What does student behavior look like this year?

  • “I’m struck by the sheer rudeness of some high school students toward their hard-working and caring teachers, and nobody bats an eye, just accepts that ‘this is how kids behave,’ when the school down the road insists on their students being more polite. Something’s not adding up.” — Educator in Washington
    • “My university colleagues are starting to say the same thing about their students. I have a good friend that said she’s starting to feel uncomfortable in her classroom.” — Former Professor in Arizona
    • “When a student misbehaves and a teacher reports it, I wouldn’t be surprised if the teacher is the one who is blamed for the student’s outburst. If this happens multiple times, staff just give up. And now the school has a culture of students disrespecting teachers.” — High School Science Teacher in California
  • “I’ve been working as a sub over the last few weeks. I also did my student teaching here back in the spring, so I’ve gotten to know a lot of students in this school. These behaviors are RIDICULOUS. I am so surprised because I grew up attending schools in the same and nearby districts, but these students are WILD. I’m subbing grades 1-8. They are lifting desks into the air, standing on desks, throwing stuff, nonstop talking and screaming. And it isn’t only when I’m the only adult present. Even when I’m subbing for a coteacher and there are other adults present, they are beyond disrespectful to that teacher as well. Is this how it is everywhere, or could it possibly be just the culture of the school? (Public school in a major city)” — Substitute Teacher in the U.S. 
    • “Yep. Pretty much the new norm. … I teach in one of the schools you want to escape to outside a large city. It’s not better, just different problems.” — High School Teacher in Mississippi 
    • “I’ve been a substitute for over a year, and I’d say, if anything, the behaviors have been mostly better this year as compared to last year. Granted, my district has banned cellphones, which may be a factor.” — Substitute Teacher in the U.S.
    • “I teach in a high socio-economic district in Morris County, NJ. Behaviors are horrendous.” — Middle School Teacher in New Jersey 
  • “I teach sophomores through seniors, and this current group has been the worst in the decade I’ve been doing this. The combo of apathy + combativeness + lack of accountability + disregard for the consequences of their choices has me so fed up. They get so offended at being expected to do anything.” — High School Teacher in the U.S.
  • “I left a full-time teaching position for this exact reason. When a child’s right to an education impedes on their peers’, they have lost the privilege to participate in that environment. Unfortunately, we no longer live in a society in which students receive the appropriate repercussions for their choices. Until this happens, I predict things will continue to escalate.” — Former High School History Teacher in the U.S.