Attention or Discipline?

I recently read a blurb on one of the few education blogs I sometimes follow that read, "those students that act out the most in class are often the ones in most need of your (the teachers) attention". I immediately laughed aloud thinking there must be an epidemic of students across Eastern North Carolina, and probably the United States, in dire need of attention that they are not receiving from the traditional places like parents, friends, coaches, and religious and community leaders...etc. I am not so naive as to realize that there are indeed some students that have miserable home lives, little or no friends, and almost no support whatsoever from outside sources. However, I think the actual number of those students are far less than many in the popular media would have us believe.

In my opinion there are many factors that have contributed to the increase of students acting out in class, but getting attention from the teacher ranks near the bottom of that list. What ranks near the top of that list is the lack of discipline in the home, and the fact that as educators our hands are essentially tied in terms of discipline. Many parents have become unwilling or unable to discipline their children in the home. I can think of several students that I teach this year that have been written up several times for various disciplinary infractions and are failing one or multiple subjects, and yet they return from the Holiday break with the latest  iphones and $200 shoes. What exactly is the message being sent to the students? Another lovely example of the downfall of parental discipline that has occurred over the years is when I call or email a parent about their child's misbehavior or "acting out", and the response I frequently get is, "Well what did you do to make him or her do that?". Uhhhhh....what!???? Had I done 1/10th of what students get away with today my dad would have beaten me until he got tired, and then I would have been grounded until solid proof was provided to him that both my grades and behavior had improved.

Many parents are simply not disciplining their children, and to often make matters worse those same parents frequently reward their children for doing things they're suppose to do. The system has been flipped upside. The students are at this point, and have been for quite awhile, very aware of the fact that their parents are not going to discipline them and that teachers have been reduced to glorified, robotic, babysitters that must adhere to the nonsense of the new Common Core Standards. The only attention I think some students need is a well placed series of powerful throat punches, but I'll save the remainder of my tirade for another blog. Dinner's ready! Have an excellent week!

-Sty