This Is Heavy

Honestly, how many times a day do you think you think or say:

WTF IS HAPPENING?

Obviously, there are many topics currently, that I want to say wtf about.

One in particular, applies directly to us, to our kids and the future generation.

I thought it was established, especially during quarantine, that teachers are way underrated.

Teachers should make quadruple of what they are making now. Teachers should be treated like politicians.

I have many friends that are teachers, so this is a combination of stories that I’ve heard from them. There appears to be an ongoing theme:

No Respect for Authority

Sense of Entitlement

Expecting HIGH grades

with LOW effort

Little Value in Hard Work

We all had to start at the bottom and work our way up. There is no skipping this step.

One of my friends,W, went back to school while raising three kids. She now has a job as a science teacher at a high school.

W is one of those gifted individuals who can bring out the best in people, especially kids/teens. She can make them laugh just by a facial expression.

W sacrificed so much to earn this degree. W lost a lot of precious time not watching her children growing up to apparently raise other people’s children.

Gradually throughout her first year of teaching, she has appeared worn down, discouraged and burnt out. At times, it’s as if she lost her spirit.

Every time we go for a walk, W has some ridiculous story involving:

Students are on their phones during class and not paying attention. She has to repeat herself four or five times. The more she tries to enforce no phones, the more argumentative, irate and even aggressive the students become.

The students are rocking in their seats to soothe themselves from the absence of this device. They don’t know how to tell time on the clock on the wall. They keep asking her what time it is. They don’t know how to read. They don’t know how to follow directions. They don’t know how to think without googling the answer. It’s like they’re complete zombies without that phone.

The best story so far was when a female came up to W during class stating that she needs her phone so her boyfriend can call her from jail.

The female student states “He only has a certain time that he can call me so I don’t know what to do.”

W replied “Well, for starters, you should probably find yourself a new boyfriend”

Thankfully, the girl laughed & returned to her seat.

W is the only teacher that is enforcing a no phone policy during class, because the other teachers have understandably, given up. It is too exhausting. It sounds as if the faculty is perpetually in self-preservation mode & walking on eggshells around these teen toddlers.

W is presenting a new policy to the board to enforce an all-school-no-phone-use-during-class. Why? Because the kids aren’t learning when they have a phone distracting them. She CARES.

She is making a difference, but caring is taking a toll on her.

She’s had to break up fights in class, students are getting in her face, & other are students recording it. How is this fair?

If these teen-toddler bullies do not receive consequences and limits, they will just grow up to be an asshole.

It is scary that teens are now attempting to bully and intimidate adults/authority figures

Perhaps it’s because all the students are staring at their phones, they don’t have to interact with anyone around them. The only person that may be directly speaking to them is the teacher.

Teasing & Bully encounters can be good among peers. It builds character. It teaches a person to learn how to stick up for themselves.

Sometimes, when friends or foes make fun of you, you may learn to stop doing some inappropriate or annoying mannerisms in public. You learn how to speak to people, have a filter, & understand what can be perceived as rude or ignorant. It’s part of growing up, the socialization process.

We all need feedback.

This interaction is also good to prepare individuals for dealing with difficult people in the future. If you don’t experience this type of social banter growing up, you may end up being naive and fall for a lot of jokes/pranks.

What is going on behind-the-scenes in the mind of a bully:

No one deserves bullying however, these frustrating social interactions teach us something. Getting pissed off and fed up is motivating. Taking action to become a victor instead of a victim.

Speaking of victims, have you ever encountered a teacher that you were sure had it out for you?

Sometimes they do have it out for you. Some are micromanagers, bitter, resentful, angry, sadists or feel powerless them selves.

However, the majority of teachers really do care.

If they didn’t care about their job, the students and their future, they would just operate on autopilot, turn a blind eye or laugh it off.

Looking back, every time I got in trouble, I was terrified. Once, I was escorted by a teacher to the disciplinarian’s office.

You know what, I never pulled that crap again.

I didn’t realize at the time that my teacher who spent the time escorting me to the office, actually cared about me.

Biologically, teenagers do not have the mental capacity for empathy. They do not comprehend how they are wasting the teachers time, effort and energy. Teens are biologically self-absorbed.

Kids, teens, even adults should receive consequences because that’s how they grow and learn from mistakes.

I am only one person and I have no clue how to help rectify this. I am sure there are many individuals who can see the big picture of the disaster that is waiting for us in the future.

I’m tired of shaking my head and muttering WTF is happening.

Any ideas???

Simon Sinek describes the dopamine rush from phones in these clips. An unmonitored cell phone is like an open access liquor cabinet for kids and teens.

https://youtu.be/xNgQOHwsIbg?si=icXyDt5yu9TpafJn