Gettin' Whacked

Several months ago when I gave my first demo at this cram school, I was shocked to see a guy walking up and down the aisle with a giant stick. He would use it to tap students on the shoulder if they weren't paying attention or doing homework from another class. After teaching there for a while, I got used to it. I even got used to whenever a student got whacked on the hand. I guess depending on the seriousness of what they did, they get whacked on either the palm, the back of the hand, or the wrist. I don't know which hurts worse, and I don't want to know.

Like I said, I was surprised to see this at first, but I eventually got used to it. You learn not to let the occasional whack interrupt your class. When I told Wei or some other Taiwanese about it, they looked a little surprised. I guess most cram schools are phasing this out. I never really liked the fact that this was happening and felt that it just distracts the students more when Mr. Ramrod is walking up and down the rows carrying his Stick of Discipline while I'm trying to teach.

I never liked it until today.

Yes, it's a bunch of Junior High kids who don't care and think that their dramas come before their education. Everyone went through that. But when I tell everyone to repeat after me, then repeat, dammit! When I write aisle on the board and ask you how to pronounce this word because you keep screwing it up, then don't be a smart-ass and say, "apple."

When that happened I just stared at him. The teaching assistant ran over and told him to stand up. He became one of many in the classroom standing there waiting for the Bludgeon of Retribution. And finally it came.

Whack! Whack! Whack! Whack! Whack!

Suddenly they were more than happy to repeat.

Jason