Wagner starts chapter five by asking, “What does it take to bring out the best in young people today, both in school and in the workplace?” It seems that more and more kiddos today are unmotivated and lack a strong sense of work ethics. When kiddos are unmotivated and have poor ethics, it can be very difficult to bring the best out in them. This is a typical answer Wagner gets when discussing these issues with educators: “Young people today have no respect for authority. They talk to each other in class, as though the teacher wasn't even there. And if they get into trouble, their parents are all over me with phone calls and emails and even complaints to the school board. The problem with these kids is that many of them are growing up kind of spoiled. They have everything they could ever want or need – except some adult discipline in their lives.” It seems that employers are echoing these same concerns. But whats the issue? It seems that many kiddos are receiving the wrong type of help and motivation. Many students seem to be barked at or talked at when in trouble rather than talked to. It is rare for students to respond positively when yelled at. The key is positive encouragement and motivation through the “right kind of help”. Kids need adults who truly care about them and their interests. Peer mentors and coaches can really make the difference here. Kids need to be asked what they are interested in as well as what excites them when learning to make things relevant. With the decline of traditional authority and social values, there are less reasons why individuals will work to learn. The primary reason today is the “Pull” factor which incorporates interest, desire, and passion. When people find their passion, thats when you will see them work hard. Too often when I was in school, I would ask teachers the point of a lesson or activity and I would get answers like “because” or “it will make you smart”... what a cop out. Answers like that turned me off from many classes and school in general. I feel that too many teachers today are still giving answers like these to students. Wagner has heard from experts that kids really thrive when they have thoughtful adult mentoring. The key word here is THOUGHTFUL. Many teachers today are not thoughtful whatsoever. I have witnessed teachers in schools all over San Diego who never lesson plan, put zero thought into student activities, and act like it is a burden for them to do their job. These are what I call toxic teachers. We wonder why students don't care? Well I believe that it starts from the top down and too many teachers have failed students and thus pushing them to become disenfranchised.
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May 2015
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