” Ricky proclaimed as I wisked him back to his classroom while Michelle recomposed herself.

Ricky was just fine and did not seem to have any ill effects from a well deserved, but rather mild, paddling. I had to reassure Michelle, who looked like she was the one who was paddled.

“Ricky will be o.k. and you need to move forward-Do not let this pull you down…alright?” I said while giving Michelle a hug.

All that Michell could say was, “I just hope that he will not hate me!”

“Ricky will be a little sore but by lunchtime- he will be back to normal- so please, don’t be so hard on yourself-you did what any other teacher here would have done,” I admonished as Michelle returned to her classroom.

She seemed sad but later that day I saw her one-on-one with Ricky and the sight was heart warming: Ricky was nodding with a smile and Michelle smiled back as she tapped him on the head. There were no more “Ricky problems” the rest of the year as well as no other paddlings by Michelle.

SPECIAL NOTE FROM MICHELLE: The two worst days in my teaching career were the days I had to use a paddle. In both instances, the student would have likely been suspended or perhaps sent to alternative school. Understand, my reputation is probably as a “soft” disciplinarian and I go out of my way to avoid punishing my “kids.” As for Ricky, his greatest fear was that I did not “like” him anymore! (HA HA) Well, as I reassured him, I also reminded him that, as his teacher, I had to treat him just like any of my other students. He seemed to understand- I had no major problems with Ricky the rest of the year.

THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF A NATIONAL C.P. BAN

(WASHINGTON, D.C., April 15,2018) A controversial rider in an appropriations bill takes effect at midnight tonight. This amendment bans all corporal punishment in U.S. schools, both public and private. Back in March, the 120 hour long filibuster was broken when a compromise was agreed to on a non-related highway bill. Reactions from around the nation were mixed and…

At PTARS (Parents and Teachers Against Rules in School) Headquarters, the celebration was on with champiagn freely flowing and aging rock diva Madonna rocking the night away. Jordan Ricks loudly proclaimed, “No more paddles, no more rules…Let freedom ring!” Peggy Dunn chimed in- proclaiming, “Burn, babee burn…Down with authority!”

Then a ghostly figure appeared in the middle of the dance floor, causing Madonna to scream as the music stopped- but it remained silent. “Who the #%%* are you!!” bellowed Jordan, “Someone call security..we have an intruder!!” The ghost calmly spoke, “Do not waste your breath…nothing can move me until I say what needs to be said and you, Mr. Ricks, will address me as The Ghost of Unintended Consequences.”

As Jordan and the others attempted to flee, the ghost declared, “All the doors and windows will be unopenable until I am finished…Jordan, you would not have this problem now if you had a real ‘debate’ on the corporal punishment issue-and namecalling does not count!” Jordan sat down angrily and yelled, “We won…the paddle war is over!”

The ghost then replied “Yes, you won a ‘victory’ of sorts- but it will be a very costly one.”

The ghost continued as the party turned tomb-silent:

“Before you decided to push a corporal punishment ban, did you not consider what the results might be… and I can assure you that it will not be anarchy in the classroom- no matter what your personal views are…Indeed, the reaction will not be what you think it will be.”

Then a rectangular shape appeared-resembling a t.v. screen. On it appeared a news anchor. ” June 30th 2021- The U.S. Supreme Court declared today in a 5-4 decision that the U.S. Constitution does not guarantee an unconditional right to a free and public education in the nation’s public schools,” intoned the newsman. “The historic decision, Roberts v. Smith (2021), originated in a school district in rural Alabama that decided, in the wake of the Corporal Punishment Ban Act of 2018, to use mass suspensions or as the School Director stated: If we cannot discipline them, then we will not educate them!” “The case centered around Malcolm Roberts III, a Michigan transfer, who was suspended three times in a year before his school district expelled him.” “When the district refused to take him back the next year, Malcolm Roberts III and his legal team from the ACLU sued in Federal Court and won before losing at the U.S. Court of Appeals last year.” “Our legal scholars have all stated, in so many words, that all schools are eventually going to set similar policies as the Alabama district and if America’s school children want an education- they will have to follow the ‘rules’, no exceptions.” “In the next story about…

“Hey, that is un-American!” Peggy Dunn blurted.

“Really?” the ghost replied, “Just remember two things- First, the U.S. Supreme Court is the nation’s highest court- no other court to appeal to and Second, after three years of unsettled legal battles in the aftermath of the ban law, the attitude of Congress will be: The Supreme Court has spoken- and that is that!”

