Not all teachers in Catholic schools were like that, although many nuns and a couple of lay teachers in my experience were. Some nuns were very congenial and never hit the students, as well as those lay teachers that didn't. One lay teacher , Miss DeCosmo, was a little harsh, banging the heads of students on the black board when they messed up, including mine. A Mr. Pisani, from the same school, was a very nice man. The only punishment he gave was detention, and everyone liked him. Rulers and erasers were used in that school also.