Students and Personal Responsibility.

I've had it. I reached the end of my rope today. As I was giving out gradesheets to my students, many of them realized that they had many zeros for assignments they haven't turned in. So, I would either show them the assignment or tell them when they did it, and most of them said 'well, I wasn't here. I didn't know we did anything!'. And, on occasion they actually ask if they have to make it up since they were absent. Seriously. I wonder if they actually think the entire school shuts down and doesn't do anything on the days they are gone. So now they are scrambling to make up their zeros which is a huge pain in my ass while simultaneously blaming me for their terrible grades. This makes me mad. I have been known to ask the kids if they are serious and if they think the school revolves around them and their lame excuse absences.

My class is somewhat difficult, but generally if you are there every day, pay attention and at least try to do the work you will pass easily. If you try really hard you can easily make an 'A'. But, the majority of the students have no personal responsibility, especially when it comes to grades. They are rude, blame me, throw tantrums and then expect me to bend over backwards to help them make up their work. I gave a test today, did a review yesterday and gave them a review sheet. But, did they study? Wait, study? What's that? Do you have to do that after the 45 minute class is over? They're too busy doing who knows what to even remember to bring a pencil to school.

I attribute this to several things. First, the parents. Parents are way to quick to make excuses for their kids and they hardly ever punish them. Parents actually have to said to teachers at my school that they just don't know what to do anymore, yet the kid is out late every night, drives a decent car that is paid for, has a nice cell phone and computer. But, parents don't take that stuff away or ground them. So, what is the reason for a student to be worried about anything? Their parent will just come along and take care of it for them.

Secondly, many teachers just give grades for the kids if they are there or just do the assignment. There are students in my school who have missed 5 - 10 days of school, yet still have a 90%. What is the incentive if they can miss every other day of school and still make an A. I also have to wonder what in the world is going on in that classroom if kids who are gone so much have A's. But that's a whole separate story.

And, lastly, society doesn't do anything to help. We glamorize drug use, sex and people who commit crimes or don't get an education yet are still successful like some musician and athletes. The students have to grasp of reality when this is what they see every day. Most likely they are not going to become the next greatest guitar player or football player, or they are not going to start up some business and become a millionaire when they can barely multiply. And, I'm not kidding about the multiplying - it's unreal.

Well, this is my experience at my school, which is an alternative school, so I understand that we have a different population of students. But, it's still just as disheartening to see this lack of personal responsibility among young people.