Learning to Deal in an I, Me, Mine World
Coming primarily from a clinical background these past thirty years, it has been an eye-opening experience teaching in the classroom. I learned there is a big difference between teaching a single respiratory therapy student in a clinical setting and teaching an entire classroom, and with every change of cohort, with every change of a school year, one trait has become more apparent and that is the learner's feelings of entitlement. I will acknowledge that I come from a proprietary school, and this fact may lead some learners to grasp onto the notion that, "I'm paying you a lot of money to get me a degree," but don't other teachers experience this in a more conventional setting as well?
Because I am preparing "future caregivers" I do tend to take a more stern approach, but let's be honest, would you want a clinician that would fold under pressure when they are supposed to be caring for your loved one? Feeling entitled only takes you so far when you have the life of someone else in your hands. But as a teacher, how does one adapt to this behavior?
Tim Elmore, in a Huffington Post article, describes where the feeling of entitlement may stem from and what four ingredients are necessary to yield a "healthy student," but it must consist of two working parts coming from the home and the classroom. In part two of this article I was introduced to the "signs of a sense of entitlement."
Although this is a subject I am literally looking into for the first time, I am seeing that the most likely solution really begins with myself, and what type of persona I will emit to engage my learner's from the path of "entitlement to the path of empowerment."
I also teach in a private school and over the 20 years that I have been there, I have seen the sense of entitlement increase in both students and parents.
ReplyDeleteIt does seem that it is more apparent, but with adult learners who are expect to feel the pressures of caring for another human-being in sometimes grave matters, you would think they would feel a bit more humility.
DeleteI teach in a public high school and see the same behavior there. The number of students who do little to no work for the entire school year and then are upset (or worse, surprised) when they fail, is disconcerting. I had one student who did no work, homework or otherwise, for an entire school year. His mother called the school and then contacted me to see what he needed to do to pass as he was a senior and would not graduate if he failed my class. Since it was the last week of school and I had called home numerous times, left messages and spoke to the student on an almost weekly basis, there was really nothing that he could do at this point. Hard to come back from an average grade for the year of a 7. I think this sense of entitlement that I suspect many of us are seeing is directly related to what we see out in the community, and in the country. The world is very different than it was when I was in school. The respect for teachers is at a very low point, and it is reflected in both student and parent interactions and expectations.
ReplyDeleteI hate to ask about the outcome with your student. I have seen this scenario within my class, and I have stuck to my guns, the great thing about being in the medical profession is I can tell the Dean of Students, "would you want "student X" to work on you or your loved ones?" That usually takes care of any further argument, that and keeping GOOD RECORDS OF ALL COMMUNICATION.
ReplyDeleteExcellent point about keeping good records. The last few times I've dealt with the issue that Lisa mentioned, I looked back and realized we have a record of emails but rarely phone calls home.
DeleteAs a sped teacher, it is automatic for me to fill out a call log for every contact. Documentation is definitely key here. They made him take a different math class in summer school, and he graduated in August. He is a very bright boy with no ambition or willingness to work. He has jumped from one menial job to another, usually getting fired for the same behaviors I saw when I had him in class. Sad.
DeleteSorry to hear of this outcome but alas I'm afraid it's an outcome that we as educators have to learn from and yes, let go. Wishing all of our students success, we have to concede that we don't always bat 1000.
DeleteThere seems to be a bit of a gray area between entitlement and advocacy, at least in my mind. I want my students to stand up for themselves and ensure they get what they need to be successful, within reason of course.
ReplyDeleteI certainly don't mind them standing up for themselves, but they should be prepared to defend "their work."
DeleteFrederick, you might be interested in the book "Generation Me" by Jean Twenge.
ReplyDelete