Old school punishment

A few years ago, students, along with the help of a handy parent, built a set of foot stocks for our production of King Lear, complete with latch and padlock.

In the play, the Earl of Kent, disguised as a lowly messenger, is placed outside the Earl of Gloucester’s castle by Reagan and her husband, the Duke of Albany, in an effort to dishonor Lear.

The design and construction of these foot stocks are first rate. They actually work. Place your ankles in the semi-circular cuts in the bottom section of the stocks, lower the top piece, lock them up, and your feet – and you – are trapped until someone releases you.

Not that I’ve ever done this.

At least not in a long, long time.

Even so, the mere presence of these foot stocks in my classroom make my principal nervous. Even after I assured him that I wasn’t locking children up for punishment or amusement, he asked more than one of my students if I’d placed any of them in the foot stocks this year.

They said yes, of course. Just to mess with him.

All of this makes me feel he’s not going allow me to bring the more traditional set of stocks – like these – into the classroom, even though the kids – like Charlie – would think it’s hilarious.

Administrators can be so fussy.