I'm afraid, as usual, that I have more questions than answers in this blog post. Straight to the first question--Whatever happened to plain old respect?
I have had one of the most difficult days ever in the classroom--as a matter of fact, it has been a rough start to the year. On top of that, my son is beyond upset after coming home from YET ANOTHER failed band practice. He is learning a tough lesson at a young age as assistant drum major--that kids these days have little motivation, scant attention, and zero respect. Not all of them, but enough of them to ruin it for the rest. I live in a small town, teach in an even smaller town, and I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. But quite honestly, we have a problem here.
I have learned over the years, that it is best if I am transparent with my students and their parents. Ask my students if I make mistakes, and they won't hesitate to tell you that I do. I admit my mistakes, apologize when necessary, and then we move on. And I expect the same from them. Unfortunately, there is a growing trend in our world AGAINST ownership and accountability. Instead, we make excuses or just flat refuse to talk about it. This is not to say that all students are irresponsible and rude. I have many respectful kids in my classroom, and there are many more in our school. But the trend is not going in the way that I would hope. It's early in the year and I'm still getting a lot of "huh, what, yeah" and the like. And that isn't the worst of it. It won't be this way at the end of the year, but it is hard to handle in the here and now.
So we say, regarding my third graders, "They're young, they just came back from summer break, they'll learn." But what about 14, 15, 16, year old young men and women who can't give an hour to the band leaders? Just one hour of their respect and attention? I'm not talking just playing around, I mean serious disrespect and misbehavior? Doesn't really seem fair to those who have given hours and hours and years upon years of their time to band, does it? We're all about "rights" and yet, my senior band member is defenseless as he watches his last chance for advancement be ruined by rude and unacceptable behavior. Where are HIS rights? Where are the rights of my students in the classroom who are trying to learn? It breaks my heart to see them struggle to tune out the disruptions and distractions.
No answers. Just an increasing number of questions as the days advance. More and more responsibility placed on the teacher, to the point that I fear the breaking point is near. More and more demands that I "hit the mark" with STAAR scores, and yet I can't even teach a 20 minute lesson because of the disruptions. And no one seems to be able to do anything about it.
Our senior band members will graduate and move on to bigger and better things. The hard work and hopes for advancement will be a distant memory. But it still hurts that what "might have been" is obscured by "how it is". And I, for one, feel that it could be different.
