The End of Society

"You cant blame a dog for having a bad owner."

I just wanted to spend some time relaying my understanding the future end of society. We only have two decades at most. Having been a teacher for half a year now does not make me experienced at all, but it does give me perspective on students and the needs of society. I did not whiz through undergraduate studies in four years as would be expected a person of my secondary grades and achievements. I took my time, played sports, worked several jobs, and tried to gain some experience before I choose my profession. Why do I mention all of this. I want to set the stage for how my prediction came about.

1. This summer I am begin paid to train teachers (professional educators, namely 4 year {or higher} degree holding, certified, state governed, individuals) how to use copmuter programs the county/state is requiring them to use. The teachers are paid $150 a day to RECEIVE training. I am paid more (of course) but I digress. After nearly 20 years of school, learning lifetimes of research and knowledge, I would have skipped lacrosse practice to receive $150 a DAY to learn how to use a computer program in a 5 hour period. That is $30 an HOUR. That is huge. In a 40 hour week that is $1200 that is almost $60k a year. $60k!!! I know teachers do not make that, most administrators don't. SO its been stated, that the rate of pay, per hour, is huge, and all they have to do is learn some computer programs.

2. During the year I teach various technology classes. Mostly how to use the programs on the computer productively. My grading is quite simple, you do it, you get an A. Juts do it, I do not check the answers. Most of the work is projects and if they submit anything with any effort, I give an A. SO this is an easy A class. My school wide average was still only a B+. which means the average student in my easy A class, still gets a B. What the heck is that about. I had about .5% or my students FAIL. How do you fail, simply produce no work. These student preferred to sitting and starring then filming a movie, or making a PowerPoint, editing a sound file, etc. These same students are doing good awful in all of their other classes. If... IF the parents of these "select" students come in for a meeting, what do you think they appear like? Not even jeans a t-shirt, that's to much to ask. Shorts, wife beater, sandals, and a hat.. A HAT! The sun is God-awful bright in my classroom. What happens when the parent shows up. I can sum it up in one sentence, "From 7:15 to 2:30, they are your problem, fix em or ill complain to the school board."
Why even come to the meeting, just call and say, "I hate my kid, the condom broke, leave me alone."

3. Other the the .5 percent just mentioned only roughly 10% had a 3.0 GPA or higher. So about 89% have less then a B average. Nearly 90 percent of out students don't know %70 of the knowledge required. I never got a C in secondary (middle-high school) education. I may have gotten a C in behavior a few times in primary, but never academically.

4. A recent study shows that the average child has at best, a limited imagination. Where once we made swords from branches, shields from trash can lids, and fun out of air. Children seek the simulation from computers and TV. I know the irony of this with me being a technology teacher, but I must state facts. With the imagination decreasing, so is the intelligence.

5. Each generation blames the next for being the down-fall of society, but I have news. It is the current working generation and their off spring that will end it for us.

How can I say such things? How do I know I am accurate? I spend every day in this consumer society. I buy, I shop, I credit, I exist. I see the current working age group (18-55) and their approach to life. The ages above 35 are generally pretty well rounded and decent people. The 18-30ish is the enemy. I know, I am in that bracket, as are all of my associates. This is the baby boomer echo. The children, of the children, of the winners of World War Two. The children of the fighters of Vietnam. We are a group of whiners, of complainers, of "let me speak to you boss." because I can not fight my own fight, wusses. This generation succumbs to each others demands. The consumer is right, laziness is king, work is for losers. The "who wants to be a Millionaire," Generation. While my fellow 20-30 somethings seek retirement at age 40, who is minding the children. We all want the fast cash, the easy road, the big payoff. Who is making sure our children have values, morals, ethical standards, good work habits, and most importantly; role models? Not their parents. Maybe they will happen to find a good teacher, but that is a hard path as the students, and the parents themselves have distrust in their own underpaid educators. No the students will follow each other in a vicious circle where only a few make it out and the rest flip burgers, or at best, middle manage.

Do not mistake me there are good, hard working people, in this group. They are simply the minority. They will have great children who thy themselves we hope will to, if the survive that long.

The point of this is not to demoralize the students and parents of today. Just to say that TV doe snot educate, nothing I mean NOTHING, replaces hard work, and that "rich and famous" is not a job title but a side effect of the one in a million combination of; talent, hard work, and luck.

p.s. to all those future actors/musicians/athletes out their. 99.9% of you will fail. If your not able to make money doing it in middle school or early high school, plan a career change.