Apples and Trees

[Veronica]

Why do parents seem to think their kid is the only kid in my class? And why do they think I have time to call them in the middle of the day? And why do they ignore the email I did send them in the middle of the day, especially when it's already been established that email is the only way I can really communicate with them when I have students in my room, and that sometimes they need to hear from me in the middle of the day? And then send me an email asking why I didn't communicate with them?

And my feet hurt still...

Veronica

[Brandi]

Sounds like you need a ride! They will get used to you and how you do things. It is still the beggining of the year.

[maillotpois]

Hang in there.

I don't think I have ever called a teacher. Went to open house and talked to them there. Maybe sent an email.

I have a friend who teaches law school who tells me these amazing stories of entitlement her students have. They expect the professors to give them notes from any classes they miss. They expect immediate responses and constant availability. They barge in without appointments. Things that, when my friend and I were in law school, we never would have imagined expecting.

The entitled generations.

[Veronica]

Most days are pretty good and in general I've got a good group. This kid just had a very bad day. Didn't take the meds in the morning, cheated on a test, lied about cheating on the test, deliberately got in another student's face of the opposite gender "to be funny", bit off the end of an eraser and threw it across the table at another student...

And yes I know, there are issues, but there are things that are just wrong. Lying and cheating are just wrong. And yes I have compassion for the student. But how much compassion will be there for the adult who does this sort of stuff when they forget the meds?

Veronica

[jessmarimba]

Hey, Sarah? Those law school students are probably about my age. We aren't all like that. Please don't stereotype me!

[crazycanuck]

V..some parents just don't get it.

Acutally, our profs state at the beginning of the year that they will aim to respond to our emails within 2 business days. End of story. However...one prof stated that he'll always answer first emails from year students as they're some of the most important :D.

Jess..some of the young people your age in my classes are a PAIN in the $*%$&*$& behind. If i have to do any more group work with people under the age of 25, i'll ask the prof if i can do it on my own.

[maillotpois]

Hey, Sarah? Those law school students are probably about my age. We aren't all like that. Please don't stereotype me!

I won't - thanks for pointing out that not all can be painted with the same brush. :)

But - ETA, I guess I really meant not so much "entitled generations" as in a specific age group, but more of an entitled mentality. The parents in V's class are probably closer to my age than the law students (and you, jess), yet they have that mentality as well. I didn't mean to imply it is an age thing.

[Selkie]

I won't - thanks for pointing out that not all can be painted with the same brush. :)

But - ETA, I guess I really meant not so much "entitled generations" as in a specific age group, but more of an entitled mentality. The parents in V's class are probably closer to my age than the law students (and you, jess), yet they have that mentality as well. I didn't mean to imply it is an age thing.

But you have a point. I supervised a lot of people in the "entitled generation" and many of them behaved this way. Not ALL of them, but a fair number of them. It is a generational thing, in my experience, even though there people in other age groups who act this way. No offense intended. In a lot of cases, I think it's a function of how you were raised and under what socioeconomic circumstances.

[Crankin]

What Veronica is describing is a perpetual issue for teachers. It doesn't really matter where you teach. It's not just a generational thing, although I must say, if helicopter parenting gets any worse, it will turn into a generational thing.
I always told my own kids, "unless you come home with bruises from a beating by your teacher, I am always going to believe the teacher."
Of course, that was based on my experience of parents never believing me!
No wonder my "perfect" 12 year old started crying hysterically the moment we were leaving for our conference. He had neglected to tell me that the day before, his teacher heard him call her a "*****."

[PamNY]

Hey, Sarah? Those law school students are probably about my age. We aren't all like that. Please don't stereotype me!

Just wait till you are older and it will all work out. I roll around laughing when I hear the shock! horror! stories about the younger generation.

Because nowadays, those stories are being told by people twenty years younger than I am, and they do NOT want to hear that the exact same shock! horror! was expressed about their generation.

I always assume that any sentence containing the world "generation" is, at best, a half-truth.