Join the Fun!

I've been teaching high school since 1993.

Students are less homophobic by a long shot, at least where I've been. There is still homophobia but they can't be open about it.

Students talk about things like depression and mental illness more; whether the prevalence rate for things like depression actually is higher or not I don't know, but it's more talked about.

Attitudes toward school are about the same. Hard workers, average workers, and slackers are still probably the same proportion.

Obviously the use of technology is dramatically increased, which is good and bad. It's definitely made research super easy.

There's more awareness of bullying, though sometimes this term gets thrown around too casually.

Students in special ed are no longer openly mocked.

Students are larger. A lot larger.

Dating in an official sense doesn't seem to occur anymore; just seems like FWB (or without benefits) is the typical arrangement.

Seems like students spend a lot more time inside than 20 years ago.

skinnerwatson , Kylie Lugo Report

Final score:

316points

POST

stardust 2 years ago

Yay! Most of these are good things!

63points

In regards to technology, I think “experts” who have been telling us that the students are going to come in very technologically literate don’t actually realize WHAT technology students are using. Students are using cell phones, occasionally tablets, and gaming devices like xBox. They don’t use computers actively at home.

Massachusetts switched their standardized testing to computer based testing. 100% of our students have no idea how to type in a computer when they come to us in elementary school. So not only do we have to teach them the content for these ridiculous tests, we have to teach them how to type fluently and accurately before third grade so they can type essays on the computer at 8 years old. They said the switch was because students are more technologically savvy then ever before, which is probably partially true, but not in the way that they want.

PowerfulYet , Kelly Sikkema Report

Final score:

227points

POST

Shane S 2 years ago

Fair point. But these kids will grow up and create technology that accommodates their background and skillset. We are just in that adjustment period right now.

45points

farawyn86 , National Cancer Institute Report

Today's students don't know how to struggle or persevere through a problem. If they can't do it immediately, they need help.

On the plus side, they know a lot more about each other and are open to diversity. They communicate their emotions.

Final score:

220points

POST

Isidien Gudmundsdottir 2 years ago (edited)

I still have no idea what to do with the part of my brain that used to store the enormous amount of phone numbers of my family and friends. Yes, I'm one of those: "Hey Grandpa!, more like Grand-Grandpa now, but seriously, I often think about that when I call someone on my phone and look at the number: "Huh..there was a time I could just dial this number without even thinking what the number was, now I just push a button, it's a good thing and yet, kinda sad at the same time.

88points

My friend who's a first grade teacher says that kids are more anxious, less able to self soothe, and unprepared to solve even basic (first grader level) problems themselves.

dtmfadvice , Annie Spratt Report

Final score:

211points

POST

Betty Jo Jackson 2 years ago

Poor kids had to do kindergarten online in an educational environment completely unprepared for digital learning. They lived in fear and the world became dangerous. Contact with other human beings which before sustained us and made us a community became a source of fear. It's not a wonder that they're struggling. We all are too.

134points

In 1999, class was super noisy when you came in. Everyone talking and then quieting down when you started teaching. Now, like walking into a funeral home. cell phone silence.

Whaleballoon , McKaela Taylor Report

Final score:

200points

POST

AmmoniteCat 2 years ago

This is only in those schools where cell phones are allowed in class. Our class is still super noisy.

112points

My students today are way over protected and far more nervous than when I started teaching in 1994. For example I have had several students ( typically girls) who at 12 or 13 have literally never been alone. Then have not been on a bike ride alone or a walk around their block alone. Their parents are so afraid of stranger danger that they are preventing their students from having the necessary alone time to get into trouble and try to solve problems independently.

The students are far more prone to anxiety, depression, cutting and suicidal idealization than previous generations of students. Probably related, but who knows.

Students are afraid of risk and need teacher support and because it is available all the time they kind of expect it. I had a student email me an hour ago because he did not understand a question on his homework. And I responded with some additional info to support this student. On a Sunday morning. Of course I am the one who taught them how to actually email something and I answered the email, so perhaps I am a contributor to this issue. 20 years ago he would have had to figure it out and give his best guess and let the chips fall.

awe2ace , Sandra Seitamaa Report

Final score:

181points

POST

Maritza Palacio Romeiras 2 years ago

I'm not surprised about your mention of young girls never going for bike rides alone. There IS danger of SA or kidnapping, it's not a fear, it's a reality.

106points

There’s some sense of entitlement I’ve noticed. Like “I deserve a better grade” or “I deserve an extension because this week has been hard”. Plus some sense of arrogance: “why should I follow your instructions? My way is better”. To be fair, sometimes their way is better and I have learned from them in some occasions.

pulsed19 , Gabe Pierce Report

Final score:

162points

POST

SelkieBlackfysh 2 years ago

That's usually picked up from the parents at home. They listen to mom or dad rant about how they deserve more pay for doing multiple people's jobs. Then also seeing how mom and dad's decisions usually back fire so why the f**k listen to any adult they're all the same right?

72points

Less ownership of learning/sense of curiosity, less grit/resilience, and large sense of entitlement. I teach middle school in the somewhat rural area where I grew up, and I still love my job and "my kids", but damn, it is so much more difficult these days.

LeftWren , woodleywonderworks Report

Final score:

151points

POST

Shane S 2 years ago

I wonder if there’s less curiosity because there’s easy access to knowledge via the internet. If I know I can Google the answer, it kind of removes a lot of the thought process of trying to piece it together in my head first. I can just look it up. I don’t have to figure it out myself to come up with a working hypothesis.

81points

I_Cum_Pancake_Batter , Annie Spratt Report

#10

I’ve been a teacher for 15 years and one thing I’ve noticed is that in recent years the “breakfast club” stereotypes like jocks, nerds, etc. seem to be falling by the wayside and kids seem to be hidden under many layers of irony.

Final score:

150points

POST

Rose-A-Lix 2 years ago

Actually i found that the people participating in after school stuff and the gamers still seem to gather in the same spot its pretty easy to pick out the theater kids and cheerleaders

53points

#11

Been teaching since 2006. Kids are getting worse with computers due to them mostly using smart devices. I'm spending more time teaching things like how to double click and enter a URL than I used to.

Otherwise they seem the same though. It's the parents that are different--they're overextended and their kids are suffering since their parents don't have the spoons to engage in their education as much as they need to.

fruitjerky , Trevor Owens Report

Final score:

144points

POST

Whitefox 2 years ago

upvote for spoon theory!

92points

#12

Mainly, I have noticed kids are both more remarkable and emotionally/mentally weaker. I'll watch a group of ninth graders perform a flawless orchestra concert. Then, the next day they'll break down in a full on anxiety attack. I don't know what happened, but teenagers' coping skills have gone to hell in a hand basket. Maybe overprotective/helicopter parents are to blame? Who knows?

anon , Dev Asangbam Report

Final score:

144points

POST

stardust 2 years ago

Or maybe the hell of a world we live in

144points

#13

I’m a professor.

Downside:
1) students are getting worse at understanding what a good source is. “Googling” is research.
2) They are significantly less engaged- I’ve taught similar courses for at least 15 years. These cohorts speak very little in class.
3) their oral speaking and debate skills are much worse.
4) They have shorter attentions and can’t focus in on deeper material.

Upside:
1) They are kinder to a more diverse people. Not that I don’t see mean/dickish behavior, but it’s less accepted.
2) they are fairly creative.
3) They want to be involved at a higher level.

