200704216 Jeon Hyung Min

 

Physical Punishment Vs Sense of Duty

200704216

Jeon Hyung Min

 

Controversies over physical punishments have been issued for a long time in Korea. Pros and cons are carrying and holding their views to one another. Corporal punishments might bring good control of students to teachers, which will eventually make the school environment more controlled, arranged and in order. Inflicting physical pains to students, however, could make students feel humiliated, mortified and insulted. Still, it's not quite sure which is better way for the school education but, in my case, physical punishments definitely proved its point.

 

           In my middle school years, I met an English teacher who was actually a newcomer and young. He was so passionate about the way he taught us that very often he hit students in classes with a strong stick he always carried. Every class, we had to take word tests and sometimes we were called our name, brought onto the stage standing in front of the black board and solved grammar questions. When we were not able to correct the questions, the fearful strong stick was wielded on our butts. English class was literally a horror to all of us. But what was really interesting was that all students started studying English before and after classes. It was really easy to find a student carrying English word memos in shirt pockets and memorizing English words sitting on school benches or in classes. I was one of those who studied English only to avoid physical punishments at that time and I was also one of those who hated the English teacher and even cursed him every time got punishments.

 

After my middle school years, however, my ill feelings toward him got changed quite gradually. I entered high school and there I realized how valuable and important lessons he gave us were. English turned out to be the strongest subject to me. I became very confident of English and I even started to think that I would become an English interpreter in my later life. Even though my English study began only to avoid physical punishments, I actually gained what I desperately needed. Maybe to some of my middle school friends, the English teacher was just a Grim Reaper but, to me, he was a great teacher with full sense of duty.