Cautionary tale to all the well I used to be Catholic and all the Nuns (which if you were paying attention are sisters, nuns are cloistered), were mean. Well duh! They were young, hormonal and many of them did not want to teach but in those days, they had teaching, nursing or missionary. Those were their only choices. So no wonder they were crabby!
I often call them by either designation, but you’re most likely right that nuns are cloistered. However, please don’t stereotype all Sisters as mean and crabby. Sure, some people have had trying experiences with them, but not everybody.
I must be one of the fortunate ones. I’ve had eight Sisters teach me over the years, and they were all wonderful people, kind and loving. Sure, some of those eight were stern sometimes, but they were never mean. I will admit I was afraid of the Principal, but it wasn’t because she was mean. It was because going to the Principal’s office usually meant something bad.
To be truthful, some of my favorite school memories are those with my Sisters. So much so that a few years ago, I searched for them and found the convent’s assisted living home for them. My sister and I went to visit them, and it was a wonderful reunion. We stay in touch now on a regular basis.
Crabby nuns? I really can only describe one nun I ever knew who could truly be described as ‘crabby’.
I can also attest to the large class size when I was young. My first 5 years in school K-4 wre4 in a public school where the classes at that time were about 30 kids. When I transferred to the new k-8 Catholic school, the classes were close to 50 kids.
However, in defense of today’s teachers, back in my days as a kid, the families were intact, the moms were at home, and any need for disciplining a child was usually met with support from the parents.