It depends how you viewed the teacher. If you liked and admired the person who was punishing you then you would probably understand why they did it. On the other hand if you had no respect for them in the first place, physical punishment would hardly then improve your opinion of them.
Informal punishments are in fact much more natural than formal ones. When the blood is hot! We are after all human and a child will usually understand that you have reached the end of your patience. To cold bloodedly beat a child in a ritualised way, sometimes days after the offence is a very different matter and could certainly be seen as abusive.