Congratulatory comments

[LukeJ]

@Kendall James-Vargas agreed. I thoroughly did enjoy my childhood. All in thanks mainly to my grandparents and parents who allowed us to be children and have fun. We made dens, we played games, we made ramps for our bikes, we swam in the tides, and roamed freely around the villages we grew up in. Looking back, I would never change one moment. I'm not stating that may be the best life for youngsters these days, technology is also fun and a different way of bonding with friends, but there was an innocence and freedom I feel back then.

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@LukeJ It's that freedom of encouraged exploration that is really lacking in kids today! The kids today are sheltered in the most bizarre ways, more so physically than mentally. I want my children to be protected, don't get me wrong, but I want their life to be filled with adventures and imagination. Our children today don't have to use and/or develop that sense of imagination because our screens given it to them. It's important for children to develop that on their own while exploring and creating! That's why I bring my children cruising with me! They are exposed to so many different things and taken away from screen access (not that they get much at home). Families that don't take their children alongside with them are missing out in my opinion. Yes, it's more stressful, but what a joy it is to be able to give your children that same reward of an effortless vacation! 

[LukeJ]

Yes it's a shame that they will never experience what we did. And in part it's down to screens, but the major reason is the dangers of the world. My grandmother would kick me, my brother and cousins out of the house early doors and tell us not to come back until it's time for dinner around 6:00pm. We would be out for at least 8 hours just playing, building, exploring. They had no idea where we were and what we were doing. Can you imagine doing that today? It's easier as they have phones with them, we didn't have that. 

[3Sisters]

@LukeJ Generations change! I remember when typing was just becoming necessary and now it's seemingly more important to know how to type than print handwriting. Cursive is gone (although I teach it at home), and most schools don't teach kids to read clocks anymore (it's all about the digital clock). Much of these concessions are really dumbing down our society if you ask me (not that anyone asked). The aggressive nature and violence of children is not good, and video games in a dark room with no physical energy exertion is a big factor here. Kids are getting the wrong impression about society and social skills are very much lacking. I really hope there is a shift to the norm with this tech-focused generation. Life is more than technology becoming your world, your brain, your everything. 

[LukeJ]

@3Sisters you are absolutely right. And I tell you, the children's handwriting these days are diabolical. I work part time at the comprehensive school or (high school? For the US I think) and I'm shocked at the standard of the hand writing on offer. There are a load that you simply just cannot read. So a computer is required for them in order to do their exams. I was saddened. But it makes you think how has it got to this stage. And most are bone idle when it comes to actual writing. The moans of groans of actually doing written work is ridiculous. Others write a few sentences and that's it, they throw their pens away in anger.

[3Sisters]

@LukeJ You really are a man of many traits! That's crazy! I can't imagine a child that didn't learn to write. It blows my mind. These are high schoolers! It's wild to me. How could we have allowed our children to become so uneducated in this way? It's a cultural standard now. It's simply not important to learn now. Everything electronic just isn't my style. It may sound wasteful, but I don't want to have to use my phone in the MDR to see the dinner menu. I love a physical menu. I want every restaurant to offer a paper menu! 

[LukeJ]

Yes it heartbreaking to see. Nobody has any pride in what they are doing anymore. When I was in school, teachers would always ask me to do the writing to put up on the walls because it was so neat and tidy. That gave me immense pride in what I was doing, and I've continued that into my adult life. I've always believed you can tell a lot about a person with their handwriting. And some of these children, well it's really not good. It looks like shorthand at first glance. And they don't leave gaps between sentences, so it appears to be very long words joined together. This is the blame of the primary schools who really should be getting them to do basic handwriting before they go up to higher education.

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@LukeJ That's a really good point. I think teachers don't take pride in what they are doing because of several factors. One factor is the lack of proper compensation for necessary professions that are under appreciated and over worked. The unrealistic workload is another factor as to why teachers and schools are struggling. Another reason schools are becoming ill equipped is lack of funding. The issue of technology and usage of it, alongside the push for standardized testing is another huge problem. Teachers are becoming puppets of the school system, without any wiggle room to use their unique teaching skills to their advantage. We have burnt out most of the good teachers by making them teach to get a good standardized test scores for their students, over stressing them with such horrible compensation! It's a shame. 

