Freda Lewkowica lives and teaches in Montreal. She thinks her students have been blighted.
This is a "Lost Generation" of children because so much has been lost. The following description is the gift that the baby boomers, as parents and grandparents, have bequeathed.
- Patience? These new students have no patience.
- Truth? Dishonesty is rampant and while it includes plagiarism and
the traditional copying of a friend's homework or the old excuse of "I
gave my homework to you, Miss," it has also evolved more creatively. - Frustration? My students have no tolerance for frustration.
They either surrender or rage. - Manners? Unfortunately, many of my students don't understand what I
mean by manners or rudeness. - Sensitivity? These children cannot tolerate criticism. Any judgment
of their work-habits, or behaviour or attitude is a criminal offence. - Silence? Shhhh? They don't understand silence. Quiet and
stillness are not parts of their vocabulary. - Respect? There are no boundaries any more. Adults are treated in the same way that their peers are treated: badly.
- Argumentative? Oh, boy! They argue about marks.
- Lack of focus? It is difficult to get and keep students' attention.
- Coarse language? This is a real problem that few want to address.
Go read her whole exposition. With examples.
Children love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for their elders, and love to chatter in place of exercise… They contradict their parents, talk before company, gobble up their food, and tyrannize their teachers. Socrates
Posted by: Doug Johnson | Tuesday, March 28, 2006 at 07:59 PM
Socrates was great. A real legend.
However, he never had children and didn't know what it was like to be a parent.
Perhaps Xanthippe was a single mother. Sorry for the trash talk here.
Honestly, that is no excuse for the behaviours some of the children display. And it doesn't seem to be a minority, is it?
I'll go read the article and then discuss it more in depth!
Posted by: Bronwyn G | Tuesday, March 28, 2006 at 09:27 PM
I still can't believe that a young student would lie about chemotherapy; or for that matter write a letter to her teacher about how to improve her personality. That is beyond rude and crossing what lines I don't want to know.
Hate to be a guest author in that school. Hope it isn't widespread!
Posted by: Bronwyn G | Tuesday, March 28, 2006 at 09:33 PM