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MaamJay -> RE: Physical Punishments (3/21/2008 7:26:01 AM)
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In a totally different context, it also worked on a whole class of unruly teenagers! It had been a battle for nearly the first half of the year, and as an experienced teacher, I had tried everything I could think of. Things would improve for a lesson or 2 and then deteriorate again. Being in My more religious period, I took it to My prayer group ... during prayer, I had a kind of dream ... I saw myself saying to this class "It's my fault, I haven't been fair to you, I have compared you unfavourably with my other class, you think I hate you but I love you". Despite the fact that it played over 3 times ... what I didn't see in the dream was their reaction! (Gee thanks God [:D], guess there's only one way to know!) Well ... I'll tell you, that was damned scary! I sweated on it overnight ... went to class the next day. The usual unruliness. I remember swallowing, thinking to myself "it's now or never" ... took a deep breath ... and I said it. They were literally gobsmacked. Deathly hush for a moment ... then came the responses. "Oh no Miss, it's not all your fault." "We've not done the right thing by you". "We've not given you a chance". And finally ... "Do you really love us? I mean, do you really care?" The whole of that lesson was spent working out a new way of being in that classroom, new rules, new places, new ways to learn. Next day ... was awesome, a whole lesson of actually teaching and learning! Then it was holidays. I admit I thought ... oh, they'll forget about it over two weeks. But next term I walked in, everyone was taking their new places (some had volunteered to move in the new plan) ... books were being opened ... it was amazing. We got so much done in the next 2 terms that some I had feared would fail, came well over the pass line. And I don't think I ever got more hugs at the end of the year as I got from that class.
It was a lesson I have never forgotten ... and while I wouldn't use it ad hoc with a sub, I would always examine Myself carefully to see how I may have contributed to their errant ways ... and owning up to that certainly can shake them!
Maam Jay aka violet[A]
PS as a sub i get very remorseful ... at the beginning it would almost scare Master away from saying anything critical as He hated to see me that upset! Over time, W/we have worked out a suitable balance between His ability to chastise and my ability to accept it, and be more appropriately remorseful. On the odd occasion when He has taken the blame upon Himself ... it has had just such an effect on me!
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