Edited July 15 by Kendall James-Vargas

[LukeJ]

@Kendall James-Vargas the other issue with teachers is that they can't do anything. I see it myself in the schools. Teachers will try and get them to work, and the response is that they can't be bothered and the teachers can't really do anything other than sending a message home. And a few students don't care if that's the case, and sometimes even the parents don't care, happily blaming everyone else other than themselves. It's a horrible situation with some. We do try, but sometimes it's a no point scenario.

[PaulB]

@LukeJ oh that is a sad state of affairs. I didn't realise it was as bad as that around. I agree, that most people, young and old nowadays just cannot be bothered with anything. It's all attitude. All the old fashioned values have simply gone away in today's society. It's very selfish out there now. The mind set of people is disgraceful. If someone is injured, the first thinking they have rather than helping them is to film them on their phones. I don't believe it sometimes, 

[LukeJ]

@PaulB yes I completely agree. Certainly where I live, there is hardly any compassion or pride in anything. Don't get me wrong, there are still plenty of people that do good around, and deserve all the praise they should, but mostly we are let down. This new generation simply don't care, and that is a sad state of affairs. I can't see, in the future, many people going through employment, and rather let others pay their way.

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@LukeJ You are so right! It's very unfair for the teachers. There has to be a shift for the school teachers iff you ask me. The burn out rate is real. I have many teacher friends that have left the field. We spend more money on other useless things instead of paying our teachers and police and other public services more. I'm not sure if it's all the same in the UK, but public service workers get good benefits but that's about it. The pay is just not good. It's crazy because many of these teachers are basically raising other people's children. Don't you think the deserve a pretty big raise for that? Many kids stay in aftercare very late into the day! 

[LukeJ]

@Kendall James-Vargas before I went into the sector, I always believed that teachers were well paid compared to the rest. I was a chef and had to work long shifts and still not get as much as teachers, however now I've gone the other way. The stress is unbelievable, I personally come home after doing half the amount of hours as I used to and physically shattered. It's hard work, mentally drains you. The disrespect from these students is disgusting. I myself get sworn at constantly, and I'm one of the ones that the children like. There is simply no respect at all from a lot of them, and the school suspends them, brings the parents in, try any way but to no avail. Soon as suspension finishes and their back, they go straight back to their old ways again. It's just a vicious circle.

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@LukeJ I wish I could say that's true! Typically the public sector pays more than the private sector. The private sector typically offers better benefits too, but the child to teacher ratio is typically greater. If I had the option, I would probably work in the public sector for benefits as I have worked in the private sector as a teacher in the past. I like the private school atmosphere because it's not all teaching to the test, but I like getting paid on my time off (during the summer and holiday breaks). Our private school actually had a private chef and teaching kitchen. It was a fabulous school, but pay and benefits were not adequate. The amount parents had to pay for their children to go there was ridiculous! Even with teach discount, I would end up working to pay for tuition with the amount of children I have. The students were pretty good at that private school, but there were lots of entitled families/children. They expect their students to be the best and expect their children excel even if they aren't. I have so much respect for the crew members that work on ships in childcare. It's such a challenging job with the amount of new children they receive each week. I'm sure it's never a dull moment.

[LukeJ]

That's true, the public sector, families are always paying for something. Even where my boy in school, the amount of letter we get asking for payment for anything is getting ridiculous. I understand the need for monies going towards funds for schools but surely it would be better for schools to look for sponsors instead. We've already paid our taxes that goes towards education and are expected to raise more. 

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@LukeJ You are spot on. I may value education higher than most, but I do think additional funding for teachers is necessary. All of my teacher friends spend so much of their personal money to set up their classrooms each year. I don't get it! They spend hundreds of dollars for crafts and supplies beyond what the school system provides (which is so minimal). Many of my friends ask for donations for their classrooms, and I have bought things off of registries for their classrooms to support their work. It's just crazy they have to ask for donations! Their salaries are already so low, and they have to spend the little they make pouring back into the students. My friend will go above and beyond buying them doughnuts at the end of the year as a class party and things of that nature. The school system doesn't give her a dime for all of those extras she does for her students.