But #4 downside plus #3 upside makes them frustrating to manage because they come across to us older folks (gen X here) as very entitled (ie, they immediately want what we worked a long time for & they do not have the skill set or experience for the positions they think they deserve). So I fire a lot more of them than I ever had to in the past.

duramater22 , arkanperdana Report

Final score:

143points

POST

Shelli Aderman 2 years ago

First Gen X reference I’ve seen… 😉

52points

#14

Not a teacher, but in higher education-- They really really want guidance. A scary amount of guidance. I don't know anyone else's experience, but when I was a kid and had a question my parent's couldn't answer, they would say "well, there are three sets of encyclopedias down the hall and you have a library at school. Figure it out. "

anon , SHVETS production Report

Final score:

138points

POST

Bryan W. 2 years ago

Now we say Google it and there's Wikipedia. YouTube how tos.. How is that any less effective than a library or encyclopedia? I'm not sure what this person's point is.

73points

#15

1. Lack of persistence. This is loosely correlated to [instant gratification conditioning.](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/B:EDPR.0000012344.34008.5c) If they can't figure something out on the first try, they require hand-holding for each step. And if they get frustrated with the hand-holding, they give up.
2. Fear of taking risks. Related to #1, helicopter parenting, and the cultural effects of high stakes testing. For example, a colleague asked if I could pick up his son and take him to lessons because he didn't trust the kid to make it on his own. The kid is 13, and the lessons are a one mile walk from his school through a safe neighborhood.
3. Tech dependent, not tech savvy. Kids who can tell you every YouTube video they've watched this week, and how to download extra skins on Minecraft, but don't know how to use a printer, or how to get anywhere without Google Maps.
4. Lack of problem solving skills. This is directly related, IMO, to all three of the first issues.

2friedchknsAndaCoke , cottonbro Report

Final score:

120points

POST

Brenda 2 years ago

I would install GPS in my brain if I could. I am "directionally challenged ". Until I go somewhere several times, I use GPS. All the streets in my old subdivision were "Park something " Lived there 7 years and still got turned around. I wouldn't let my kids walk that far alone. Neighborhood might be safe, but things happen. But that's me

34points

ArcadiaPlanitia , issaphotography Report

#16

Not a teacher in the strictest sense, but I do a lot of tutoring, and I briefly taught some junior comp eco courses at the local elementary school. The biggest thing I’ve noticed is an over abundance of “lawnmower” parents—parents who plow down any obstacle in their kids’ paths without ever letting them challenge themselves. I had parents who would do their kids’ assignments for them because they were “hard,” then yell at the instructors when their children weren’t learning.

The other big thing is that knowledge of proper grammar seems to have really decreased. I know high school honors students who can barely string together a coherent sentence. I read and edit essays/resumes/research papers sometimes, and they were often borderline illegible because nobody knew basic spelling and punctuation. I had to actually teach people—some of whom were in AP English classes—that you need to capitalize proper nouns and put quotes around dialogue. People also don’t know how to use word processors for some reason—loads of students had no idea how to even center text, so they’d just press space until their titles were roughly in the middle of the paper.

Final score:

114points

POST

Shelli Aderman 2 years ago

This! The grammar, OY! I remember diagraming sentences in 5th grade, and now, I see the damn incorrect overuse of the apostrophe everywhere! 🤦🏽‍♀️

78points

#17

Lawnmower parents, more emphasis on test scores, and more reliance on technology. Less interest in learning and too much interest in social media.

anon , Patricia Prudente Report

Final score:

104points

POST

Shelli Aderman 2 years ago

I’ve never heard of “Lawnmower Parenting” 🤷🏽‍♀️

84points

#18

Mental health. Each semester, I refer at least two or three students per class to campus counselling services.

A couple add-on observations:

- Students obviously now feel much more comfortable talking to their professors about their personal issues. I believe in educating the whole student, so I am OK with this. Also, I legitimately believe students have more stress on their plates now than they did 20 years ago. Increased competition, a weakening (North American) economy, climate change anxiety, the impacts of social media on self-worth, etc.

- At least 50% of the students I refer to counselling have already gone. I am impressed at the proactive nature younger people are taking with regards to their mental health. I agree that the stigma around mental health is decreasing, which I support.

Bluesiderug , cottonbro Report

Final score:

103points

POST

Bec 2 years ago

Agree that kids and young adults are better about expressing their anxiety/mental health issues, but I really just want to be able to teach in my area of expertise, I'm not trained for this other stuff, but I do my best and refer them to resources and hope for the best.

37points

#19

First off, the kids are essentially the same--it is the parents who are far more immature. They want to be "buddies" with their kids instead of being, well, parents, so discipline is far worse. Kids know they won't be punished at home so the push the envelope at school. Parents are also making far worse decisions in raising their kids--have your family take a week long vacation in September while your child is flunking my class? Sure! That was unthinkable 10-20 years ago.

That said, students have far more distractions now. With the Internet and cell phones, kids no longer talk or even engage with each other in the halls or at lunch. As a result, school activities are suffering as kids now have that damn phone to entertain them after school. This has led to a generation of narcissistic kids that think not only that their **** don't stink, but that we should share in their gift.

anon , RODNAE Productions Report

Final score:

101points

POST

LaLaMama 2 years ago

I'm not in the US and where I live most schools banned the use of phones, except if a teacher specifically allows it.

42points

#20

Computer Science teacher here. There has been a definite move over time from trying to learn how to do something towards trying to find a ready made answer. Whenever I set my students an assignment, we discuss what they should do if they get stuck - typically involving re-reading notes, looking at the resources they've been given, looking at prior work, perhaps finally using web based resources. Students have always (as long as the web has been a thing) skipped straight to the last one, bit the subtle change is rather than searching for HOW to do something, most now just search for a fully formed complete answer which they can copy and hand in.

Gavcradd , Arif Riyanto Report

Final score:

94points

POST

Bryan W. 2 years ago

And if not, they'll go to a Reddit sub on the subject and ask for an answer like they're working on a real project. You can usually tell because they don't even bother to set up any of the context one would need to actually answer it.

29points

#21

I’ve noticed that students don’t read as much. I used to read all sorts of books when I was young, and I believe that I’m a better writer for it. I fell in love with Steinbeck in 9th grade and read his works multiple times. How can you learn to write if you’ve never read great writing?

MysteriousBirdie , cottonbro Report

Final score:

90points

POST

Brenda 2 years ago

I'm an avid reader, several books a week. I reread if I have nothing new. Both kids love to read & both write. Youngest does custom stories and writes D&D stories. She is a fan of Shakespeare and Sherlock Holmes & introduced me to several series I wouldn't have read otherwise. Can't live without books

36points

#22

They're more alike than different, but students of 1999 were more likely to be able to write their own web page in raw HTML, and students in 2019 aren't sure how to make a basic Powerpoint or attach something to an email. I've been doing this long enough that I remember when the professors were baffled by all things computer-ish and the students were impatient with how clueless we were, and now it's reversed.

That, and even my smart students have zero idea how to use an apostrophe. That's something that's shown up in the past five to seven years. I blame autocorrect.

Edit: Thought of a couple more. In 1999, there was a hum of chatter with occasional outbreaks of laughter before class started, and I had to quiet them down to begin. Now there might be one or two people talking, but everybody else is glued to their phone. Also, back then there was a lot of flirting before class, and male and female students mixed and sat next to each other. Now it looks like an eighth grade dance: females on this side, males on that.

Edit: OK, two more, and then I'm done. In 1999, my female students tried to dress nicely for class, and my male students showed up in sweats and a t-shirt. Complete reversal now: the males dress fashionably and the females wear sweats and hoodies. And in 1999, just about everybody wore a baseball cap -- when it came time to take a test, I had to tell them to turn it around or take it off, not because I thought they might have answers written in the bill, but because I needed to see where their eyes were. When I gave that instruction, hats were turned on all but one or two heads; it was just as much part of the college student uniform as a backpack. These days, I might have one student in a ball cap once or twice a term. I think everybody puts more effort into their hair.

