During the 1980s, when I was in the third grade, I got a paddling from my class teacher. Some tattle-tale of a kid had apparently told the janitor that I had done something bad in a bathroom. In turn, I tattled on another kid for doing the same thing that I had been accused of doing – I guess misery loves company.
The other boy and I were told to not go to recess after eating our lunch – we had to remain in the cafeteria. Eventually my class teacher and janitor arrived. I knew we were in for it, and my heart started racing.
We all headed to the teacher’s classroom, and once there she retrieved a wooden paddle from her cabinet. It wasn’t all that long, but it was wide and thick.
I began to cry and begged my teacher not to paddle me. She replied: “I’m sorry I have to paddle you, David – but this has to be done. It will soon be over with. Bend over that desk, please.”
I reluctantly complied, sticking my bottom out obediently for the punishment. Then, whack! It hurt like the dickens! I tried to stand up, but felt my teacher’s hand firmly in the small of my back, bending me back over. “One more,” she said. Whack! My young bottom was on fire once both swats had been applied.
I was told to sit down at a desk nearby, which I did rather gingerly. It didn’t exactly hurt to sit but my bottom was really warm – and it stayed warm for a long time, believe me.
The teacher got the other boy in position for his two swats. I noticed that she swung the paddle with both hands, delivering two powerful swats to the boy’s posterior. Although neither of us cried at the punishment, the other boy did yelp out loud after one of his swats – I can’t remember which.
The janitor acted as a witness, and he smiled with something like sadistic glee while he watched the paddlings being administered.
Once the spankings were over, the other boy and I had to remain in the classroom – no recess for us. Interestingly, my teacher told me not to tell anyone that I had been paddled. I’m not sure why, but anyhow I didn’t listen to her. At least, I told lots of kids that I had been spanked. Thankfully, this was the only time I experienced the paddle in school.
Contributor: David