My school experiences back then
Firstly, let me talk about the good times, the stuff that actually made going to class somewhat bearable. For me, that was all about sports, no cap. Anytime we had P.E. or got to hit the field, I was lit! Football was my jam, no question. Scoring goals, celebrating with the squad, that feeling of running wild and free?
And don't even get me started on table tennis! I was a whole ping-pong prodigy back in the day. The way I could smash that little ball across the table with precision?it was a thing of beauty. Friendly games against the homies would get so competitive, but in the best way possible. Those sports were like an escape, you know? A moment to just be in the zone and have fun without stressing over academics.
But seriously, when I think about the not-so-good parts of school? That's when the stormy clouds start rolling in, for real. See, I went to public schools my whole life, and let's just say some of those teachers were straight out of line, no filter.
I'm talking full-on wicked behavior, the kind that would make your blood boil just thinking about it now. These folks had no chill when it came to disciplining students, and their favorite tool was that good ol' stick! I swear, they could probably beat for the whole continent of Africa with the amount of whippings they dished out on the regular.
It was wild, You could be slacking a tiny bit on your work, maybe talking to your neighbor for a second, and BAM! That wooden stick came raining down on you with no mercy. Didn't matter if it was in the middle of class or after, those beatings were like a twisted sport for some of them.
And we're not talking light taps either - no, they would wind up and let that stick crack down like they were trying to break bones or something. I still get shivers thinking about the welts and bruises some of us would sport after a real intense "disciplining" session.
It was straight up traumatic, no other way to put it. You'd be sitting in class low-key terrified, eyes glued to your work, praying you didn't give them even the smallest reason to come at you with that stick. The fear and stress were just constantly looming, putting a dark cloud over what was supposed to be a safe learning environment.
Don't get me wrong, I know some kids acted up and tested boundaries back then. But using that level of physical violence as the go-to punishment method? There's no justifying that, It just bred more anger, resentment, and cyclical issues rather than actually correcting behavior in a healthy way.
Looking back now, those wicked teachers really stained my whole school experience in a lot of ways. What was supposed to be a place where we could grow, make mistakes, and learn instead became this war zone where you were just trying to survive each day without catching another beating.
It's no wonder some kids got turned off from education entirely or started acting out even more in response to that harsh discipline style. When your main association with school is fear and physical pain, it's hard to enjoy the actual learning part, did you get what I am saying here?
But I kept pushing through it all for the few bright spots, like my love for sports and those moments of feeling free on the field or the court. That's what got me to the finish line and makes me grateful I can look back and laugh now, instead of just being stuck in anger and trauma from it all.
School was definitely a mixed bag for me - amazing highs, but also some serious lows that make me shake my head now. All I know is, having my own kids now , you best believe I'll be double checking the discipline policies at their schools! Can't be out here passing down those toxic cycles.
Thank you for reading my post