Repent2019 , woodleywonderworks Report

Final score:

78points

POST

Whitefox 2 years ago

This made me giggle. My dad was a computer nerd from day one. He insisted that I know how to break down and rebuild a system, knew how to use DOS and Keep up on new tech. I really appreciated that. Before word processors became a real thing, I would write my home work using very basic DOS commands. Being able to turn in my papers on dot matrix computer paper was ballin back then lol. Today? I hardly ever use my computer in favor of my phone. lol

34points

#23

I was a university advisor for many years and now I’m an adjunct professor. Students today refuse to use their textbook/take notes to their detriment. They’ll turn in papers with applications of definitions/concepts they found by googling as opposed to ones discussed in class or in the text. It’s amazing how much research they’ll do that goes against what has been taught (and is easily at their fingertips).

SanchezGeorge1 , Tony Tran Report

Final score:

67points

POST

猫草 2 years ago

i do not know if or why other universities don‘t do this, but where i live they have specified classes where you learn how to properly do research.

32points

#24

Students lack the tenacity to stick with a task until they figure it out. Most will try once and if they aren’t perfect will give up and blame the teacher if they can’t do it. I teach physics, 11th grade, they want me to grade each step of each problem before they move forward. And if I don’t, some throw temper tantrums.

scotchfish41 , Luz Fuertes Report

Final score:

67points

POST

Amelia Kathleen 2 years ago

Gen X here. I mean, there's no excuse for temper tantrums, but isn't helping your students through a complex problem kinda like... teaching?? And if, as a whole they don't feel confident in their progress, maybe you're actually the problem, as that's your job? Just sayin.

25points

#25

Physical education teacher here. Watched a steady decline in fitness test scores over the years. Kids were in far better shape 20 years ago. Over the last 5 I’ve seen a dramatic dip in fitness in elementary age kids. Fewer outliers on the top end and far more kids on the low end. We do the PACER cardio test. We might have 1-2 kids in the whole building fail the pacer 10 years ago. I now see approx.18% of student fail it. (You can almost walk the first 8, passing for most boys is 23 and 15 for girls. Also used to 10-15 % of student over 65. I think we had 2 in the whole group that was tested. (About 400) We’ve also see strong correlation between fitness scores and “end of grade” testing. Usually the students with better cardio fitness do better on testing and those with lower scores do worse on EOG’s. In theory if we can boost their fitness scores we can boost their EOG’s. We will see a major health crisis in 30-35 years. With a strong rise in preventable disease, due to inactive lifestyle.

jgriggs828 , robbie36 Report

Final score:

66points

POST

Kelli Lindsay Boone 2 years ago

Embarrassing to have students over 65, tbh

16points

Thomas Stead 2 years ago (edited)

you do know higher score is better, since each point is a lap, right?

4points

Rost it 2 years ago

Not surprised. People mix up body positivity with unhealthy living excuses. You're not bad because you're overweight,out of shape etc. But it's unhealthy and you shouldn't be unhealthy.

8points

Alicia GriffonLady 2 years ago

And then we fat kids hide and don't exercise because of the c**p we have to put up with if people see us, so we get fatter. Eating feels good. Better than human interaction when every conversation leads to people suggesting diets, pills, surgeries, exercises, etc... The harassment got so bad i was wishing i could die of all the health threats they mentioned so i wouldn't have to hear it any more! I tried exercising till i lost 60 pounds. I didn't have time to do any thing i enjoyed doing, just boring exercise. My weight stuck there. I barely ate for a week and almost no change. Then the dr said i was still obese and i decided f**k it. I'm going to read, paint, sculpt, and sew and actually enjoy life till i die.

0points

Emma Starr 2 years ago

Just because two things have a correlation does not necessarily mean that they interact with eachother. Drowning and ice cream stands both spike in summer but trying to prevent drowning doesn't keep away the ice cream. So to speak

8points

JB 2 years ago (edited)

Fair point but…many studies have shown that beyond correlation, there are causal relationships between physical and mental health. Trying to shoot down someone’s point using a supposed strawman rebuttal is disingenuous. Furthermore, I suspect if you actually performed a study on the bilateral relationship between ice cream stands and drowning, you would find both correlation and causal relationships between the number of people drowning in proximity to an ice cream stand because their decision to swim there was influenced by the accessibility of ice cream. You would also find correlation and causal relationships between drowning and ice cream stands moving elsewhere perhaps for reasons of the location being temporarily shut down, perhaps for reasons of “ew, someone drowned here”. EDIT: added a missing comma and this is definitely a post where someone is going to notice that.

3points

Bec 2 years ago

Don't mistake correlation for causation. Kids who are healthy and smart probably have a better home life through more active parents, which is probably because they have enough $ to do so.

7points

Linnea 2 years ago

What are you talking about? You don't have to be wealthy to exercise. I've heard some silly excuses for not exercising before, but "I'm not rich enough to exercise" is by far the silliest. Kids 20 years ago didn't all have rich parents, and they managed to be active and in shape. If you can't exercise unless you're rich, then how do you explain the fact that kids 20 years ago managed to exercise even though they weren't rich?

2points

Cat-Servant 2 years ago

Kids may not be going out to play because there is no safe place for them to play. I live in the same neighborhood I grew up in. I'm over 60. The school yard we could play in is now fenced off. The park has had much of the playground equipment removed. It is lso small about the size of a standard house lot. The next closest large park is over a mile away with no sidewalks most of the distance. The daily temperature in the summer is too hot to play outside in now. And there is research showing that time to be able to exercise is directly related to income. Parents working 50+ hours a week are not modeling healthy behavior in eating, exercise etc because they are too tired. Being able to have the time to exercise is directly related to wealth. And don't recommend afterschool sports unless you know how much they cost. Wealthier parents also can afford to buy healthier food. Poorer families are using rice, pasta, ramen or potatoes to stretch a meal to cover the household.

4points

Alicia GriffonLady 2 years ago

Our tiny town has one park. It's been smeared with poop, stashed with used needles, and razorblades have been hidden in it. I never let my kid go there.

0points

Den Ver 2 years ago

I agree with the comments about not mistaking correlation with causation. In this case however, there might be a link between learning and physical fitness based on someone's willingness to persevere. Someone who is willing to keep running during a team sport even though their body tells them quitting would be easier might also be a person who is willing to power through the frustration phase of problem solving rather than giving up. Anyone know of any studies that have been done?

4points

that.bitch.mae 2 years ago

Yeah but in my experience, sitting down in a mostly quiet room trying to figure out a math problem is easier than trying to run the mile in 85°+ heat. Or maybe I just have s**t endurance and stamina...

1point

Biliegh Berrie 2 years ago

When my grandson is here I make him go outside. Parents nowadays rely heavily on cocomelon and its sad.

3points

Rost it 2 years ago

Cocomelon?

0points

Tamara Kroonen 2 years ago (edited)

And there comes a time, when they will lower the standarts for the PACER test, because "everyone is failing" so there must be something wrong with the test.

2points

Ber Hajek-Jones 2 years ago

There is a correlation because they both correlate VERY strongly to socioeconomic status

1point

Dean Turner 2 years ago

Haha, I broke my high school standing long jump record in 2000... My name is still on the board today. Soft-a*s kids SMH

0points

Rae Noble 2 years ago

I don't even get why the PACER test is a thing, because it doesn't seem like a good measure of fitness as much as it does of how fast/coordinated the students are - it's the kind of thing that I'd completely fail to everyone's confusion, bc I'm so slow and uncoordinated that the average kindergartner can beat me in a footrace and in all my years of swimming that gave me a six-pack, all my times were 2x the average for my group! And it's not that I'm not fit, I swam competitively, do weight training that's done fantastic things for my strength, can hike 13+ miles in a day with no problem... I just cannot make myself move fast for some bizarre reason.

