I am blessed with a teenage son. He is eighteen years old, on the cusp of adulthood. If he knew I was writing this he would shake his head in disbelief and walk away.
As a substitute teacher I see the best and worst in teenagers. By the best, I mean amazingly sweet, caring, intelligent young people with a curiosity for learning and a respect for adults. Once I was teaching home economics when I saw a completely blind boy nonchalantly chopping vegetables. I was floored, and admittedly a little nervous (I checked to see if there were any band aids, but didn't need them). When I can carry on a thoughtful, interesting conversation with a young mind, or witness a remarkable feat, such as that of the blind boy chopping away, it is truly a wonderful feeling and makes teaching worthwhile. The news is filled with stories of industrious teenagers who are involved with the community and go out of their way to help people.
On the other side of the spectrum, however, there are some kids who are rude, insensitive and obnoxious. I am not pulling any punches, here, as you can tell. A lot of the time their attitude is non-verbal, with a roll of the eyes, a nasty glare, or a turn of the head (mostly a girl's form of communication). Boys tend to shout, stomp their feet, throw things, or just completely ignore you. Sometimes they curse out loud and think it's funny. When confronted with these defiant actions, what is a person to do?
Unfortunately, I believe the odds are against adults these days for two reasons. The first is an over abundance of instant gratification and distractions. It is too easy nowadays for kids to "tune out" -- with the iPods, cell phones, etc., that lure kids (and some adults, too, while we're at it) away from their studies and meaningful human interaction. Isn't it a no-brainer that many teenagers turn a deaf ear to an adult when they can find solace in their music or texting? I have even given up monitoring the iPods and cell phones in classrooms because they are so prevalent; it is "mission impossible" trying to control technology without losing my mind.
The gadgets that define this generation are a paradox. They have provided both a depth and breadth of information and knowledge way beyond the encyclopedias of yore, yet, at the same time, they have isolated many people and stunted their social growth. In schools, this social deficiency manifests in a lack of manners and basic human decency. Sometimes I find myself sounding like a little old lady when I solemnly proclaim, "Back in my day, students treated their teachers with respect."
Which leads to problem number two. I DO remember sitting in my seat, obediently facing front and taking notes while my English teacher, Mrs. Young, lectured to us about "Wuthering Heights" and "The Scarlet Letter". We didn't dare interrupt her, question her authority, or throw things...we were SCARED of her! We were terrified of getting into trouble! By the way, Mrs. Young was not a mean person, either. We just knew she was the Boss. All of my teachers were the bosses.
Today many teachers (and parents!) are afraid to exert their authority. They want to be liked by their students (children) and will pal around with them in a way that was uncommon in my day. (The exception to this was my journalism class, where our teacher was considered "cool" before it was in for a teacher to be cool; she let us do whatever we wanted as long as the newspaper got done right and on time. But we were still respectful, responsible, and always did the job...) The pendulum has swung from the days of corporal punishment to a complete abandonment of discipline and fear of authority. I see it all the time by the way students walk into a classroom and goof off or the way they address me as if I were one of them.
So has a lack of authority combined with technology led to the downfall of today's youth? I don't know. Most students I encounter fall in the middle somewhere -- nice kids who just want to get through school the best they can. The majority of students do not want to get into trouble, really. There is such an emphasis on "State Standards" these days; perhaps I will become an advocate for "Manner Standards".
I'll start my research by googling "Emily Post" and then I'll text y'all what I find. That will be sick, dude!
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