Today's teachers struggle to educate a generation of students unlike any that has ever been seen before.

Today's teachers struggle to educate a generation of students unlike any that has ever been seen before. Each day more and more laws are passed that require schooldistricts to be accountable for their students' performances in theclassroom. Educators are given the age-old responsibility of ensuringthat their students meet the rigors of a quality education. Teacherstoday though are faced with a generation of students unlike any theyhave ever taught before. "The road to hell is paved pave?tr.v. paved, pav��ing, paves1. To cover with a pavement.2. To cover uniformly, as if with pavement.3. To be or compose the pavement of. with goodintentions and desires." This is indeed the case when it comes tothis current generation of students and their parents. This articlediscusses, how inadvertently through good intentions, an entiregeneration of young adults who will be defined by their failure tointernalize internalizeTo send a customer order from a brokerage firm to the firm's own specialist or market maker. Internalizing an order allows a broker to share in the profit (spread between the bid and ask) of executing the order. some of the most important societal and educational valuesthis country has held dear, has come to significantly impact the currentday educational system. ********** Each day, new legislation is enacted into law that requires schooldistricts to educate a growingly diverse new generation of studentsunlike any that has ever entered classrooms in the past. Federalregulations such as the "No Child Left Behind" statute strainalready limited school resources. In addition, state regulations add tothe burden. Each day school districts are being held more and moreaccountable for students' performances in the classroom as measuredthrough standardized testing A standardized test is a test administered and scored in a standard manner. The tests are designed in such a way that the "questions, conditions for administering, scoring procedures, and interpretations are consistent" [1] . Ultimately, it is the everyday classroomeducator that bears the burden for this accountability. This is not new. Once the educational system was formalized for��mal��ize?tr.v. for��mal��ized, for��mal��iz��ing, for��mal��iz��es1. To give a definite form or shape to.2. a. To make formal.b. andcurriculum standardized standardizedpertaining to data that have been submitted to standardization procedures.standardized morbidity ratesee morbidity rate.standardized mortality ratesee mortality rate. , classroom teachers were held both personallyand professionally responsible for ensuring that their students met therigors of a quality education. What has changed though, and what hascaused a significant impact on their ability to do so, is the studentpopulation itself. "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions anddesires." These words of wisdom have been expressed by manynotables from Samuel Johnson to Karl Marx to St. Bernard St. Bernarda very large (110-200 lb) dog with massive, broad head, medium-sized ears lying close to the head, and a long tail. There are two varieties, the most familiar (rough) has a long, thick coat, while the smooth variety has a shorter coat, lying close to the body. of Clairvaux.This unfortunately is indeed the case when it comes to this currentgeneration of students and their parents. Through nothing but goodintentions many parents just may have inadvertently created an entiregeneration of young adults who will be defined by their failure tointernalize some of the most important societal and educational valueswe have held dear as a nation. More economically blessed than their parents, with better careers,nicer homes, and more expensive automobiles, today's parents haveworked diligently dil��i��gent?adj.Marked by persevering, painstaking effort. See Synonyms at busy.[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin d to give their children everything that the AmericanDream American dreamalso American Dreamn.An American ideal of a happy and successful life to which all may aspire: aspires to and stands for, and that they did not have as childrenthemselves. They have given their children music, art, and dancelessons, individualized in��di��vid��u��al��ize?tr.v. in��di��vid��u��al��ized, in��di��vid��u��al��iz��ing, in��di��vid��u��al��iz��es1. To give individuality to.2. To consider or treat individually; particularize.3. and group instruction on how to better playsoccer, baseball, basketball, tennis, and every other type of sportimaginable i��mag��i��na��ble?adj.Conceivable in the imagination: imaginable exploits.i��mag . They have signed their children up, and became activelyinvolved themselves, in all manners of organized sports. They haveorganized "play dates" with other children to ensure thattheir