I began to think the other day about how much the basics have changed since I was a high school freshman (gulp) almost 20 years ago. Having gone to a K-8 school, I was scared to death of having to switch classes, deal with seniors, and try to keep up with the homework of multiple classes. Having attended four different high schools, I can honestly tell you that each one was different but most of the basics remained intact. I look at the schools now and cringe for a multitude of reasons. Society is going down the poop shoot and going down fast and it's not the kids that are entirely to blame. Someone is raising them. Someone is giving them this entitled attitude. Let's take a walk down the road of (my opinions on) how things have changed since my freshman year.
1. They no longer teach classes in "the basics". I was required my freshman year to take a four part class. It included a quarter of shop class, a quarter of library/study skills, a quarter of home ec-ish stuff, and a quarter of basic social skills. We learned how to do basic skills in each class. Shop had us build some random trinket but learn how to use most/all of the basic tools in the process. Home ec had us learn how to sew and cook basic things. Library/study skills taught us how to use a card catalog (a lesson of the past, I'm afraid, since everything's computerized) and how to organize our stuff to study. My favorite (now) was learning how to balance a checkbook, create a budget and other basic life skills. Sadly, these are lessons that kids don't learn now because they don't meet the "core curriculum"....and we wonder why our nation is so badly in debt.
2. General Diplomas don't exist at most high schools. You either have to have vocational or college prep. It's like having to declare your major at 13/14 years old.
3. Lunch time is rushed. It's no longer a break from the day and time to relax. It's time to rush through your meal, which is generally chips and soda for a lot of kids...and we wonder why we have kids that can't concentrate.
4. Money can get you out of damn near anything. Zero tolerance policies on bullies sound all good and well but the bullies get out of things because their parents have the right amount of money or pull in the school. Maybe I was just lucky but the schools I went to had real rules where kids may have gotten away with a little something but the staff didn't care WHO your parents were; if you bully or act like a jerk, you're getting your ass in trouble.
5. Zero tolerance policies are in place. Gone are the days of looking at a kid's behavior in the past and giving a milder punishment to someone that does not characteristically do bad things. Nope. Now, zero tolerance is in place. The "good kids" get the same punishment as the ones that are constantly in trouble.
6. Bullying is a thousand times worse. Part of this is the fact that social networking is prevalent and parents allow their kids to get involved in it very young. Part of it is that kids have an entitled, I'm-better-than-her attitude. Part of it is that girls don't seem to know how to control their jealousy and seem to feel like criticizing and putting down is the way to handle it.
7. No touching. I can remember giving hugs or even kisses on the cheek, holding hands, and so on and so forth. The rules are so strict now that you can scarcely make any physical contact with anyone. I recall teachers standing in the hall and saying, "Enough's enough, get to class" when people were making out but now you'd be suspended.
8. There is 1000 times more homework. Kids are expected to keep up with so much homework that they scarcely have a chance to do anything besides homework if they want to keep up with things. Their backs are sore from carrying 50 lb back packs and their thumbs are sore from texting. (LOL)
9. Cursive and having to really edit are a thing of the past. Spell check is now standard and neat handwriting is no longer required. Calculators are the norm and the basics are out the window.
10. Violence and Suicide. It used to be that the worst thing you had to worry about at school was getting in a fight. If a bully threatened you, the staff walked you out, took care of the bully and that was that. Now there are kids shooting up schools and a high occurrence of kids killing themselves over things. We don't teach kids basic coping skills anymore on how to deal with life's ups and downs. We medicate them to try to get them to concentrate. We medicate them to try to get them to calm down. Then, when they can't resolve their emotions and can't resort to a pill, they take drastic measures to get their point across.
I sometimes wonder if kids would be better off if we went back to the old days and stopped focusing on testing, common core and other ridiculousness.
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