I wonder about American urban education. We’re lagging behind. People say this is because we are using outdated curriculums and outdated methods. This is partially true. To me the fact that is being ignored is that students are not motivated. My generation, the ever famous generation X, did our work questioning why we had to learn certain things. But we knew there were consequences when we didn’t learn. We didn’t want to fail because we didn’t want to bring that report card to mama whom knew when it was coming and cared what it said. So regardless of not knowing why we had to learn about The Aztecs, Pythagorean Theorem and Predicate Nominatives, we felt we had to. Yeah we got disciplined at home. Belts, shoes and open hands were my mother’s weapon of choice. I feared my mother and I feared God so therefore I didn’t want to upset either so I sat through boring lessons and did my work.
As a middle school urban teacher, there is not a lesson that I plan that I write without thinking: will my students be bored? This is important because if they’re not entertained, they will tear my room apart. They will write on the books, throw paper, eat sunflower seeds, curse at each other, and instigate fights out of boredom. If I want to have a smooth lesson; it better be engaging. In our day, teachers were allowed to be boring and students would still be required to behave and learn.
As an adult, think about the amount of tedious, boring nonsense we have to go through. Interviews, pre-job testing, lectures by elderly professors, waiting in doctor’s offices, boring meetings and trainings on sexual harassment, are all cases where we have to sit down, listen, behave and feign interest. Are our students ready for the real world. The answer is no. They have no consequences at home, thanks to most Americans believing spanking is passé. They do not have to exhibit self control and therefore when they become adults, the job market will have to change for them in order to accept their rowdiness.
It’s changing already. Think about the last few times you went to a fast food restaurant. Did you notice the employees behind the counter cursing and playing? In my day you would’ve been fired if you said darn around a customer. I miss those days. I miss obedient children. I will miss America when it can no longer compete with the children turned adults in other countries and it collapses.