0points

Alicia GriffonLady 2 years ago

Tell you a secret regarding testing. I was a fat kid and between being constantly harassed about my weight, feeling weak and hungry all the time due to forced diets, and being told to go exercise alone? I really didn't give a f**k about anything except reading to escape the b******t. If people cared about how lil cubby kids felt more than how people felt about how the kids looked, maybe we wouldn't be hiding in nooks with stolen snacks escaping reality? How bout inviting them to go hiking or something fun instead of making them painfully self-conscious?

0points

Huddo's sister 2 years ago

15 is passing for the pacer? We didn't have a pass/fail for it anyway, but 15 was the top score, that only 1 or 2 girls got in my class and it wasn't that recent.

0points

BadCat 2 years ago

I love this picture. Is it a painting or photo?

0points

Alana Voeks 2 years ago

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm. Sounds like my mother, with overfeeding me and never letting me do anything outside the house, front or back yards.

0points

#26

The need for instant gratification due to technology; they have a harder time engaging in critical thinking activities because of standardized testing; better entrepreneurs (always bargaining to get the best for them).

Camerononymous , Julia M Cameron Report

Final score:

66points

POST

Thomas Ewing 2 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

#27

In 2009, kids were blown away if you could reference online memes. Nowadays, not so much. They’re more likely to sneer and call you a boomer.

anon , Product School Report

Final score:

64points

POST

flutterbyy 2 years ago (edited)

One of my professors loves to reference memes. It's certainly cringe at times, but everyone in the class appreciates the effort.

33points

InsertBluescreenHere , Jeswin Thomas Report

#28

I work in a college and hear the stories of professors.

While students are obsessed with grades and bugging the professor on what they have the minute you say "i have your grades, come to my office between 11 and 1 and get it and if your missing anything ill let you know" not a soul showed up - no emails saying "hey i have classes then can i come in at a different time?". Students have been drying in professors offices over grades and its not the ones who really do try but just dont get it - its the ones that are missing 2 labs, 10 homework assignments, and missing quizzes but feel they deserve a C in the class because they show up ALMOST every day.

During labs and such like others have said they dont read instructions or if it doesn't explicitly SAY something they wont do it (like turn the meter on sorta thing)

Professors have had parents call their office demanding to know what their childs grade is. Professors have to remind them that your child is over 18 and legally an adult i cannot divulge that information to you. Or parents want to know why their kid is almost failing their class and why they are making the class so hard.

Final score:

63points

POST

Mrs. Jan Glass 2 years ago

The parental thing is the one that still blows my mind. When I first started teaching, I'd have a couple parents -- ALWAYS the parents of boys in my experience -- complain. Now, every single goddamn term, I have some mom or dad acting like because they're paying the bills, their kid's education is like a goddamn fast food burger and they "have the right" to demand it "their way" and "get what they're paying for!" Goody for you, but legally I can't and won't tell you anything. With online classes? Even worse. These assholes INTERRUPT CLASS to make these demands. No, parents, I do NOT work for you, and no, you do NOT "pay my bills" by any stretch.

43points

Dutch Swimmer Goes Viral For Super Revealing Trunks During 2024 Olympics: “Is This Legal?”

See Also on Bored Panda

Thrill-Seeking Diver Jumps Down Extreme Waterslide, Ignoring The Strict Ban For Women

#29

Students now seem to stay away from politics and activism completely because they don't know who to trust. İt's very sad.
Becoming engaged with the world beyond ones family and hometown through political activism used to be a important -- perhaps the most important - part of university. İt is not that students now are apathetic, they are just being told that everything is 'fake news' and so they don't want to feel 'duped' into being passionate about issues that might not be real.

MercutiaShiva , Edward Howell Report

Final score:

58points

POST

Bryan W. 2 years ago

I don't recall giving one flying c**p about politics or social issues until I started paying taxes and that was the popular position among my peers. Activism has always been the exception among youth. I remember being forced to do c**p outside the class in Government because "get involved" and hating every minute of it 20+ years ago. If anything kids are more aware and passionate about "issues" than ever before thanks to social media.

48points

#30

Two words: anxiety and technology.
College teacher since 1999 👩‍🏫

KMCC44 , cottonbro Report

Final score:

50points

POST

Russell Tilling 2 years ago

Swearing amongst children I think has gotten worse. I've heard 1st-hand of what a 'lower-demographic' pupil has said to a teacher and it was horrificly-sexual. Not sure if the pupil was a girl or a boy. I have heard a 'lower-demographic' father saying the same sort of thing to his (cute-sounding) son walking past my house as well, when the son wa complaining another schoolkid picking on him. Very horrific and very sad. (South of England)

3points

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#31

When I taught (having a break to do a masters), I never disguised the fact that I was gay and it wasn't a big deal. That, in itself, is notable, I think. We had a few teachers who made no effort to hide their gayness (by which I mean students sometimes ask what we did at the weekend or if we were married or anything and I'd mention my fiancé - normal conversational stuff) and we had a trans woman on staff. This is in a small town with students who generally had a low level of education or were previously kicked out of other places.

I cannot imagine that being the case 20 years ago. The worse homophobic comments I've heard have actually been from older staff but I am ballsy enough to ask them to repeat what they just said in a "try it and we both know you'll end up in a disciplinary" voice. That's absolutely magical.

But yeah, being gay, and to a lesser extent being trans or non-binary, has been hugely normalised in the younger generations.

Gulbasaur Report

Final score:

19points

POST

Brenda 2 years ago

Youngest is non-binary, using he/his pronouns. Most people are fine with it, but some older family still use she/her knowing his preference. Luckily we rarely see them. Even strangers are good

2points

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#32

I'll weigh in on this. Began my career in 1998. Taught in two states.

The first big and obvious change is technology. The digital life of my students is robust. They communicate with people--and especially their parents--with total ease and some degree of authority. If something happens--a fight, a disagreement, a lockdown drill, a bad grade--the school will hear about it in 20 minutes, not 24 hours. Additionally, with tech comes the issues of cyberbullying, threats, and general drama that sometimes makes it to the school environment. It's what was always happening, just amplified. Lastly, your whole sense of education shifts when facts and figures can be checked instantly. Dates and people's names are easy referenced. Concepts still need the classroom environment. And let's not get started on how email changed everything.

The second issue is that kids today seem way more sensitive to social justice issues. Over the period of years, most of my students have become savvy, aware, woke. They are just better citizens, at least in classroom discourse. Of course, there seems to be a greater sensitivity too. I've come to be very careful in my language and assumptions lest I feel the wrath of several 15-17 year olds setting me straight. But I love that they do. Why shouldn't a student correct a teacher.

Are they happier? Probably not. Are they still kids.? Yes, they are still kids. I would never underestimate the power and creativity of kids from this generation. However, I wouldn't assume that just because the world is at their fingertips, they have a good grasp of it.

The brain only matures as biology tells it and if scientists are right, 25 is the end of childhood. Just when I started teaching.

bosshogg-ali Report

Final score:

18points

POST

WordWeaver 2 years ago

Good to hear a positive assessment.

0points

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#33

Got to the thread too late to realistically read through all of them before posting, so apologies if there is any repetition in my comments.