children would have friends. They have sat at countless numbers ofsporting events on all levels and eagerly encouraged their proteges onto success. In theatres across the nation they have endured off keymusical renditions and applauded when their aspiring as��pire?intr.v. as��pired, as��pir��ing, as��pires1. To have a great ambition or ultimate goal; desire strongly: aspired to stardom.2. dancers clumpedacross the stage out of step. They did all of these things "These Things" is an EP by She Wants Revenge, released in 2005 by Perfect Kiss, a subsidiary of Geffen Records. Music VideoThe music video stars Shirley Manson, lead singer of the band Garbage. Track Listing1. "These Things [Radio Edit]" - 3:172. and morebecause it was not done for them, and because they were convinced thatthis is what "good parents" should do. All these activities outside the home meant that most familiesfaced a daily time crunch dilemma as they hurriedly sought out ways tospend "quality time" together. Something had to give, therewas just not enough time to go to soccer games, piano lessons, schoolmeetings, and do homework. In order to compensate they made compromises.Many chose to cut back on family dinners. Not sitting around the dinnertable together to share a meal was a marked and significant change fromthe parents' own childhood routine. In the end, it meant thatconversations about daily happenings, including school studies andactivities did not occur. Parents lost touch with what their childrenwere experiencing on a day-to-day basis within the classroom. Detailedreports regarding students' academic progress was substituted withgeneralize generalize/gen��er��al��ize/ (-iz)1. to spread throughout the body, as when local disease becomes systemic.2. to form a general principle; to reason inductively. questions, such as "how was school?" and answeredwith lack of specificity by "ok or fine." In addition, withlimited time available, instead of parents providing direct helpthemselves, they choose to marshal batteries of tutors to correct anyacademic deficiencies. Any yet so often, no matter how much these parents sacrificed,today's generation of students seemed ungrateful for all of theopportunities and for all that was done for them. How many times haveparents uttered the phrase, "I would have killed for theopportunities my kids have?" Too often today's students seemto lack passion, both in and outside the classroom. They appearunenthusiastic, apathetic ap��a��thet��icadj.Lacking interest or concern; indifferent.apa��thet , and even jaded jad��ed?adj.1. Worn out; wearied: "My father's words had left me jaded and depressed"William Styron.2. . Because they have done somuch at such young ages, very little is new or exciting to them. This concept of giving is ingrained in��grained?adj.1. Firmly established; deep-seated: ingrained prejudice; the ingrained habits of a lifetime.2. in today's parents. Eachday though the ante rises. One only needs to take a quick glance arounda high school parking lot to see this. Very often the automobiles thatthe students drive are more expensive than those of the school teachers.In suburban community after community, students dressed in designerclothes, drive high priced vehicles that their parents would have"killed for" while growing up. For the modern student, it isjust another entitlement, just another every day occurrence. Thisgeneration of students will be known by many names, some of which arenot very positive. One of them is the "N", (eNtitled toeverything) generation. It is sad that instead of feeling blessed by allthat their parents give them, students by and large believe it is theirright to have all these benefits. They just expect them. Of course there are the exceptions, the students who have somehowlearned to correctly prioritize pri��or��i��tize?v. pri��or��i��tized, pri��or��i��tiz��ing, pri��or��i��tiz��es Usage Problemv.tr.To arrange or deal with in order of importance.v.intr. , to correctly develop an admirable valuesystem, to correctly understand the importance and need for hard work toensure a quality education, but so many have not. Those who have not possess little or no fear of just aboutanything. They do not fear authority and they worry little about anyconsequences for their actions. As a result, today's classroomteachers face discipline problems that at times seem unsolvable. Inaddition to no fear, they often have no respect. This is seen in howthey speak to their friends, their parents, their school teachers, andanyone else who might disagree with Verb 1. disagree with - not be very easily digestible; "Spicy food disagrees with some people"hurt - give trouble or pain to; "This exercise will hurt your back" them. They simply dismiss and labelanyone who does not share their viewpoints as "wrong." Forthis they can easily be defined as the "attitude generation."Closely related to this is the fact