“I guess you are finished then?…We can go back to our party?” chimed Jordan.

“No, Mr.Ricks, we are not finished yet… you are about to find out the consequences of 10% to 20% of the population not having an education.”

“Ughh, I think these lobster cakes are coming up on me…” Jordan gasped.

The ghost pointed to some headlines that appeared: “U.S. Murder Rate Highest in Nation’s History” and “100 U.S. Cities Under Martial Law as Drug Gangs Battle U.S. Army.”

“Here is an interesting quote,” said the ghostly figure. “‘Only 10 states left who have an unconditional right to a free public education, according to PTASS…”

“Who is PTASS, when does this take place and what states make up the elite ten?” Peggy asked.

The ghost chuckled and replied, “My dear Peggy, PTASS stands for Parents and Teachers Against School Suspensions and the states- all the ones you seem to admire the most-are the West coast states and the Yankee corridor of the northeast- and the ‘changes’ all take effect in just a few years after the Roberts decision.”

“In those ten states where teachers are merely seen as glorified babysitters, education has all but collapsed- the only working schools are those who are private and that is because the Federal courts will not allow the states to meddle with private school’s expulsion policies.”

“Across the nation, crime is so violent- with unschooled masses of people with no hope of decent employment in a brain-powered 21st Century economy that the Department of Homeland Security is setting up a permanent presence in our 100 largest cities with about 5,000,000 troops.”

“Well then…why doesn’t the Congress just pass a law requiring school attendance for everyone-without exception!” bellowed Jordan.

“Ha Ha Ha… you amuse me, Mr.Ricks,” the ghost laughed. “The Roberts decision is the law of the land and can only be overridden by an amendment to the U.S. Constitution!”

“What are the teachers doing about this?” Jordan groaned.

Then two images appeared- one of an older retired teacher and the other of a younger teacher

“I saw this coming as a 20 year veteran of schools and can remember what schooling was like before the c.p. ban and the Roberts decision- It was not perfect but we at least had children IN school and did not have 25 million people in U.S. prisons.” “I warned people that the elimination of paddling would not repeal rules and as a result of the ban- we got a massive increase over the years of suspensions and expulsions and…look what has happened over the last two decades- the world’s highest crime rate!”

The second younger teacher from a suspension/expulsion friendly state was asked if she was interested in going back to the old system of compulsory attendance with a re-legalization of c.p. She smiled and replied, “Thanks, but no thanks- I enjoy teaching children who WANT to learn- too much stress disciplining them.” She continued, “Let the police and the army deal with the anarchists- I’m a teacher- not a social reformer!”

“But what about all those people without an education? What happens to them?” Jordan stammered.

“For the ones who obey the law, poverty in a high tech 21st century society and…” replied the ghost.

“And?” Jordan asked.

“And for those who choose crime- there is prison, which will be a booming ‘business’ in the future- Mr. Ricks, future society will have no tolerance for criminals and anarchists!”

“But what about freedom and democracy…” blurted Peggy.

“Freedom is NOT free and it never was- RESPONSIBILITY is a prerequisite of freedom!” the ghost declared as doors and windows unlocked. Then the GHOST of Unintended Consequences vanished.

“He finally left…Lets party!” yelled Madonna as she began to sing.

(Sing to tune of “Poppa, don’t preach”)

POPPA DON’T PADDLE! I WANNA DO AS I PLEASE… POPPA DON’T PADDLE…I MADE UP MY MIND!… I’M A GONNA SMOKE POT ALLLLL DAY LLLONG! POPPA DON’T PADDLE…

“Somebody get me some Pepto-Bismol- I think I’m a gonna be sick!” Jordan moaned.

We had some fun with that story! It was our attempt at TWP to make a point about the issues our blog has taken on. While the story is meant to be amusing, the underlying issues are not. It is TWP’s position that if corporal punishment is totally banned, most schools will just go to suspension and expulsion as an alternative. Second, for those who would fight against this in the name of “a right to an education”- think again! Society at large will NOT sacrifice the education of the majority for the whims of a few. Third, in a worst case scenario, the 10% to 20% (uneducated population) will impose a REAL cost on society at large in crime, prison construction, and more police- just to list a few. One should carefully evaluate these considerations when considering the philosophies of anarchist and anti-c.p. web sites.

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