I used the cane and I now wonder if I was right to do so.

I was a teacher from the late 1960s until the late 1980s - a fairly short career as these things go although I was quite successful - spent my last few years as a Head Teacher.

Part of my job was to use corporal punishment. I believed then that I was doing this in the best interests of the children I taught and I'd like to continue to believe that. But I find myself in a world now where we're constantly being told this was bad for children and that worries me immensely. I just can't reconcile it with what I saw as a teacher. I saw it work. I saw it turn children around. I saw it help children. I really do think that's true. But I take psychological and pedagogical research seriously and I can't reconcile it with what I saw myself.

I am honestly horrified at the idea I might have harmed these children.

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Miram · 31-35, F

Although I am not going to flag this thread because perhaps you're honestly trying to evaluate your past actions, comments in this thread justifying or encouraging violence against children will be flagged because it is against the TOS.

Whoever recommended this website to you for THIS particular topic should have explained you need to moderate this thread.

patioratio · 70-79, M

@Miram I'm happy to try and moderate. I was worried I'd be accused of trying to silence people.

Miram · 31-35, F

@patioratio

You will be accused of many things.

But one has to consider the bigger picture. The aggression you're facing comes from having to fight and limit a base of sadists that been taking advantage of anonymity to normalize behaviors that affect many negatively.

We have three groups.

-People who need to discuss this to make amends with their past actions.

-And we have people recovering from trauma, using this place as an outlet. And some of them responded to this thread.

-And we have people who hinder that recovery through many means.

The first group has to be considerate if they truly care to process the consequences. They are faced with much more responsibility because they have to be aware that some will without a doubt use this as an outlet to victimize those who were harmed by past notions of discipline.

As someone with a background in didactics and psychopedagy, I understand that many questions sadly required time and research to be answered to. Yes, yesterday such methods were seen as an ordinary part of classroom management but today we know better.

Saving just a few kids from life long trauma is worth it, even if there are those who weren't harmed by those ways.