Biting the Hand That Feeds

Ever since I wrote the title, I keep hearing Trent Reznor in my head.

I've been mulling over this topic for a while--it started after some random student (an 8th grade girl, I believe...well, I *know* she was a girl, I *think* she was in 8th grade) came into my room and asked what time the Talent Show started that evening.

My reply, "Um...7:00 p.m."
Girl: "Where do we get tickets?"
Me: "Um...it's free.  But Student Council will be selling snacks, so you might want to bring money for that."
Girl: "Kthxbai!"

I didn't even bother to remind her that there are about 20 posters all around the school (one of them being RIGHT OUTSIDE MY DOOR...the one she just came through) with all of the pertinent information on them.  I didn't even dream of mentioning the fact that information about the Talent Show had been on NHN (our daily announcement news broadcast) for the past 4 days.  I just didn't.

What was the point?  Despite spoon-feeding the information to the 1,300+ students in my building, they still weren't paying attention.  But that's the problem...we're raising a generation of helpless kids.  They have gone through life with everything at their fingertips: information, conversation, movies...all on demand and they've gotten to the point where they struggle to merely access information that should be simple.

Obviously, I'm over-generalizing, there are plenty of kids who don't have everything given to them, but in my school, those kids are few and far between.  Is it a result of their parents being crazy-rich?  Perhaps.  Is it a result of their parents being raised in (most likely) very strict households and these parents are swearing, "I'll never be THAT kind of parent!"?  Perhaps.

I don't have the answer, and trust me, if I did I wouldn't be working in a district that will most likely forgo raises for the third year in a row, nor would I be in a field where the more educated you are and the more "loyal" you've been to a district bites you in the ass.  Oh, no siree!  I'd be writing books and giving lectures on how to fix these problems.  But, I don't know how so here I sit...writing while my students are creating skits. 

One thing I do know, however is we need to teach kids how to figure stuff out on their own.  These students HAVE to be able to problem solve and learn how to think for themselves.  Parents have got to quit getting up teachers asses if "little JoeBob" isn't getting an A.  Guess what?  Teachers don't "give grades" we merely record the choices and decisions students have made.

I'm not saying that we need to raise kids under the totalitarian-type rule that was the norm in the 50's, but c'mon...we need to do something because frankly, if these are the kids that are going to be in charge of the world when I'm older...I'm really hoping they've colonized Mars.