Sixth and Final in a Series
(Please read the previous five blogs!)
Over the past weeks, I addressed issues where America falls short in preparing her young people for the real world. My previous blogs handed out a failing grade to:
America’s universities (teacher education)
Chronically complaining parents
Inept administrators
Teachers who chose the profession for the wrong reasons
School boards who act as a rubber stamp
How does our culture return to the era where teaching holds a revered place in society and teachers receive the utmost respect? School boards, superintendents and administrators must foster an environment where teachers do not feel afraid to come to work. Here is another reason our educational system is failing:
STUDENTS:
With my teacher sense of humor, I’ve often stated “they don’t make kids like they use to!”. But with all humor, there is some truth. Do you students (or parents) recognize any of these as your own character flaw:
1. Always comparing yourself to siblings and friends with a victim mentality (I never got the breaks my brother received).
2. Questioning authority with the same victim mindset (it’s not fair I have to have this project done by the end of the week).
3. Believing teachers really do operate in a sphere of giving better grades to the popular kids.
4. Asking a coach to excuse you because something came up which is much more fun.
5. Crying or whining when things don’t go your way. Demanding no need to follow the rules because you are (fill in the blank).
As seen with the response to the corona virus, our young people feel entitled to operate above the rules. Before the demand for all bars to close, college students populated them with overcrowding and defiant behavior. Why should they have to stay isolated when contracting the virus would not be as devastating? Did they consider how this mindset could lead to mass numbers of illness in older adults? Did they adhere to a proactive stance of stopping the spread? No, they celebrated openly, throwing caution to the wind. Students’ attitude of entitlement did not just manifest itself in their collegiate years. This “everyone for themselves” viewpoint began in their formative years when parents and even teachers allowed them to look at the world from a “me” point of view.
SOLUTION:
PARENTS: The time is NOW to effect change. Encourage your children to do volunteer work. Help them understand their role in society by enforcing the Golden Rule. Allow them to make mistakes, followed by immediate accountability. Bring back reasonable consequences for poor behavior. Stop placating your children with best friend status. Instead, parent your children as if our world depends on it, for it does.
TEACHERS: Until parents identify their children’s poor behavior as unacceptable, your jobs will increasingly become more difficult. The only way to survive is to put forth fair, consistent rules and consequences. Do not allow a parent or administrator to talk you out of the unearned grade or consequences for a verbal assault. That is not an easy task and often the reason teachers are leaving the profession in such great numbers.
ADMINISTRATORS: In 46 years as an educator, it was only my last year where a handful of parents and two administrators ended my career. Would earlier retirement bring about a better solution? Not for me. Their behavior only solidified my belief that this nation lost her respect for our teachers. Unfortunately what happened to me continues as the “actions du jour” of our school systems’ admin. For the love of our dedicated teacher work force, stand up and scream, “I’m mad as hell that teachers are leaving their jobs and I won’t let that happen under my watch!”
“RESCUE THE TEACHER, SAVE THE CHILD!” raises issues and identifies solutions for students, parents, teachers and administrators. Available at Amazon/Barnes & Noble.