What Are Teachers Really Thinking?

Have you ever wondered what teachers from kindergarten through graduate and professional school are really thinking? Have you ever wondered how they manage to control themselves when frustrated? The frustrations are compounded today by helicopter parents, who start in day care and never let up. The outstanding students are wonderful. The overachievers are great. The students who work as hard as they can and achieve up to their abilities are an inspiration. No, let’s think of the slackers – the students who often miss class, are unprepared when they deign to show up, surf the web or play videogames when present, and then want to know why they performed poorly in the course. Let’s think of the students who do not understand that you only get out of it that which you put into it. This hysterical youtube video, supposedly on the answering machine of an Australian high school, or perhaps attributed by some internet reports to the Pacific Palisades High School in Los Angeles, or perhaps is simply an interesting internet hoax. Perhaps it was recorded, but never actually played, and someone leaked it. Whatever, it captures the mood of many former and present teachers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Pwghabw4N80 Sometimes it’s just so tempting. But no, we exercise restraint. A couple of students this semester asked why I tolerated their classmate who was obviously not with the program and seemed off the wall. I treat all students with respect.