I started in higher ed six years ago and have noticed plenty of functional type differences that may not be immediately obvious. For instance, when I attended college in the 90s email wasn't used as a primary method of communication. It was still seen as a semi-exotic analog to snail mail. Now that it (and other electronic, digital, and wireless means of communication) are in wide use, showing up to see a class cancellation notice on the door isn't seen as a gift from the gods, but as a justification for students to complain that they made a "pointless trip" to the classroom. Instead of being grateful for an extra hour off, many of students will become indignant that they walked/drove "all the way over" to a certain part of campus/a particular building/campus.

I've also noticed what I believe to be more "blur" about what constitutes plagiarism. Obviously, we warn against it, remind students of that warning, and make sure to define what plagiarism is. But, for whatever reason, they think that uncited CTRL-C + CTRL-V does NOT equal plagiarism. It seems as if they think the only way making an exact copy of someone else's work is if it is done by hand...as in literally writing it by hand. If it's type, and especially copied and pasted, it's OK.

And, finally, the belief that having your ear buds in during class (presumably to listen to music) is perfectly normal and acceptable seems to be almost universal. Even though it was 25 years ago, we had the technology to do the same thing. But, barring some bizarre exceptions, we all understood that it wasn't appropriate. Today, a large proportion of students seem to be seriously considering it worthy of an argument if you ask them to take them out (I only ask during tests or if their "content" is spilling out of their ears and into the room. Yes, it happens from time to time.)

Another odd complication that wasn't even possible "back in my day" (LOL...it seems odd to even type that) is the use of laptops to take notes. I don't mind. I even suggest it...with the explicit and heavily emphasized warning that if you're caught watching cat videos, or whatever, I'll ask you to quit using it. I'll never forget the exchange I had with one student who forgot to mute their laptop and started a YouTube video. It loudly interrupted class. I asked them to mute their laptop and reminded the student that I'd ask them to not have their laptop out if they couldn't exert some discipline (in a real world sense, all I was asking was the courtesy of having the volume turned down as I can't see their screens when I'm lecturing). Ten minutes later, the SAME STUDENT has an autoplayed Facebook video create the same situation. They didn't mute the laptop, they just quit looking at what they thought got them caught. So, I asked them to put the laptop away. "How am I supposed to take notes?!" was the indignant reply. I pointed out that that wasn't what she was doing, that class had already been loudly interrupted twice, that I'd already given her a pass on something I'd given a preemptive warning about, and pens and paper still existed. Still, the combination of "how dare you" and "what am I supposed to do now" was all over her face and body language.

Also, on the days when I give a small quiz (intended to encourage attendance and reading of the textbook), make use of a slide show, or have a significant amount of things written on the board, I can't help but notice how many students rely on the cameras on their phones to substitute for "note taking." I've told them that it can't hurt to do so. In fact, I think it is a useful supplement. But, no matter how many times I explain it, I'll have a half dozen students a semester who stare into the distance and/or look like they are sleeping with their eyes open UNTIL the moment I advance a slide, pick up the eraser, etc. All of the sudden, they perk up and their head is on a swivel. They can pick up their phones and snap pictures of the board/boards and/or screen faster than a Old West gunslinger could draw his revolver.

Just some random observations. I think some of what I mentioned is a result of some of my classes being filled with first year freshman who are treating college as being in the 13th grade. That's especially true in the fall semesters. Given that we're in the middle of one, that's probably why all that comes to my mind so easily now. Hahaha!

Datamackirk Report

Final score:

16points

POST

Izzy Curer 2 years ago (edited)

I was in college in the early oughts. My commute was about two hours round trip, and there were times when I would only have one class for the day. You better believe I would have been pissed not to have received an email if the class was cancelled. That's nothing new. Sorry you didn't have email in the 90's, but some things change for the better.

0points

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#34

I began teaching in 2003, so I'll try to answer.

Kids are the same. The difference is mainly that they have their phones in class now. That's about it.

Mahaloth , ROBIN WORRALL Report

Final score:

16points

POST

Kelli Lindsay Boone 2 years ago

I feel like this is the most correct answer on this entire thread.

6points

#35

I work at a university and have discussed this many times with many different profs. One thing that keeps popping up is that students seem less willing to put effort into [actively] learning. They now expect professors to teach them everything. If a student somehow doesn't understand something, they blame the profs instead of their own lack of effort. They seem to think learning is some passive thing that happens, that showing up for lecture and doing homework is somehow sufficient to master the material.

knockknockbear , homajob Report

Final score:

16points

POST

Oopsydaisy 2 years ago

And this is one of the many reasons why students should not be allowed to score teaching staff.

2points

Woman Refuses To Chip In For Babysitting Because She Doesn’t Even Have Kids, Asks If She’s A Jerk

#36

Students in 2009 gave absolutely zero f***s

Students in 2019 give waaayy too many f***s

BlindBettler Report

Final score:

14points

POST

Rost it 2 years ago

Fascinating...

0points

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#37

Nearly two decades in, this is what I've noticed:

Students are more supportive of each other and less judgemental. Kids are often lauded for things that would have gotten them bullied in the past.
Everything school related is viewed in the context of college applications, where the goal is to check as many boxes as possible. Fewer and fewer kids giving themselves a chance to find something academic they are passionate about and allowing themselves the time to engage with it.
Far more stressed out and sleep deprived. This is a chicken vs. egg thing, as the two create a postivie feedback loop.
The lack of a more formal dating structure due to hangout/hookup culture and always on rumor-mill of the internet have made it even more confusing and emotionally fraught for teenagers to navigate romantic relationships and as a result, there has been a reduction in students involved in romantic relationships.

toodlesandpoodles Report

Final score:

14points

POST

#38

A couple of observations as both a parent and a substitute teacher:

1) No one teaches handwriting anymore. Everything is done on a computer, so no one emphasis spelling (spellcheck), handwriting or even proper grammar.

2) For better or worse, more kids are getting diagnosed with some sort of mental health illness or are on the spectrum. In some ways this is better, because they get the help they need. On the other hand, it creates a bit of a mess as kids are getting segregated and it's difficult to teach.

Ionopsis Report

Final score:

14points

POST

SelkieBlackfysh 2 years ago

To be fair a lot of us adults now likely had mental illness and behavioral issues that were never addressed. Example being, if mental health actually mattered back in 2000 I'd have known earlier on I had ADHD and could have been treated for it, instead of spending most of my life struggling and thinking something was wrong with me because I couldn't focus.

6points

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#39

Pop culture references.

1999: Ferris Beuller's Day Off

2009: Twilight and all things vampire

2019: Fortnite dances and memes

gadfly1974 , Erik Mclean Report

Final score:

13points

POST

James G. Currie 2 years ago

Downvotes galore coming!!! Fortnight is trash. Give me the Battlefield franchise *any* day! ;)

5points

#40

Teacher of 15+ years here. Cell phones. These kids’ brains are exactly the same as their predecessors, except this generation have unlimited telepathy, information, and porn. It’s like having a superpower, along with the complacency and disregard for authority that any superpower would probably confer on its possessor.

Lumpzilla Report

Final score:

13points

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#41

I'm a student teacher in an upper elementary school classroom.

The students are much more accepting of students who receive special education services, and they make efforts to include the students who are still learning English too.

Attention spans are shorter, especially for students in the younger grades. When I worked with third graders, they could only receive twenty minutes of direct instruction before they lose focus. We would have to take quick brain breaks (dancing, games, etc.) after those twenty minutes.

Even though they have more advanced technology, my current students aren't as capable with laptop computers as we were in 2009. They learned to type in third grade just like we did, but most type very slowly because they only use one hand or one finger. They were amazed at how fast I type and how I can type without looking at the keyboard or the screen.

