Q for teachers who have been teaching a LONG time?

Question

What do YOU think of the bad behaviors in schools now?

I KNOW that it starts with the parents, but what do you think of the kids just getting away with everything now at school?

There are SO many teachers on here who ask HOW to make the kids behave, is there not disclipline policies that teachers have to follow anymore?

I watched Mr. Hollands Opus, and in the early years of his career, the kids were well behaved for the most part. The kids who didn't, they MADE them behave.

Then on in the 90's, there was chaos, crazy loud music outside, crazy clothes and hair, etc. And NO ONE did a thing about it!

I know these things don't necessarily mean bad behavior, but if it wasn't bad behavior then the teachers years ago would not have made the kids stop.

How was it long ago in schools compared to now? Do you agree or disagree with how it is now?

WHY are the kids not being punished now?

Answer 1

Im not joining in on the rantfest.

couple things: it was a movie. *all* new teachers experience difficulty with behavior. and ask any older person what happened when they were in school and youll hear stories that will make you cringe. kids are kids. it was bad back then if thats how you see it - or if you are an optimist - its not as bad as you hear now.

99 percent of my kids are caring, friendly kids. the ones that arent may be in a phase, have issues to deal with  - whatever - but they all -*ALL* have hopes and dreams. We teachers need to spend more time supporting and less time complaining.

For those new teachers who do have problems with their students - find a veteran that has the same exact kids - and see what they are doing different.

So to sum it up -A) when i went to school kids were smoking and doing drugs on campus - sound familiar? B)One of my worst ever behaved kids (fought in class, called me all sorts of names as a middle schooler) is now one of my co-workers - a real family man and very respectful - a great teacher now.

They are works in progress, we need to help them become who they will be.

Answer 2

I have been teaching 26 years.  And as I've read, when I was in school I would have done anything to please my teacher.  If I had been told to sit in one spot and not move for the entire day I would have tried my best to abide.  

Things are definitely not the same now.  Even the VERY YOUNG children have very little respect for adults.  Some children ignore you no matter what you say.  I have had very few problems with parents....but with some children you can understand their behavior at school by seeing how they treat their own parents....and get away with it.  

We aren't allowed to spank children....according to child care licensing that is child abuse.  

I haven't heard of schools getting rewarded monitarily for behavior.  I'm not saying it doesn't happen...but I'm not familiar with it.  I'm sure if it was something happening in our state we would have heard about it.

I believe all children are good....some just challenge you to bring out the good in them!   Whether it be from lack of attention at home or numerous other reasons...all children need to feel loved and cared about.

Answer 3

When I was in school, I was more afraid of my dad than the teacher, if I got in trouble with the teacher I was going to get in BIG trouble at home, so I was good. The parents now are as bad as their kids, they have no respect for education, teachers, or the education system in general. Kids don't mind getting suspended from school because its a vacation for them. If I had ever been suspended from school, I would have worked from sunup to sundown, and I mean labor.

Answer 4

Kids do not behave when the teacher is feared.

Kids behave when there is mutual respect.

As long as the focus is on punishment rather than lifting children up and treating them as deserving of respect, there will be no change.

Answer 5

I am looking forward to seeing more answers to this question. I've only been teaching 6 years, and I can't believe it. I don't understand. There are hardly ever consequences for almost anything the kids do (high school) and when they are suspended, which is the only consequence the school ever implements, the only reason the kids care is b/c they don't get to come to school and raise h**l with their friends.

Today I had a student intentionally walk into me, and tell me to suck his d**k and to shut the **** up. I wrote a referral and I will bet you that absolutely nothing happens to this student. Which means that this behavior is absolutely acceptable in this school.

What the h**l is going on?!

And also, I don't believe kids are inherently good. Kids are what you teach them to be. They are also what you allow them to be. I believe that kids, including teens, must have discipline and some source of external control of their actions. They have to have limits in order to learn how to control their own behavior. It seems like no one is controlling kids today or setting any limits. By limits I mean, "If you do such and such, this will be the consequence." And making the consequence something they really want to avoid, and then carrying it out without reservation or fear. If a particular kid only responds to physical force, then so be it. The alternative is chaos and young people who don't know how to control themselves.

Answer 6

The culture of respect for adults in our nation has been destroyed by the mainstream media in an attempt to create an insecure group of youth more susceptible to marketing and consumerism.

Nearly all children's movies these days portray children as far more wise and knowledgeable than their clueless and out-of-touch parents.  This attitude is not a normal consequece of adolescence.  It's a culturally constructed one.  Teenagers are not nearly so insecure in foreign countries, and maintain positive relationships with their parents and other adults even through adolescence.

Kids are not being punished, because they have succeeded in becoming what they have been programmed to be--an easily influenced group of consumers that is highly susceptible to marketed trends in clothing, music, and entertainment.

Answer 7

I have to agree with the other answers here, and maybe add a little to it.  Not only are there no consequences for bad behavior, there are no consequences for ANYTHING.  Late paper?  No problem, we understand, it is OK just that you did something.  Late for class?  We understand, it is tough to get places on time.  You see, what I am getting at here is that there are very few expectations placed upon kids today period.  If my son doesn't practice his passing, he'll spend the game on the bench this weekend (lacrosse), but if he doesn't practice his spelling, he will still pass and move on (but I'll kill him and he knows it!).  We can have accountability in sports, so why not in schools?

Now, in my own personal experience of nearly 20 years, I have actually gone from awful schools to better schools, but that is a geographical distinction.  I taught in Brooklyn, but I have been teaching in Nevada for the past 12 years.

That being said, the disrespect towards everyone, both other students and adults, has definitely gotten worse.  I teach grades 6-12, and I have no problems with disrespect, but I am a 6'3" 220 lb former pro hockey player.  I have witnessed many of the other teachers being abused by students and I have often had to step in to stop it.

A large part of the problem is the tendency to grade on a "Pass/Pass" system.  Everyone passes, everyone moves along the conveyor belt.  We get 6th graders who cannot read at all, have never heard of George Washington, etc.  But there they are.  And they have learned that there will be no consequences for anything.  Failure, absence, disruption...

Then there are the parents.  As a parent myself, I have found that the parents will get up in arms over the cafeteria menu, but they have little to no care for the academic environment.  This comes from a level of immaturity in the parents which is passed on to the kids.  The kid gets suspended, no problem.  He can stay at home and play HALO with dad!

Oh, and then come all the educational fads.  We have to have cooperative learning, new math, whole language.  All ways to see to it that no one is held accountable for action (or inaction).

I've probably left many other factors out, but these are the ones that come to mind...

Answer 8

they changed the corporal punishment law in my state while i was a high school sophomore. I knew i'd get it twice as bad at home if i ever got in deep trouble with a teacher. my only discipline issues were for fighting! kids now have a mindset where it is hip to be defiant, it is a badge of honor to get sent out of the rooms for being a snot!