Teachers: What is with the youth of today? Is there any hope?

Question

I work in a secondary school where the pupils' behaviour is extraordinary. They swear, throw things and generally act like a load of ignorant brats. Every class has at least one with a "Behaviour and Social Emotional Difficulty", which is used as an excuse to act like an animal. Very few pupils seem to be interested in their education. Reading, writing and general knowledge seem very poor to my understanding. Discipline is a joke, with even the smallest achievement praised to the skies but the most dreadful behaviour excused. There is no respect, no urge to improve themselves, apart from a lonely few. I don't remember it being like this when I was a kid!

I'd like to become a teacher but I'm wondering if its worth it. Have I just described typical behaviour for kids today or am I just unfortunate enough to work at a real hell hole? Why does education today want to pathologise bad behaviour? Are we raising a nation of ignorant thugs? Give me some hope, please!

Answer 1

(first..sorry for any typos...keyboard is about to quit) I work in a school with similar problems. I've taught all over the U.S., in many types of schools, both private and public. What I've found is this: socioeconomic status matters when it comes to behavior and academic commitment on the part of the kids. It may not be PC to say that the rich kids behave better, but as a GENERAL rule they do. Kids who come from homes where both parents are working and/or commiting crimes and atrocious behaviors of their own (which is frequently more common in communities with lower socioeconomic status) typically reflect the behavior of their parents. Additionally, the "instant gratification" society that we live in compounds the issues in the classroom. Students carrying around $200 phones and $500 ipods, despite their economic conditions at home, have been taught that all they have to say is "Gimme" and it shall be done. Work ethic is drastically sacrificed, and this is most apparent in academics.

Furthermore, the amount of violence and violent images that parents allow their children to be exposed to teaches kids to resolve issues with violence. Simple disciplinary procedures such as "Get to work, please" are met with instantaneous defensive reactions which result in argumentation and disruption in the classroom. If you have one or two kids in a class that do this on a regular basis, learning simply can't take place.

Administrators, politicians, lobbyists, teachers, and most of all parents need to establish a common page of behavioral expectations and CONSISTENT appropriate consequences. If only one group of us do our part (and I know many teachers struggling with your same issues) and the rest don't follow suit, nothing will change.

It's a bleak outlook. My suggestion to you is to search for teaching positions in affluent areas where parents are educated at higher levels and competition to enroll in high performing colleges and univerisities is high. These types of kids dedicate themselves to their academics and are far less of a disciplinary problem, as a rule. There are schools like that out there. I've taught at a few.

Good luck!

Answer 2

First you are in a bad school. Second discipline will be returned to the schools when parents demand it and the lawyers and PC are told to get a reality check. Schools can only enforce the discipline that the parents give them permission to use. Because Lawyers have gotten their little litigous fingers in this every child screams "If you do such and such we will sue" because their parents see the school systems as having deep pockets. THey lost sight of the fact that in the real work world there is no tolerance for foolish behavior and their are no exceptions made for emotional difficulties, you get fired. Most parents, teachers and schools do a great job. There are some that live in fear of the lawyers and the PC police. Those schools, like the one you are at , ruin children not reach them.

Answer 3

The only hope is that just maybe a third of the pupils will turn into normal adults and thank you for teaching them. I think the biggest damage is done by government who give all the rights to the children and none to the teachers. In my day it was the cane and it worked very well as a deterrent although it was very seldom used. We also were aware of God and our behaviour toward our peers and family. In addition to this we did not have mountains of paperwork, other than marking the days work. It's all gone badly wrong and I don't see it improving.

Answer 4

It sounds like you're at the wrong school. Don't get me wrong, each school environment has its own share of problems. If you're not working with BED kids, you're working with snot-nosed over-privileged kids who think the world owes them something for growing up in sheer normalcy. There IS a school environment out there somewhere that will mesh well with what your personal goals are. I was unhappy with the amount of apathetic parents at one school. I felt completely disheartened and guilty for wanting to leave these children when I knew I was possibly one of the few people who actually cared for them. However, I'm at a school now where parents are (for the most part) very supportive in various aspects. The students have different needs, needs I can easily meet in my role as a teacher. I'm happy, and so are they. You can still make a difference in another school. Regardless of where you are, you'll make a difference. Just be sure to find the place that will help you to do this without banging your head against walls on a daily basis.

Answer 5

The problems with "the youth of today" are mainly the way they are raised. Most parents would rather give their children whatever they want than actually discipline them. There are, however, many many students that actually want to learn. Most students do, but peer pressure makes them act out. For real inspiration, watch the based-on-real-life movies "Freedom Writers" and "The Ron Clark Story." They're both movies in which the teacher overcame these problems. Good luck and don't give up!!

Answer 6

I wish I could offer some hope. I work in a school where kids can do whatever they please. The administration says there are consequences, but there really isn't. My school has an in-school suspension (ISS) program, but many of the kids like to go there so than can sleep and socialize.

My greatest concern comes from the fact many parents enable the behavior of their children. It is never their child's fault; it is either the teachers or principals creating the problem.

I am currently looking for another field to go into. I am thinking about college or other similar field.

Answer 7

i have those days grew to change into 20, so am out of my little ones now. i do not think the kids of as we talk are dramatically different yet I do experience many are used to more effective luxuries and through this modern-day, liberal age extremely a lot all people thinks they have rights and can want to do what they prefer and that i be conscious that with some kids. i have also spoke of that many little ones are so tall presently! I had a boom spurt quite early yet i'm nevertheless in uncomplicated words about 5'8''-ish. Coming homestead on the practice each evening I see little ones of their college uniform towering over me. this is scary! i imagine the media, in quite newspapers will always portray the kids because the problem and in uncomplicated words spotlight the undesirable they do. I do experience sorry for a tremendous variety of youthful children, yet collectively i do not pick to excuse crime and thuggish behaviour, this is basically unacceptable. It does look such issues as knife crime and gangs are worse and that i do not for the existence of me understand it. i'm particular no individual I knew turning out to be up might want to ever do something like that. If all people threatened or change into disrespectful in course of all people else they could properly be particular they'd get beaten up themselves. I not in any respect pick responsible households, yet I do ask your self if kin values have truly lengthy previous down in this Western society. It does look that lots who do have damaged hearts and look to pass and harm others for excitement or potential have afflicted backgrounds, i think. yet i do not also pick to forget that there are a tremendous variety of children who're very proficient and mature persons.

Answer 8

I'm a youth and I would like to say that I am thoroughly offended. Youth these days want to relate to what they are being taught. Yes I understand that there are students with bad behaviour and are "thugs" but you must understand that this has not only happened in modern day society but it has been happening since the medieval ages. "Boys will be boys" This is a term that relates to all youth. So you have to understand that it is not them that have to compromise it is the teacher. I also would say that you would be a fine candidate to be a teacher

Answer 9

It sounds like you're in the wrong school. The school my children go to is nothing like that. Discipline comes from the top, so if the head is weak, then the teachers and kids don't have a hope. It sounds to me as if the school you're at is a disaster zone.
Get a job in another school - check out the Ofsted first - and you will see that there are definitely shining examples out there.

Answer 10

It's not all that bad, honey. If you try to know your students, do your home work, plan your lessons keeping in mind the students' abilities and keep the kids engaged in tasks, you can do it. The key word is not 'discipline' but 'understanding'.
Don't get disheartened. Teaching is a wonderful job. You get paid for what you enjoy doing!