Teenagers!

Need I write more? There's one word that inspires so many images and attitudes.

I was raised under "old school" style. Our school had 40 kids per teacher, 1 teacher's aide for 6 grades, and the special ed department was a chair by the water fountain.

So when I started teaching this past fall it was a major shock. Cell phones and MP3 players are thought to be absolute necessities. So, I asked, "Since you all listen to music, how many play an instrument?" NONE!

They are fasinated with old songs from the 70s and 80s. They are amazed when I know the lyrics as I remember the songs on the school bus radio.

Their attitude that the world will magically support all their needs without work is troubling to me. How will they survive when they are set free from parental support to minimum wage jobs?
How will they respond when they have hungry little children depending on them?