They're also not so good with memorizing, but that could be due to the lower amount of assigned homework and/or varied math strategies that don't require as much memorization (e.g. with multiplication) as traditional algorithms do (e.g. long division).

vietalisk Report

Final score:

13points

POST

猫草 2 years ago

uh i couldn‘t really type at age 8 either? we learned writing by hand he first two years and typing was an elective class when i was around twelve? i just learned that during my teenage years. why do eight year olds need to type fast on a computer? serious question.

5points

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#42

I can't speak to 1999, but I was TAing college in 2009 and currently teach high school (juniors and seniors). Some of the most distinct changes are below. (These were present in 2009 and 2010 (my first year of high school teacher) but rarely. Now most of these things are happening daily/with most students)

1. Students are much more open about sex/drinking. It is nothing for students to talk about a kegger in front of me and when I remind them that I can hear them, they blow me off.
2. Grades are the most important thing in the entire world and there is a bigger disconnect in grades and understanding. There is a lot of 'I tried really hard, I deserve an A' even though they fully admit they didn't understand the work.
3. There is desire to know what is going on. If I forget one night to post the homework on the google website they simply don't do the homework (even if it is listed on the syllabus, was on my whiteboard, and was verbally stated)
4. There is no desire to look up information on their own. I am constantly asked for extra practice worksheets - so I tell them to google them if I am busy and can't do it that second. Students almost always respond with 'But I tried that and couldn't find anything'. I then google 'Balancing Equations Practice Problems' on their device and show them how the entire first 3 pages of google are practice problems.
5. And the biggest one is having absolutely no idea the power of their technology. In 2009/2010, every student who had a TI-83 calculator knew how to use it, could program games into it (since this was before every kid having a smartphone), and knew how to use it to cheat. Now the $100+ TI calculators are simply used as fancy basic calculators. They are shocked when I show them how to program in basic numbers or use a built in app. Even on their Iphone calculator, most of them didn't know if you tilted your phone sideways it became a scientific calculator.

valaranias Report

Final score:

11points

POST

Riley Warrick 2 years ago (edited)

Ooh I want to know how to program a game into a calculator. Must hold someone hostage until I know how! >:)

3points

#43

Nothing really. I can only speak for the previous 13 years. I still use the same damn jokes but I just change the references to more recent movies or music. I use slightly different websites but how i interact online or off hasnt changed. I guess there's been a decline in general English ability but that's because English isnt emphasized like it used to be.

bobbanyon , Kenny Eliason Report

Final score:

11points

POST

Nunya Business 2 years ago

I, I, I . . .

1point

#44

2019 college students couldn’t care any less about fun social events on campus. They would rather do everything online.

SiphonerKai , adrienolichon Report

Final score:

11points

POST

Markus Holstein 2 years ago

That's the lawn in front of the Reichstag in Berlin, Germany

1point

#45

Polisci teacher here. Biggest difference is students asking for a specially created extra credit assignment (wtf?) rather than being satisfied (or informing themselves) with semester long support, feedback, and extra credit opportunities.

Newsflash: I love all my kids but I cant/wont/shouldn't create special additional assignments for everyone. I should (and can and do) create exceptions for accommodations and exceptional circumstances. Even for the "ordinary exceptions" like illness, accident, or even a breakup.

But aint no one gonna make an exception cause you failed to access all the resources that you were repeatedly told about, reminded about, and failed to show up for.

It's been suggested that this was a change in k-12 with common core (I'm at the college level). K-12 teachers, any insight into why I get freshman who think this way?

Icypalmtree Report

Final score:

11points

POST

Samantha Mix 2 years ago

Common core. Unrealistic expectations that disregard actual brain development per age. It broke my brilliant daughter.

3points

#46

I've been a teacher for eleven years in Elementary School. Two things that called my attention the most in comparing kids from 2009 and 2019 are that kids from 2009 seemed calmer. Usually I'd have one or two problematic students, but now it's usually 1/3 of the class or more. The second thing is that parents give us way more hard time than before. In 2009 you could contact a parent about not doing homework or classroom activities or misbehaving and you'd usually have them by your side teaching the child she must be respectful and obey teacher's instructions. With time this has changed drastically to parents taking the kid's side and telling US to be patient because "there are a lot of problems" at home the child is facing. Or just because they think the teacher must put on a show to entertain their child, never punish misbehavior and just let them free to do what they want.

NicoleA5 Report

Final score:

11points

POST

Brenda 2 years ago

Only once was I wrong to trust the teacher. Usually kid didn't give the whole story! 😆

1point

#47

Engineering professor here. There are some statistical trends that should be noted: 1. Older professors are not as effective of instructors - there are many suggested reasons, I like the explanation that they are further removed from understanding the students' knowledge base and have greater difficulty covering material at the proper depth. Not that it can't happen. 2. Older professors know more than they did as younger professors. They get surprised by new information less often, and therefore get the impression that the students of "today" are not as smart as the ones of "before".

I will say, there are more women and underrepresented minorities now. That's a great thing. Also, there has been an explosion in engineering enrollment in the past 10 years. That's a great thing - society needs them. Students are less open to paying for books, they want free pdfs or ebooks.

Other than that, they are exactly the same. Kids are kids.

Traut67 Report

Final score:

9points

POST

Brenda 2 years ago

College textbooks are stupid expensive! Even if you buy new, you only get a fraction of it back even if excellent condition. $100 or $150 for a single book is exploitative. At least they have a choice now

1point

#48

I teach high school. Fifteen years ago, the minutes before the bell was a time where kids would talk to each other and goof around. Now, it’s absolute silence. The kids are checking their cell phones.

anon Report

Final score:

9points

POST

猫草 2 years ago (edited)

some of them might be texting their friends that go to different schools. some of them might enjoy the quiet (i sure know i would have) and not being expected to constantly communicate on their breaks between periods of having to pay attention in class.

0points

#49

That first semester of college is a thousand times lonelier than it was 20 years ago.

Used to be you'd walk into the dining hall, look around, and see faces you knew from class. They'd wave you over.

Now the dining hall is just the tops of heads. Everyone has their face in their phone. They're sitting alone.

1999 = every semester, a student ends up crying in your office

2019 = every WEEK, a student ends up crying in your office

hahahahthunk Report

Final score:

9points

POST

stardust 2 years ago

Guys, school kids are actually social. Who do you think they're talking to? Most likely their irl friends. Mind = blown

3points

XxxGoldDustWomanxxX , Nathan Dumlao Report

#50

I just had a conversation with a teacher friend about this. She said that the biggest difference is the level of precaution that teachers have to take now, and how the circumstances surrounding it have managed to feed on themselves.

Example: Child is (or feels) slighted in some way. Parents are more aggressive about attacking teachers about this than in years past. To add to that, because of increased communication (cell phones, instant messaging, etc.), the parents are alerted of these incidents more quickly and (because of the first item - parents being more likely to defend the child) more frequently.

So: parents lash out at teachers more often, over smaller incidents. Children know this, and thus, alert their parents more often. They also have the increased capacity to do so...they could simply text their parents in class if they feel slighted, whether warranted or not.

dystopianview Report

Final score:

9points

POST

WordWeaver 2 years ago

I always knew which type of parent I had the second they said "MY child ..." Uh oh.

0points

#51

Teaching for 11 years now. When I started teaching, students were waaaay more competent with basic computer skills. Smartphones have killed a lot of this. Typing on a keyboard is slower, many don't know how to put attachments in an email... It's weird to see students get worse with technology over time.

ghintziest Report

Final score:

8points

POST

猫草 2 years ago

they are not worse. they are used to a different kind of technology. they can type really fast on their smart phones touch screens. that‘s not a bad thing, just a different technology for writing. do my grandparents know how an mp3 player works? no. do millennials know how to use punched card data processing? do i know how to use the features of tiktok? not really. not saying either of us couldn‘t learn it. but different generations grow up with different tech. always have been, always will. not an inherently bad thing.