[LukeJ]

@Kendall James-Vargas it seems to be a global issue for teachers, as many of my teacher friends spend their own money on their classrooms. I just don't understand it. There are many roles in the school filled by people that I don't understand why they are there. It seems that a role has been created by the school for a certain person with a hefty pay rise and nobody knows what that role is. It's just a waste, and the extra wage or the difference in the wage could go towards things for the students instead.

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@LukeJ That's very true! So many "teachers" aren't really teachers. My friends that are marvelous teachers get burnt out so easily because of the student to teacher ratio, not to mention those that struggle with learning being integrated into those classrooms without the adequate support. It leaves teachers so drained. English as a Second Language students (ESL) need so much more attention due to the language barrier and teachers have to spend so much extra time on all of the obstacles amidst having 20 other students with their own behavioral issues to tend it. I honestly don't know how they do it.

[LukeJ]

@Kendall James-Vargas it's a sad state of affairs really. But it's not just education that this sort of thing is happening. The amount of jobs I've had where you wonder what someone's role is, and they act all important. But in the schools, it's even more of a waste because the teachers need support. The amount of teachers I see phoning in sick is shocking. Ours especially. The monies spent on agencies or supply teachers is a disgrace. The schools in the UK have 13 weeks off in total for the year with holidays. Now that is far more than the average working person, and some teachers are taking that again off in sickness. So in total they are only working for half a year on full pay.

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@LukeJ That's a shame to read. There really aren't too many great support resources, and students get teachers sick all the time, particularly at the elementary level. The time off doesn't make up for the lower salaries. I still think teachers are underpaid. There is a big risk to be a teacher too. It's stressful because all students performance reflects back on the teacher. It's a lot of pressure. Many times, particularly at lower income schools, the students don't want to learn and the parents don't support student learning at home either. That leaves the teacher doing so much more than teaching. You also can't discipline your students. Then the questions becomes, how do you get students to listen to the teacher? Students don't have respect for anyone anymore, let alone a teacher.

[LukeJ]

@Kendall James-Vargas I will agree with you that students do not have any respect for anyone or anything. It saddens me that this generation simply don't care. We can't even threaten them with anything or compromise. And I don't mean threaten as in a physical sense, just an appeal to their senses. I've seen it all to often, trying to reach out and state that if they don't do the work, they don't get marked which in turn affects their grades. Couldn't care less. Well the other option is to get in touch with the parents and explain the situation. Again couldn't care less. They rule the roost at home, and if they don't want to do it, they simply don't do it. 

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@LukeJ I wish students were more engaging and excited to learn! Teaching an uninterested child is such a challenge, but it seems like more and more students just don't want to learn. Many parents are too busy both working to be able to invest the necessary time and energy into their schooling. It's a shame, but we all have to work hard to make it and some things have to give. The sense of entitlement children have today is wild. With that new generation mentality, how will anyone have dignity and respect for others? It's so self centered that common courtesy has just gone out the window.

[LukeJ]

@Kendall James-Vargas these children have so much to learn, I find it difficult to understand why they don't want to know. I find learning new things fascinating as I didn't know that before, however these lot just simply do not care. I've had many come up and say what's the point of maths, when am I ever going to learn about this in life. Really? You can't see how any of these subjects are beneficial. We use maths every single day of our lives, not only numbers but also it teaches us how to problem solve, train the brain into working out equations. Still there's a blank look back. 

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@LukeJ I agree that's so frustrating. Why don't students want to learn? I think it's because children today feel invincible. Confidence is a good thing, but you have to have humility too. It's almost like kids nowadays know it all. They don't feel the need to know more because they think they are good enough. I think that dumbs down our society when they don't have a sense of urgency to work and do better. Mediocre is average, why wouldn't you want to be more? 

[LukeJ]

@Kendall James-Vargas oh yes, there are total confidence everywhere. They certainly give off that vibe that they know it all, and walk about sure of themselves. I wonder what they will be like once they begin work, if they begin that is. I've had a few state that they don't see the point of working, and they won't get out of bed unless they get around £50k per year. Right well good luck with that, and I'm sure every hard working person wishes you the same.