School punishment

[Schnookypachooky]

Aibu to think that it’s abusive to make a class of 7 year olds sit for 20 minutes without being allowed to do anything at all as punishment because they were too noisy?

I wouldn’t say it was abusive, no.

No I don't think it's "abusive".
not particularly constructive perhaps, but they must have ignored a few other attempts to make them behave!

I wouldn't say it's great behaviour management, but not "abusive".

I don't see it as a reasonable (or effective) sanction, no, and I wouldn't ever do it.
But abusive? No.

Not abusive, you can’t say sitting in silence for 20 minutes caused them any harm, can you?
I don’t think it’ll be effective though and seems a lazy form of discipline.

Not good behaviour management, not abusive.

No. It’s a punishment. It is meant to be dull and unenjoyable.

The term ‘abusive’ is thrown around so much that it’s verging on offensive. I’m sure a real victim of abuse would not appreciate their suffering being compared to a child sitting on their chair and not being rowdy for 20 minutes.

No it's not abusive. It's boring. It's designed to make them choose not to experience such dullness again by shutting up in class and listening.

Of course it's not "abusive" - it's a punishment and as such, not meant to be enjoyable.

I never did this myself as a teacher but have the utmost sympathy for any teacher whose class wound her up this much that she resorted to it!

Why do people insist on throwing these serious words around, making them buzz words and basically watering down the original meaning so now they mean nothing. Obviously, that is not 'abusive'

Not abusive.

Not ideal either but if it’s a one off I wouldn’t be doing / saying anything about it. If repeated, I might feel the need to discuss with teacher / head.

@Spookypig agree on ‘abusive’ being thrown around so much!

I imagine it’s incredibly hard for teachers to control their class if parents phone up hysterical about ‘abuse’ over ever little thing and undermining any disciple in the classroom.

Definitely not abusive

they have not suffered any harm

being bored is not abuse

Abusive to sit quietly for 20 minutes?!

It's no wonder they're badly behaved if they've got parents who think that's abusive!

Abusive no, unreasonable yes.

PMSL 🤣

20 mins sat quietly is the perfect way to calm them down and assure the rest of the day proceeds the same way.

I don’t think it’s constructive or terribly realistic (my child is incapable of sitting still in silence for twenty min if his life depended on it), and I hate whole class punishments for things, but it’s hardly abusive or traumatising.

Exactly.
Good for the DC to control themselves, reflect and look inwards for a short period of time.
Very strange OP.

Speaking as a teacher of that same age group, no, it's not abusive, but it IS a waste of time. I might do something similar, but for 5 minutes. Certainly not 20.
It sounds like a teacher who was thoroughly fed up, and all previous attempts to shut them had failed.

Of course it's not abusive. Why does every little attempt at discipline end up by being abusive?
Shouting - abuse
Isolation - abuse
Naughty step - abuse
No wonder so many schools are bear pits of uncontrollable children. Read the recent thread about the supply teacher.

When I went to school back in the fifties, children got the cane for talking. I'm not advocating going back to that, but I think today's society, in general, has become too permissive, resulting in entitled children and parents.

Doesn't sound like a great teacher.

I disagree that controlling yourself and being calm and reflecting is a waste of time.

20 minutes seems a bit over the top. Are you sure that the teacher made them sit quietly for a whole 20 minutes and not 5 minutes? Were you there? Or did a child tell you that it was 20 minutes (5 minutes could feel like 20 minutes to a child who is made to sit still and do nothing)?

Being quiet for 20 mins is not abusive.