Tayler D wrote:
[q1]> Curious to find out just what the generation gap actually is?[/q1]
<SNIP>
[q1]> Students are generally being treated as if they're less than human ("Shut up!", "Tuck in your[/q1]
[q1]> shirt!", "Don't backchat me!", etc.). Is this fair? Most teachers won't even let a student stand[/q1]
[q1]> up for him/herself.[/q1]
OK. Let's take a look at a real example from today in my classroom, and you can give your
*considered opinion* of how useful you think your kind of *advice* really is, Tayler.
A Year 11 pupil arrived ten minutes late for Period 7 today - which is normal for her - and I gave
her the usual warnings etc. She had arrived while the other 5th year students were sorting out their
coursework and filling in the cover sheet, so I had to explain it all over again for her. This
wasted the time I could have spent on the others. Later when she couldn't find her Shakespeare
essay, she suggested I had it for marking. I said, in a very matter of fact way, and in no manner
that could be construed as confrontational, that I had not taken in any Shakespeare work from anyone
in this group for remarking .
She replied, "Oh for f...'s sake!" loudly enough for everyone to turn around to see what the fuss
was about. I was quite shocked by this because it came from nowhere. This group of fourteen students
is not academically bright but they are all well behaved and the lessons generally proceed in a very
civilised and good-humoured way.
I quietly told her to leave the room and stand outside. Later, after a fifteen minute cooling off
period, I took her bag out to her and asked if her student planner was in it. She said, "I dunno,"
and did not look in the bag at all but tried to stare me out with deliberate and calculated
defiance. I glanced at the bag told her I could see her planner in it. She swung the bag immediately
behind her back. I asked her to give me the planner and she refused so I took her to her form tutor,
who happened tyo be in the next room. The girl continued to be rude and defiant.
As a result of this incident, the important moment of putting together the final offering of GCSE
coursework from this class was wrecked. I had particularly planned this double period as an orderly
collection of the work, ready for me to view it at the weekend, but this will now have to be
repeated next week because the bell went while we were still dealing with the girl. The marking
window I had for the weekend has been wasted, as the work is not put together in an ordered way now,
and this girl's behaviour has therefore affected the assessment of GCSE English coursework for
thirteen of her fellow students, which is a serious matter.
You talk of a "generation gap" Tayler. You're missing the point: this is a generation that is
disrupting its own progress.
--
Gareth