Spoilt brats and chocolate pringles

I once went to a conference shortly before I finished Uni where one of the speakers threw in as a sidenote that the children of the future will be highly spoilt and how this would create great difficulties for teachers.

As a teacher I can say that isn't a premonition of the future. It is the now.

Today I had a Year 10 boy blubber his eyes out to me because he feels his art teacher doesn't care about him enough. He's also blubbered to me in the past that I don't care enough. His justification for our caring stems from the fact that we either failed him or nearly failed him. Not coz we didn't care. But because he did NO FUCKING WORK. We did everything in our power to help this kid with his work and he didn't take the help.

and truth be told the more he blubbers the less we care. Coz we think he oughta deal with it. How many of you grew up with the expectation that everyone you would meet would automatically love you? So manay kids these days grow up with mummy and daddy rushing to quell their childs sadness by rushing to attack whoever wronged their little baby. Its bullshit.

I always loved the idea of teaching having a side of social work. Helping kids through troubled times. Yet you can only be stretched so far. I teach kids who have been the victims of sexual assault by their parents. I teach kids who repeatedly punch walls just to feel. There is a spate of kids who self harm so obviously that blood seeps through their school dresses during class.

So I have little time for kids who are used to being the centre of mummy's universe and thus enter my office demanding that they be moved into another art class because they dont feel enough love from their art teacher. Because their art teacher told them off for not handing in their folio on time.

The kids (and their parents) kick and scream if they dont feel loved enough, if they aren't told at all times that they are brilliant creative individuals who will go far. Even if they're lazy little useless gits. And then there's those who go too far, and love their students a little too much if you get my gist.

There is no happy medium. At least on days like today it feels there aren't.

And thats my rant.

PS - I just watched that show on Melbourne with a shop called Chocolate Fire where they dip all kinds of food into chocolate - including pringles - anyone else want to find it with me?