Some kids need to be hit. If conventional discipline isn't working, and a reasonable amount of hitting manages to reform the kid, it's your moral imperative to hit that kid. If it's best for the kid, you shouldn't let squeamishness stand in the way of an important lesson.

Would you prefer the kid to grow up irresponsible? Or to bear a few bruises for a few months until they learn to change their behavior(which would stop the hits from coming) and come out the better for it? The punishment shouldn't be permanently damaging, and that's why we cane/whip/slap kids on the ass. Nothing to damage there, but it still gets across the lesson that some lines are not meant to be crossed.

There is a stigma on hitting a child. This stems from parents who beat children for no reason. These people are absolutely in the wrong. But it doesn't mean that kids should never be hit.

There are kids in detention that seem to always be the same kids in detention. Obviously such punishment is not working. A teacher that would hit that kid is a better teacher than one who'd just shrug, tuck the kid away in detention, and just wait until the kid graduates to a crappy job, or drops out to a crappy job.

Wow, I'm a teacher and the kids I teach (those with extreme behavioural disorders) I'm more afraid of them trying to kill me, than the other way around. I've never encountered a teacher who resorted to hitting or name calling. Often, I found that it's the other way around. One of my friends, she was punched in the face by one of her male students and she had to go to the hospital - and because he's underage and a student, she couldn't even file assault charges. However, if it was the other way around, the student can file charges and sue the school board. I myself have been threatened a few times - just the other day, one of my students threatened me that I better watch out because he's going to get some of the people he knows to beat me. Another time, a student told me he hates me and is thinking about killing me, he didn't as he transferred schools (thank god). A lot of the teachers who have been teaching for years (I'm a newbie) had told me that more children nowadays are quicker to resort to violence than before and that they believe they're entitled to things that they don't even earn...

I don't think teachers should take physical actions against their students. A good spanking here and there might I repeat might be useful, but that really isn't the sort of thing a teacher should decide. They only know the student on a short-term one-sided level. I figure if a student is interferring with class they should sit out in the cold hall to be mocked by those passing by or sent to the office or put intention. I don't think it is a teacher's responsibility to worry about any child's future. Their job is to teach their subject. Some people want to make teachers responsible for life-lessons or a child's future job. That is a parent or guardian's responsibility. My tax money goes to schools to educate children in subjects not to raise them for me. If a child doesn't want to learn that is fine. Let them sleep in class. They'll fail or not by their own will. I figure a good teacher is one who offers the best information available in the best environment available. If a child is rude and disrespectful, throw them out of class otherwise just do the best you can. Teacher's are only human. It is asking way too much of them to expect them to reform all our problem children. If you've got 25 children in your class, how can you be expected to work miracles with them all. They got your class with a problem. Why should you suddenly have to fix them. I just don't think discipline is a teacher's responsibility.

wolfco

I don't think it is a teacher's responsibility to worry about any child's future. Their job is to teach their subject. Some people want to make teachers responsible for life-lessons or a child's future job. That is a parent or guardian's responsibility. My tax money goes to schools to educate children in subjects not to raise them for me. If a child doesn't want to learn that is fine. Let them sleep in class. They'll fail or not by their own will. I figure a good teacher is one who offers the best information available in the best environment available. If a child is rude and disrespectful, throw them out of class otherwise just do the best you can. Teacher's are only human. It is asking way too much of them to expect them to reform all our problem children. If you've got 25 children in your class, how can you be expected to work miracles with them all. They got your class with a problem. Why should you suddenly have to fix them. I just don't think discipline is a teacher's responsibility.

I wish - a lot of the parents don't do their job so we have to pick up the slack for them. The point is - I like to think that this child is the best that the parents are sending to the schools, it's sad but true. So it makes teaching a lot easier when I think that way - poor home environment plus a shallow gene pool..lol...Most of the time, teachers don't really teach - we're asked to be social workers, psychologists, and parents. The last thing we do is teach.

I think its terabal and the teacher should be fired from his work for it or go to jail and learn his lesson.

Teachers have no right to do that to students unless for self defense. I know there are students who really need to be taught a lesson for being disrespectful but not physically,problem with some teachers just because they are given a right to discipline students they abuse it. Not even thinking about the fact that it's the students who are paying not them geez -_-

The students and the teachers protrayal of events are always going to be different, but in this case i think he was being a little harsh.

One of my friends punched a teacher once and got into trouble but the school never suspended him permanently which they should have done. In another case one of the teachers slapped a girl and got suspended permanently a few years before that event.

In any case i think teachers should be given the right to displine students again with the cane also, since classes are now out of control and it is a very difficult environment to learn in.

I also think capital punishment should be brought back also.

I do believe that kids need discipline but not from a teacher. I think they need to allow parents to RESONABLY punish there children. I know when i aws younger and i messed up pretty bad, "like calling my mom the F word for the first time" She slapped me silly and i knew from that point on not to do it. Kids are so protected by laws today that parents can't punish their childre so they think they can get away with murder. in some cases literally... I don't really know wher I am going with this so I will just end it now...

That's just mean O.o some teachers just cant put up with students anymore. Some of them have an Anger Management problem [BTW, that was a funny movie -lol Anger Management] ...[although, plenty of people have that problem too -lol even me sometimes] Like my math teaher, last year, the whole class was confused on how to do the lesson, she says "C'mon you guys! this problem is so easy if you just listened! What are you stupid?!" Its really scary when she gets mad! XD

Although I think kids need more discipline these days (omg, my elementary school was wreck >_>) I don't think it's right for them to be hit by teachers or vice-versa. Pretty soon, someone will take advantage of it and it'll turn into abuse. And you can't trust every teacher. I don't really believe in going to the extreme to get things straight or harsh punishments. But that's just me.

Slap the kids down!!

Given the circumtances, the teacher was in the clear, IMO...most people today focus only on freedoms and rights, while forgetting completely about responsibility and consequences...on the other hand, if a student gets smacked and did nothing to deserve it, an eye for an eye, i say...

Severe Punishment for Students is definately right IMO. I mean, when I see some Kidz nowadays, and their astonishing overconfident, naughty behavior in result of disrespecting older People... I can sometimes shake my head in disbelief, fortunately in my familyhood and relative circles that hasn't been the case yet.
The majority of kidz these days have lost important morals, and Children with a proper behaviour, that most Kidz and Teens consider "old-fashioned" uncool, will have a harder time than in the past days. And the bad thing is, a lot of parents of today cannot control their Kid'z bad behavior anymore, be it because of work in result of short time for their kidz, or because they were bad kidz too in their younger days...
I've heard that in some American High Schools, Adolescens don't even hold anything back saying "F&%$ you Teacher" to the Teacher,... which IMO is still not harmful, only verbally harming maybe... but when Students attack teacher, I mean when I hear those stories, I get a shock. And in addition to that is the fact that many US-citizens among us have already mentioned... "U cannot under US-Law mistreat a minor underage Person... yaddaddaddaddaaaaa....."

Its illegal for a start. Any teacher who strikes students is little more than scum and should be treated as such. I'll stop myself at that, so as not to rant on about them.

puppychow16

There isnt really a need for physical discipline if youre taught right at home. Scolding and class humiliation is enough to scar a kid. If a teacher were to provoke and strike a child past the 7th grade, he'd find a gang of kids waiting for him after school to either kick his ass, steal his car, shoot his head, etc... It'd be ugly this day and age.

This wouldn't happen here. Where do you live to have such violent children?