The Slacker Generation and Their Overly Involved Parents

I've been feeling out of sorts lately. Let's just say that this week I'd say I've been a bitch on wheels. I don't want to be, but I'm just easily irritated. The end of the school year is getting closer, and my students are insane. Even crazier are some of the parents!

Economics is a required class. If you don't pass, you don't graduate. It's that simple. Every student who walks through my door on day one knows that. In addition, I remind them on a regular basis. So why is it that I've just had to assign 23 students to tutoring for a failing grade at the progress reports??? Seriously, do they really want to work at KFC/Taco Bell for the rest of their lives? I just don't get it.

I wish it did not affect me, but it does. It always makes me feel like a failure as a teacher when I have so many with bad grades. BUT I can't do the work for them!

A failing grade in my class does not mean that you were unable to perform a labotomy, therefore, will not be allowed to practice medicine. No! Instead it means that you were too lazy to READ the book, COPY some vocabulary words from the overhead or the textbook, and PARTICIPATE in a couple of class discussions/activities. Oh, I almost forgot WRITE a small essay or paragraph stating your position. There's no right or wrong answer; you merely B.S. your way through an issue. INSANE, right?

While that is frustrating in itself, that frustration is further compounded by the parents in charge of these kids! When trying to discuss the student's lack of participation and motivation, I get this soap opera about how the child has suffered since birth. His brother was mean to him, his first grade teacher hated him, he has ADHD, he has narcolepsy, blah, blah, blah... It makes me nuts! I want to pull a Judge Judy on them, and say, "Get your head out of your ass and wake up! Your kid has been playing you since birth, and will continue to suck you dry until he's 50 if you don't make him take responsibility for his own life!"

I have a friend in HR who was recently talking about this very phenomena. She indicated that she's actually had parents call wanting to set up meetings regarding their children's latest performance reviews...AT WORK! Are you kidding me?? Could you just imagine that meeting? Son to boss: "Huh, sir? My mom wants to know why I only got a 2% raise. Do you have time this afternoon for a conference call?"

One thing is for certain... Teaching has given me a whole new perspective on parenting. I've already forewarned my coworkers. If they ever notice me exhibiting any of the aforementioned signs of "helicopter parenting," they are to choke me down on the spot and call Judge Judy for an intervention.