1point

#52

Sorry not a teacher but a family friend who has been teaching a little over 30 years now once said kids today are bigger (in size) and their clothes are smaller while in the past they were a lot smaller while their clothes were bigger/baggier.

Final score:

6points

POST

I'm a visual editor here at Bored Panda and I enjoy a good laugh. My work ranges from serious topics related to toxic work environments and relationship difficulties to humorous articles about online shopping fails and introvert memes. When I'm not at my work desk, checking if every single pixel is in the right place, I usually spend my free time playing board games, taking pictures, and watching documentaries

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Liucija Adomaite is a creative mind with years of experience in copywriting. She has a dynamic set of experiences from advertising, academia, and journalism. This time, she has set out on a journey to investigate the ways in which we communicate ideas on a large scale. Her current mission is to find a magic formula for how to make ideas, news, and other such things spread like a virus.

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What do you think ?

POST

vivienne della vella 2 years ago

I’m a highschooler. as much as i want to complain about grumpy old boomers, these are nearly all true. i see it every day. my mom was an english teacher, so i have a pretty good handle on grammar usage. we are sophomores btw - my classmate asked what a verb was and where the apostrophe goes in “They’re”, all in one sentence. i’m worried about how the kids in my generation act so cold and bratty towards adults. i’m worried about the kindergarteners (my sister is 6) - the PE teacher was right. they are getting less active. i worry about a lot of silly things, but the things on this list actually do call for attention

32points

Eff the haters 2 years ago

Let me start off by saying I go to a private school and appreciate that my parents work their asses off for me. But the school (Gr 3-12) hires out a personal trainer and we do workouts every Wednesday so the p.e. aspect doesn't really apply. I am a junior this coming year and I must say I was very shocked when I read about the apostrophe issue. I'm surprised that's actually happening

2points

Fernanda Abreu 2 years ago

You open your statement referring to an entire generation as "grumpy old boomers", then say you worry about your generation acting "cold and bratty" towards adults. Something doesn't add up.

0points

Daniel Allen 2 years ago

Yet you still can't use capital letters to start a sentence.

-2points

Mrs. Jan Glass 2 years ago

College English lit prof here. When I was first teaching in Los Angeles, late 90s/early 2000s, my students--almost all nonwhite--wanted to engage and talk about the n-word. They wanted to analyze the differences between "-ger" and "-gah." They wanted to engage texts that used it and tear into it, hard, from Countee Cullen and Langston Hughes to Mark Twain to rap and Quentin Tarantino. They wanted to talk about the shifts they'd experienced in their lifetimes, and, especially, about their own personal experiences with hearing/using the word. They thought I was lame for not reading it out loud b/c "it's just a word, we don't give it power!" Now, my students of most races refuse any texts that even includes the word, even though I have a practice of not reading it out loud. They frame encountering the word in the classroom as an act of violence perpetrated on them. It's hard to find spaces in that fine line between censorship, historical accuracy, context, trauma, and hate speech.

16points

Huddo's sister 2 years ago

That is really interesting that you were able to have that experience with them in the early generations. It's not a word we really come across in literature much in Australia, but we did have one book we studied about an Aboriginal boy. There were other racial slurs in there (against both Aboriginal and white people) and we discussed them and why they became part of the vernacular and why they are less common now etc. This was in the mid 2000s, but I would be surprised if the book list and the way it is taught changed that much, as us Aussies don't shy away from difficult topics often. In fact, a couple of years later our play text we studied began with F**k, repeated about five times, so we discussed why it was important to read that, rather than a censored version. If I remember correctly, a few years ago my sister's set text was about a girl who was wrestling with depression/killed her self, which of course led to lots of important discussions.

4points

Hannah Edwards 2 years ago

I think that it’s wonderful that children now take so much in their stride as far as LGTBQ matters go. My son said that his friend Charlotte is now Charles, he didn’t question it, just respected the change and carried on. My only concern is that children now seem so desperate to label themselves from a very young age, even from as young as six.They shouldn’t be worrying about their sexuality at that age, they should just be playing and having fun. There’s plenty of time to worry about sexual identity when puberty hits!

13points

Mrs. Jan Glass 2 years ago

This is something us "you don't need labels!" Gen X-ers need to reconcile. These kids, unlike us, are probably going to go through multiple cycles of labels and rejecting labels and finding new labels. I think there's actually a thread of commonality here, though, about interrogating and understanding who we are as individuals, and who we WANT to be. That said, every single queer person I've known has expressed that they knew they were queer by the time they were 5-6. It's not about "sex," per se, it's about gender. That these kids can just be like "Mom, Dad, I like boys, not girls" or "I want to wear a dress/cut my hair short/paint my nails" and it's often no biggie is exactly what we spent all of those decades marching for.

10points

Nila Griffin 2 years ago

Most of these entires really do sound like “kids these days” grumpy adults.

10points

Ozacoter 2 years ago (edited)

Definitely. Some have their merit, like the higher stress, being more open with mental health and so. But many are definetly adults looking at their past with nostalgia. Most kids in the 90s and 2000s were not programming, reading constantly or had perfect grammar. We were told the same, that we were lazy, didnt respect them, that TV and videogames was destroying our brains, that we didnt read enough etc. If you lived in a city you werent normally allowed to walk alone until quite late and you couldnt just "be outside playing" because your parents needed to take you to the park and stay there. My partner grew up in a small village and his childhood was more free but i grew in a big city and we barely had any unsurpervised outside time until we were like 15 and could go alone.

12points

Blackheart 2 years ago

Here's the difference. This post ASKED teachers to share. This is not unsolicited. Also, when was the last time you were in a classroom? People tend to think things are the way they were when they were in school. They are not, and things now change at a faster pace. I see a huge difference in students now than just 5 years ago.

9points

猫草 2 years ago

exactly. so much "urgh today‘s youth, so lazy and dumb" they have different skills and interests than us. different ways to solve problems. why is it seen as a bad thing that they aren‘t afraid to ask for help?

5points

Ueda 2 years ago

Yes. There's certainly a lot of nostalgia at work here.

1point

rarecuts 2 years ago

That's what you got? See yourself in some of these?

1point

Vivek Mhatre 2 years ago (edited)

Here is my personal experience as a teacher who teaches programming. I teach college students btw. 1) Write a program to find x percent of y. Students are now confused. Now I ask them to do the same on paper. Some cant do it. Then I explain how percentages work. Now they get it. I do tell them that this is how discounts work in real life. 2) Calculate the simple interest earned on an amount. I have to tell them the formula. If you have a bank account you should know have a basic knowledge of how interests work. As a teacher, I do blame our education system for this. You should know about how these things work or you would get scammed without even realising and they are college students who will be doing highly technical jobs.

8points

Rae Noble 2 years ago

Actually, these days students or young adults or working-class adults often don't get simple interest on their checking accounts any more, or it's such a low rate that you've got to have 5+ figures to actually get anything bc otherwise it's less than a penny and is always rounded down. Plus, the interest rates on accounts like savings or retirement are meaningless - the banks are out here changing them multiple times a year, and if it's a 401k they'll say things like "so we told you to expect 8% on average but the market crashed and actually you had a couple months where it was -3% and it's been less than inflation all year, but since we told you that was just an ~estimate you can't do anything about it, sorry!"

0points

Blackheart 2 years ago (edited)

I am an art teacher. I see students have less imagination or creativity. When given an open ended assignment to promote independent thought and creativity, they ask way more questions, wanting me to tell them exactly what to do and how to do it. Kids have to learn there are multiple ways to solve a problem, more than one way to do things. There does not have to be a single "right" answer.

