When scratch and sniff first appeared in books and magazines and other fun places, I thought it had great cartoon potential. Imagined a dog sending another dog a greeting card, which was, naturally, scratch and sniff.
I hear this about the teachers who were nuns, back in the day. How cruel they were. Anyone ever ask why this was? Just why were these nuns so bent on classroom hands on punishment?
Nuns weren’t the only ones who publicly punished in class. I had a male 5th grade teacher who had a large paddle propped on the blackboard as a warning about behavior. He used it occasionally, too. That was when children were expected to behave in class and were held accountable for their behavior. Today we coddle the little darlings and as a result the classes are disrupted constantly and by the time high school rolls around the “rowdy” kids think nothing of treating the teachers like another victim.
The nuns that I encountered throughout the 60s didn’t use corporal punishment as such-it was more the threat-i.e. the crack of the pointer on the desk. They were more into shaming punishments-messy desks were tipped and contents dumped on the floor, misbehavior was addressed by being made to stand with your nose in the corner at the front of the room while standing in the wastebasket. Of course you would be facing the statue of the Blessed Virgin that was standard in every classroom so, as the nuns put it-you knew what a disappointment you were to the mother of God and by implication to your own parents. As for scratch and sniff-one nun had a set of rubber stamps of angels-some had laudatory comments while others were along the line of “You didn’t try” or “You could do better”. Of course this just blended well with the overall culture of guilt that was emphasized at that time in the Roman Catholic Church.
Guess I was lucky to be in the Chicago public school system back in the day. I never had a teacher who either shamed me or resorted to corporal punishment. As a result I had a very positive feeling about school (until high school, of course, but that’s a different story! and not about teachers).
We had to line up while Monsignor would go over our report cards, one at a time. Our classes had well over 40 students each, and everyone knew if you were good or bad at something. I hated parochial school.
I went to public school and was a pretty happy kid until I was put in the “Advanced” class in 5th grade, combining kids from our elementary school with the one in the closest district. The teacher was a loud and bombastic woman who based most of our grade on class participation. She was a hunter and fisherman (small Western PA town) and completed intimidated me from day one – I clammed up almost totally in her presence and became one of a couple unpopular kids the others picked on, and she encouraged it. I still remember her tapping me on the head with an empty plastic milk jug when I froze after being asked a question and loudly proclaiming, “Sounds pretty empty in there” while the rest of the class laughed. I got the only 2 “Ds” of my life in her class, and those were the days when the parents assumed it was all your fault and the teacher was always right. Thankfully, my 6th grade teacher was her polar opposite, warm and caring. We are Facebook friends and political opposites and tussle every so often on our beliefs but I will always remember him fondly. I never knew what happened to Ethel the hunter (and her buckskin jacket from a deer she shot herself), but I was just glad to make it through her class. BTW, I’m a former practicing physician and current medical writer and educator, so I guess my head wasn’t that empty after all.
Had a math teacher who would verbally abuse those who didn’t do as well as some others. My mother — half his size — walked into the class and gave him what for. He actually stopped doing it.
Scratch-and-sniff in school? Aside from the fact that not everyone appreciates the same odors (“why are you punishing me for doing well?”), I know more than one person who would have suffered an asthma attack just from others doing the scratching and sniffing.
Templo S.U.D. over 8 years ago
Elizabeth so needs a parent-teacher conference.
El-Kabong over 8 years ago
So it began.
tripwire45 over 8 years ago
So, teaching the kids about inhalants early, eh?
Atewl over 8 years ago
Lynn’s Notes:
When scratch and sniff first appeared in books and magazines and other fun places, I thought it had great cartoon potential. Imagined a dog sending another dog a greeting card, which was, naturally, scratch and sniff.
summerdog86 over 8 years ago
I hear this about the teachers who were nuns, back in the day. How cruel they were. Anyone ever ask why this was? Just why were these nuns so bent on classroom hands on punishment?
JanLC over 8 years ago
Nuns weren’t the only ones who publicly punished in class. I had a male 5th grade teacher who had a large paddle propped on the blackboard as a warning about behavior. He used it occasionally, too. That was when children were expected to behave in class and were held accountable for their behavior. Today we coddle the little darlings and as a result the classes are disrupted constantly and by the time high school rolls around the “rowdy” kids think nothing of treating the teachers like another victim.
Khatkhattu Premium Member over 8 years ago
The nuns that I encountered throughout the 60s didn’t use corporal punishment as such-it was more the threat-i.e. the crack of the pointer on the desk. They were more into shaming punishments-messy desks were tipped and contents dumped on the floor, misbehavior was addressed by being made to stand with your nose in the corner at the front of the room while standing in the wastebasket. Of course you would be facing the statue of the Blessed Virgin that was standard in every classroom so, as the nuns put it-you knew what a disappointment you were to the mother of God and by implication to your own parents. As for scratch and sniff-one nun had a set of rubber stamps of angels-some had laudatory comments while others were along the line of “You didn’t try” or “You could do better”. Of course this just blended well with the overall culture of guilt that was emphasized at that time in the Roman Catholic Church.
Ginny Premium Member over 8 years ago
Guess I was lucky to be in the Chicago public school system back in the day. I never had a teacher who either shamed me or resorted to corporal punishment. As a result I had a very positive feeling about school (until high school, of course, but that’s a different story! and not about teachers).
Petemejia77 over 8 years ago
The last panel as a stand alone makes a great, weird comic!
hippogriff over 8 years ago
Kim RobertsSister Mary Alice? That’s my cousin! Strange having a sister for a cousin, especially when you are Protestant clergy.
route66paul over 8 years ago
We had to line up while Monsignor would go over our report cards, one at a time. Our classes had well over 40 students each, and everyone knew if you were good or bad at something. I hated parochial school.
drbeth over 8 years ago
I went to public school and was a pretty happy kid until I was put in the “Advanced” class in 5th grade, combining kids from our elementary school with the one in the closest district. The teacher was a loud and bombastic woman who based most of our grade on class participation. She was a hunter and fisherman (small Western PA town) and completed intimidated me from day one – I clammed up almost totally in her presence and became one of a couple unpopular kids the others picked on, and she encouraged it. I still remember her tapping me on the head with an empty plastic milk jug when I froze after being asked a question and loudly proclaiming, “Sounds pretty empty in there” while the rest of the class laughed. I got the only 2 “Ds” of my life in her class, and those were the days when the parents assumed it was all your fault and the teacher was always right. Thankfully, my 6th grade teacher was her polar opposite, warm and caring. We are Facebook friends and political opposites and tussle every so often on our beliefs but I will always remember him fondly. I never knew what happened to Ethel the hunter (and her buckskin jacket from a deer she shot herself), but I was just glad to make it through her class. BTW, I’m a former practicing physician and current medical writer and educator, so I guess my head wasn’t that empty after all.
rfeinberg over 8 years ago
Because you’re an idiot, Elizabeth!
Dragoncat over 8 years ago
Once again, Elizabeth is singled out.
the borg over 8 years ago
i never nun of that.
lastdraft over 8 years ago
Sister Agnes Catherine, the only person I know who could make her eyes square!
ComicsR4Fun Premium Member over 8 years ago
@Rich240 No, the teacher is an idiot!
gammaguy over 8 years ago
Had a math teacher who would verbally abuse those who didn’t do as well as some others. My mother — half his size — walked into the class and gave him what for. He actually stopped doing it.
gammaguy over 8 years ago
Scratch-and-sniff in school? Aside from the fact that not everyone appreciates the same odors (“why are you punishing me for doing well?”), I know more than one person who would have suffered an asthma attack just from others doing the scratching and sniffing.