I hear all sorts of thing about the young kids these days. They’re impossible to deal with, they don’t care about anything, they don’t want to do anything else but be on their phone, they are arrogant, selfish and their parents are way too indulgent.
Maybe I am missing something but I do not encounter this kind of kids in my teaching. If I do, they are a rarity. Maybe one in three or four years. Maybe. Most of the kids I’m dealing with are just the opposite of what the complaints I first listed are about: they are very easy to deal with, they do care a lot about a lot of things, they do want many things of value and not petty in life and they do want to do something else besides be on their phone.
If I speak to them they listen. They don’t listen more or less than adults, but, at least, they don’t shut down. If they do, I try to see what I did wrong. I am of the school where the teacher is always wrong. Almost every time we solve the matter in an understanding way. They’re no idiots, I can assure you. I certainly do not treat them that way.
What I notice, if we encounter a snag, is that parents are much harsher than me. Parents have to be in the room when I teach, it’s not negotiable. They are much less sweet and forgiving than me. Which, by the way, is great. It means that not only I am not perceive as a “tough guy”, but more importantly, that the parents agree with me, and, most of the time are fed up with whatever shenanigans is going on with their kids, be it lying, being lazy or stubborn, or too shy, etc.
That said, most of my kids are fantastic people. Their preoccupation and joys are not very different from the ones I used to have. I don’t pretend to understand them all, but I do try to resonate with them and, somewhat, it seems to be enough for me to be able to teach. I’m not asking for anything else.
