Kids are kids

Antero Garcia, an English teacher at Manual Arts High, writes:

In response to recent conversations with other teachers as well as some recent comments on this blog, I wanted to address the issue of student behavior in the classroom. Contrary to popular belief, students today are not the problem. They are not some deformed, mutant version of the angelic students of yesteryear. Similarly, the kids in my neighborhood are just like the kids in your neighborhood. Sure, there may be differences in the music they listen to, the country of origin and various cultural practices, but the bottom line is that they are kids.

When people ask me what it’s like teaching students in South Los Angeles, my response is always the same: “Kids are kids.” I hear too often that the students are not conditioned or socialized for the classroom. This always sounds backwards to me. Are my students rebellious, goofy, mischievous, conniving, hormone-bursting jerks?  Sometimes. But aren’t all teenagers?

When it comes to student learning and student behavior, I approach problems in my class -– be it with students not understanding or students not acting as I anticipated -– with an it’s-not-you-it's-me mentality. One of the common traits shared by the teachers I admire is their flexibility. Adapting lessons and finding the ways to interest and provoke students to continue to learn make up the kind of teaching strategy that is only gained with experience and a willingness to take risks.

Ultimately, the biggest change in recent years has had to do with youth culture. In my next post, I plan to look at how I see youth culture and today’s educational system villainizing today’s generation of inner-city students. In the meantime, what are your thoughts about today’s “unsocialized students”?

Comments

[Joan]

Good post. I agree, kids are kids. They are all challenging, in different ways.

The differences between students are more a result of family expectations. I myself was raised by two college graduates, and so the expectation that I would also graduate from college was impressed upon me from day one. From my first day of school, I knew that I was required to sit in my seat and listen to the teacher, and be hardworking and respectful, always. Fulfilling my parents' expectations demanded this behavior from me.

Kids without such specific family expectations are kind of lost. They don't really understand how a good education can better their lives. They are killing time in school; not working toward a goal. Their behavior unfortunately tends to show that.

I don't have any answers. Schools can only do so much. If you don't come from a culture that values education, you have to be a fairly extraordinary individual to achieve that goal for yourself.