that for many of these students verylittle, if anything, is really important. They show no sense of urgency,even when discussing plans for their own academic futures. As such, theycan also be dubbed dub?1?tr.v. dubbed, dub��bing, dubs1. To tap lightly on the shoulder by way of conferring knighthood.2. To honor with a new title or description.3. the "whatever generation" as well. All of these factor combine to place the classroom teacher at amajor disadvantage. Students do not fear consequences for their poorbehavioral or academic misconduct in class. They do not worry abouttheir futures. Many believe, and some schools reinforce the attitude,that they will get through school no matter how poor their grades maybe. They show little or no respect for their teachers, or what they arebeing taught. Fault does not lie with parents alone though. Today's studentshave grown up in a technology-based world unlike any before. This is theInternet generation. This is the generation of students that have beenexposed to media that challenges the basic core values of the society.These students have grown up watching prime time television shows thatsend the message that casual sex or drug use is not only tolerable tol��er��a��ble?adj.1. Capable of being tolerated; endurable.2. Fairly good; passable. See Synonyms at average.tol , butalso acceptable. If life mirrors art, then these messages carry overinto the schools. It can be argued that this generation may be no morepromiscuous than any that came before it, however their attitudesregarding sex are most assuredly different. Sex is passe pas��s��?adj.1. No longer current or in fashion; out-of-date.2. Past the prime; faded or aged.[French, past participle of passer, to pass, from Old French; see , or so our students have learned. It is no big deal,it fact it is expected. It is accepted as commonplace for example for a15 or 16-year-old girl to be on "the pill." With such anattitude comes a loss of intimacy and innocence. This loss in turn makesour students even more jaded and more difficult to teach. In a time whenunprotected sex Unprotected sex refers to any act of sexual intercourse in which the participants use no form of barrier contraception. Sexually transmitted infectionsSpecifically, unprotected sex or drug use can literally mean death, this generation isat least as sexually active as any previous one. Therefore, this is the"no biggie big��gie?n. Slang1. A very important person: "hassles between executive biggies"New York.2. " generation as well. This layback lay��back?n.A spin in figure skating in which the skater's upper body is arched backward. attitude is pervasive and is reflected in the languageour students use each and every day. Vulgarities and obscenities arepart and parcel of how children communicate today. Words that previousgenerations would have been ashamed to utter in public are now used asverbs and nouns in every day speech, even within classrooms. Sadly,parents and teachers have tolerated this for the most part. Both correctand admonish for sure, but unlike adults from the past who would havethreatened to "wash their mouths out with soap" this is seenas normal. Closely related to this is the fact that students haveadopted the daily use of the lie. This generation did not invent thelie, however it has made great strides in perfecting it. These are thestudents who even after having been caught in a lie will continue toassert their innocence. In fact, they are often even indignant thatteaches and parents would not "believe" them, or worse not"trust" them, even when this trust has indeed been violated.Sadly, teachers and parents alike want to believe and often want totrust so much that they buy into students' plausible lies. Teacherscontinually give students more and more chances. The result, students asexpected, continue to push the envelope. Standards for today's students have been lowered as a resultof all of this. Abhorrent ab��hor��rent?adj.1. Disgusting, loathsome, or repellent.2. Feeling repugnance or loathing.3. Archaic Being strongly opposed. behavior is now labeled as normal, and in thisterm normal lays the problem. In so many ways the bar for expectationsfor our students has been lowered. Parents claim that "as long asthey are not on drugs or liquor, or sexually active" it is fine.Interestingly enough, many of these parents would not even know if theirchildren were involved in these activities. "It's just astage," or, "it's typical behavior for a teenager"have become excuses for providing less guidance and measuring out lesspunishment for discipline problems. Students may be encouraged or evenexpected to excel academically, athletically, or even economically, butthey are not held to higher standards of being human. Too many parents and teachers alike are more concerned with being"friends" instead of fulfilling their roles as guardians andeducators. Parents and teachers