To be shocked at how today's kids speak to their teachers?

[EyeScreamSunday]

I'm currently doing a work placement at a local school. It's a lovely school, nice staff etc but I'm really shocked at how a lot of the pupils speak to their teachers and other members of staff!

I left school 15 years ago, so I'm not really old enough to remember the days of the cane but I wouldn't have fucking dared speak to my teachers the way I've seen and heard some of the kids speak to us over the last few weeks. They will argue with you, completely ignore instructions, say "No" when asked to do something, there's a real disrespect for adults and authority. I even raised it with a teacher one day and she said, "yes, they are very confident aren't they?" Confident or just bloody cheeky? I know what I think... They are eight years old and act like cocky teenagers! In fact I dread to think what they will be like when they actually are teenagers.

Maybe I'm just getting older, but I was ever so slightly in awe of my teachers. I wouldn't have dared answer back, I had respect for them. Not all of the kids are like this, but so many are it's left me a bit shocked. What the hell has changed in the last 15 years or so?

I'm a classroom assistant and dinner lady. The amount of disrespect and back chat we get is terrible. It isn't all the children but it is a significant portion of them.

I do shout, very very occasionally, but I always apologise if I am wrong and I always accept any apology from a child with good grace. It's a very important lesson.

Children often don't seem to come to school mentally equipped for what school is like. So many have no idea how to sit at a table to eat. It's very small things most often.

I give out housepoints if a child catches me in an error. Makes them concentrate, praying for a slip in my SPAG when I'm putting work on the board.
I also give out housepoints if they teach me something interesting and relevant that I didn't know.

Skating

Respect to you .

This was a bad thing for teacher to do as it was music and my dd knows her stuff, is very G&T.
If the teacher had had the attitude that you have the children would have been given the right information.
DD wasn't cheeky nor did she answer back but corrected the teacher when she said dd was wrong.

I do love a polite challenge. Even if they are wrong, explaining their reasoning tells you if their logic was sound and what the error was. It also helps the passive crowd who can listen to the dialogue and follow the argument.

Skating that's fab.
I find that if you admit a mistake they respect you. If you refuse to you're fair game.
It takes confidence in yourself to admit you've made a mistake.

No smuggery, it's just honest and effective practice as a teacher.
You expect them to accept they make mistakes and correct them, to do more research and back up their opinions. So it's a good model to do the same.

I don't accept rudeness or shouting out, or over other people though.
Coz I'm strict like that.

Ah, you are lovely teachers on here.

'I like giving points for teaching you something interesting too, I think I'll set that one up.'

And relevant. Otherwise you'll spend an entire Maths lesson finding out about dinosaurs when it ought to have been about long division.

I often give commendations for that kind of thing (our house points) very effective with KS3 students!

*Teacher: put that book away please

Child: but I'm still reading it

Teacher: I don't care, put it away.

Child: but I only have a bit left!*

see I wouldn't regard that as cheekiness at all!

I don't think the teacher should have said "I don't care" but the child should not have answered back. Twice. Of course it is cheeky. It was not appropriate for the child to be reading at that time and the teacher should probably have replied something along those lines. I often just repeat the instruction with an added "I have already asked you once, please do not make me ask you a third time".

Arguing when asked to comply with whole class activity is wearing and a primary cause of low level disruption.
I don't see how anyone can argue that scenario isn't cheeky.

The child didn't ignore the teachers instruction, they were just trying to negotiate finishing the chapter or page or whatever.
I don't think trying ti negotiate with authority generally is a bad thing.In fact I think it is a life skill

Negotiate finishing the page?

For heaven's sake. What do you think would happen if all 30 children did that?

Choc, do you really think teachers have time to wait for kids or argue with kids when it is time to move on to the next subject? They have to fit a lot into the school day.

If you think it's a useful skill I suggest you teach your kids it because schools really haven't got time for that.

Thanks YouTheCat
I'm glad I'm not alone in finding that ridiculous.

I'm put in mind of the time I asked a pupil to turn round to begin work to be told "I haven't finished talking yet"

I expect ChocLover would think that was ok as well.

I'm put in mind of the time I asked a pupil to turn round to begin work to be told "I haven't finished talking yet"

That would give me the RAGE! Not that I'd show it of course. Pupil would politely be instructed to leave the room...

And this is why we get so much back chat because of parents who tell their precious little bundles that they can do as they please. School teaches lots of things, not least how to fit in with the routines of life.

A child at home negotiating an extra 15 minutes reading/tv time is one thing but a class of 30 all doing it would mean nothing ever got done.

backwardpossum he was. He thought I was most unreasonable.