Lasting Impressions All The Way Back to Kindergarten
Today was the first school day for our local community kids. I was reminded of that when on the evening news the Superintendent of Schools was being interviewed. She was explaining how the use of Smartboards in classrooms were important tools to encourage class participation. She discussed the day's exercise where she was trying to get the kids to communicate their emotions on going back to school. With the smartboard, they were able to interact with her to complete the exercize, tracking their emotions.
I remembered my first day of school as a Kindergartener. My first day was a scary one, something I'd remember always, something that left a lasting impression. Back in those days, the teachers had more control and discipline within the classroom. 
I remember my mother had shared a story with me while growing up. She told me that when she was in school, the teacher (or nun) would slap the hands of kids that used their left hand to write.
Well, back to my Kindergarten experience, I remember clearly as if it were just yesterday, the teacher actually banged two kids' heads together. She was trying to maintain some sense of order in the class. Two kids in particular were acting up, so she literally took the two kids and banged their heads together. Unbelievable, right, but it happened, and I'll never forget it. It put the "fear of God" in me or "fear of your teacher". Gosh, if teachers reacted that way today, there'd be lawsuits galore.
We've certainly come a long way, and this experience, whether positive or negative, left an impression. It's unfortunate that the teacher had to use force to get control in her classroom. I wonder what happened to those two kids and where are they today?
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