actively avoid confrontation with thesechildren. Unlike the previous generations, today's adults even feelbadly when they argue with these children. In fact, it is often theparent or even the teacher that initiates contact to "make thingsright." While communication is essential, if the adults alwaysinitiate it, the result is a further erosion of respect for authority. To its credit this generation of parents has eliminated spanking spankingPediatrics Corporal punishment, usually of children, in which the buttocks, are pummeled, swatted, or otherwise struck. See Corporal punishment Sexology Slapping, usually of the buttocks as a part of sexuoerotic activity. Cf Sadomasochism. orhitting their children. They have come to understand that it is ofteninhumane in��hu��mane?adj.Lacking pity or compassion.inhu��manely adv. and accomplishes very little. Unfortunately, the alternativesthat have been developed have fallen well short of the mark. Parentshave created the "time out" generation, the "go to yourroom and think about what you have done wrong" generation."Interestingly enough the rooms they are sent to are miniatureentertainment centers. Many, if not most, have television sets,telephones, stereos, and VCRs. Many have DVDs, computers, and some evenminiature refrigerators. Sending children to their rooms is a far cryfrom punishment. Interestingly enough, these rooms are sanctuaries.Parents allow children to believe that their rooms are enclaves ofprivacy. Parents today, in response to their own childhood experiences,have refused to "violate" their children's space. Thisrespect for privacy has led to abuse. As a result, students have come toexpect, and even demand, this same right to privacy while in school. It is apparent that parents today are more actively involved inschools as well. This however, does not always have a positive influenceon their children's education. Teachers are constantly faced with"it's not my kid" conversations with parents. These arethe same parents that not only confront their children's schoolteachers, but threaten to file lawsuits if any of their children'srights The opportunity for children to participate in political and legal decisions that affect them; in a broad sense, the rights of children to live free from hunger, abuse, neglect, and other inhumane conditions. as students are even perceived to be violated. Sadly, this hasbecome a litigious litigiousadj. referring to a person who constantly brings or prolongs legal actions, particularly when the legal maneuvers are unnecessary or unfounded. Such persons often enjoy legal battles, controversy, the courtroom, the spotlight, use the courts to punish society where most teachers can anticipate a lawsuitor at least the threat of one at some time in their career. It is nowonder that many educators would rather just avoid any situation thatwould jeopardize jeop��ard��ize?tr.v. jeop��ard��ized, jeop��ard��iz��ing, jeop��ard��izesTo expose to loss or injury; imperil. See Synonyms at endanger. their livelihood. The result is that the very attitudesand behaviors that should be changed are reinforced instead in school aswell. While not wishing to issue a blanket indictment against a wholegeneration of students, it is evident that with all of these factorsweighing in, with the lack of respect for authority, with theentitlement and jaded attitudes, with the belief that sex or drugs arejust normal stages of development, it is amazing a��maze?v. a��mazed, a��maz��ing, a��maz��esv.tr.1. To affect with great wonder; astonish. See Synonyms at surprise.2. Obsolete To bewilder; perplex.v.intr. that educators todaycan teach at all, and yet some do. These are the educators who demandthat this generation of students adhere to adhere toverb 1. follow, keep, maintain, respect, observe, be true, fulfil, obey, heed, keep to, abide by, be loyal, mind, be constant, be faithful2. , and respect importantvalues. These are the teachers who are more concerned with educatingthan placating pla��cate?tr.v. pla��cat��ed, pla��cat��ing, pla��catesTo allay the anger of, especially by making concessions; appease. See Synonyms at pacify. . These are the teachers who refuse to simply passstudents along in order to avoid trouble for themselves. These are theeducators who refuse to lower the bar, who refuse to accept disrespect,and who understand that being accountable means being willing to setstandards for both their students and themselves. In the end, it is in these teachers that the hope to reclaimeducational excellence in the classroom truly lies. Joseph S.C. Simplicio Ph.D., Professor, Dean for the School ofEducation and Professional Studies, Director of Graduate EducationStudies. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Dr.Joseph S.C. Simplicio, Dean for the School of Education and ProfessionalStudies, P.O. Box 3210, Shepherdstown, WV 25443; Email:jsimplic@shepherd.edu