6points

Sean Sean 2 years ago

Something I noticed when I went back to college about the younger generations is that they are very susceptible to peer pressure. When you get them alone, you can get an honest opinion about things from them, but when they are in class, in a group, they'll go along with whatever the group thinks. You can actually see it happening, almost like a wave going over the class. One kid virtue signals in a discussion, then everyone falls in line. A few times one of the older students will speak out and give a different opinion, which then makes them the enemy and is now an outcast. For the rest of the quarter most of the kids wouldn't even talk to that person.

6points

Mathias Viera 2 years ago

The same behavior most people have in social media. Not a coincidence.

1point

Dino (she/her) 2 years ago

I mean… most of these are ok, but some of them just sound like older people complaining about kids nowadays. I’m a teen, and like, none of this is our fault. This is how we were raised. Especially little kids, they don’t just decide to have short attention spans and be super nervous all the time. It’s their parents and the hell of a world we live in today that made them like that.

4points

Rose-A-Lix 2 years ago

As a highschool student that stuff isn't true for all students the no activities stuff look at your school and see how much clubs and sports are being advertised my school has a small sheet of paper on a board that people don't notice or don't have enough time to read. The technology ones annoy me a lot because the computer class in 7th grade taught us coding on a website where you drag boxes into more boxes and so far the only class that has taught me real world stuff was half a semester. I think the people in charge of this country should go back to school and get some new experience to figure out what they actually should do and it shouldn't be a private school they should go to a random small town public highschool and spend a month going to class and asking students what needs changed

4points

rarecuts 2 years ago

Commas - use them

4points

PixxelDust 2 years ago

I understand the view that students 'aren't socialising' and are 'absorbed in their phones/ipads/laptops/other devices', but I think there's something people miss here. That kid typing away on their phone? They're messaging their friends. And, controversial, but I wouldn't say that's any less socialising than talking in real life. If anything, it gives them a chance to think about what they say before they say it, allowing there to be less misunderstandings and mix-ups and meaning less arguments.

3points

2x4b523p 2 years ago

My mum was a teacher. The biggest difference was when they closed school for special needs children in my town because some council busybody decided it is discriminatory to label these kids. They just made these kids go to normal primary school where the teachers had no resources nor training to deal with them. Some of them were not problematic, just slow learning. Some of them had serious mental/psychological problems and kept screaming, breaking things, kept running across classroom, some were violent. One such child would distupt entire class all day every day and in the end the child suffered, the class suffered and the teachers suffered. She counted hours not days until her retirement.

2points

Mar Riam 2 years ago

I've enjoyed reading this but I (millennial) disagree on one point, and that is that the younger generations are more prone to anxiety and less resilient etc due to upbringing/ helicopter parenting etc. While this might be part of the issue, another big issue is that we have reason to be anxious; we spent the past 2.5 years of our youth in a pandemic, most people my age will probably never be able to own a home as the housing markets are unaffordable nowadays (even with a full-time job and maybe a partner), the dating culture is absolutely horrible and ever glooming threat of the next world war doesn't make it better. Other than that I think there is much truth and also a lot of nostalgia in those shared experiences.

1point

Gabby M 2 years ago

I'm 25 and a high school teacher. Comparing my generation with my high schoolers: 1. Students are less motivated. 2. They have shorter attention spans. 3. More caring about social issues. 4. Much more open about mental health. 5. Cell phones are a big issue. 6. Grammar skills are lacking. 7. Many students do not have automatic respect for teachers and admin, respect must be earned.

1point

Mathias Viera 2 years ago (edited)

Most are parenting issues. Anxiety, depression, bad behavior, lack of language and social skills, screen addiction... Those repeats constantly thru all 30 responses. I know sitting your child in front of a screen makes your life easier, but how much damage are you doing to his/her future? How much hours per week you spend with them? Are you really a parent, or just a food provider? My wife and I don't want kids, because we know we have no time and no patience to raise a kid properly. And I think every couple should think about it seriously before having a kid they can't handle.

1point

Random Anon 2 years ago

I'm not a teacher. I've been hiring people for more than a decade and have really experienced the change in the general attitude to life that resonates with these teachers. From experience, they are definitely less resilient and require more guidance compared to the older group. Perseverance is the other issue as well, so is delayed gratification. It is a worrisome trend because all those traits contribute to building their skillset and eventually a career.

1point

Jelly Tub 2 years ago

Some of these seem like assumptions, like the reading one. But for things like the mental health and anxiety ones, there aren't more cases in general just more recorded cases because mental health has less of a stigma these days

1point

Shelli Aderman 2 years ago

Gen X students were in school in the 80s, and college in the early 90s. 1999 students are Millennials.

1point

Sarah Baker 2 years ago

Half of these genuinely go over the legitimate changes (good and bad) in schools with some really good points and discussion topics while the other half is just complaining 'back in my day!'-style. I guess it just depends on how the OP frames their thoughts though

0points

Huddo's sister 2 years ago

I was surprised about some of these, especially the loss of knowledge of computers, so I asked my sister, who is actually in the generation below me (9 years younger) and she said it was probably accurate (though her school's computer room burned down halfway through primary school so that was part of why they stopped IT lessons).

0points

Nikhita Clement 2 years ago

Kids now are more informed than ever and I think that's why they are more anxious and depressed than ever before. Before kids wouldn't know about some law restricting rights or global climate change unless they were watching/reading/listening to the news, but now if you open up Instagram or Twitter or TikTok or whatever you get bombarded with current events that are depressing. The massive increase in school shootings are also a major reason as to why kids are more anxious, they know that every day they walk into a classroom could be their last and there is nothing they can do about it and no one who has the power to do something will do it which is incredibly frustrating.

0points

Lindsey or Something 2 years ago

One thing I've noticed in reading this a) personally I'm gonna use my phone less and read more. I've been missing my books anyway. And b) if I EVER have a kid I'm doing with them what my parents did for me: no phone until middle school. Smart phone that is. I had limited screen time as a kid while I was at home and it was supervised and I would definitely make sure that my child had a way to contact me in case of an emergency, or to make sure that everyone was aware if plans had changed for getting to/from somewhere, etc.

0points

Autumn Artemis 2 years ago

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vivienne della vella 2 years ago

32points

Eff the haters 2 years ago

2points

Fernanda Abreu 2 years ago

You open your statement referring to an entire generation as "grumpy old boomers", then say you worry about your generation acting "cold and bratty" towards adults. Something doesn't add up.

0points

Daniel Allen 2 years ago

Yet you still can't use capital letters to start a sentence.

-2points

Mrs. Jan Glass 2 years ago

16points

Huddo's sister 2 years ago

4points

Hannah Edwards 2 years ago

13points

Mrs. Jan Glass 2 years ago

10points

Nila Griffin 2 years ago

Most of these entires really do sound like “kids these days” grumpy adults.

10points

Ozacoter 2 years ago (edited)

12points

Blackheart 2 years ago

9points

猫草 2 years ago

5points

Ueda 2 years ago

Yes. There's certainly a lot of nostalgia at work here.

1point

rarecuts 2 years ago

That's what you got? See yourself in some of these?

1point

Vivek Mhatre 2 years ago (edited)

8points

Rae Noble 2 years ago

0points

Blackheart 2 years ago (edited)

6points

Sean Sean 2 years ago

6points

Mathias Viera 2 years ago

The same behavior most people have in social media. Not a coincidence.

1point

Dino (she/her) 2 years ago

4points

Rose-A-Lix 2 years ago

4points

rarecuts 2 years ago

Commas - use them

4points