Kim Frencken: Defiant teens

Disrespect. Defiance. Entitlement. A recipe for disaster. When a teen is displaying their 'superior' knowledge part of me wants to laugh at their arrogant ignorance and the other part of me wants to scream at their arrogant ignorance.

What have we done to create these monsters of disrespect? Teens who refuse to do what is asked. Teens who lecture adults. Teens who demand. This phenomenon has crept into our schools and grown into a full blown plague.

Teens with this syndrome are so wrapped up in themselves that they fail to notice that the world doesn't revolve around them. They are so absorbed in the fantasy of technology that reality ceases to exist. The lines separating the two are now blurred. Their wants become their needs. They become the master of their universe and we become the subjects.

Unfortunately, in most cases, they have the upper hand because teachers have little support from administration. Administrators are either unsure of how to handle this spoiled child or they are unwilling to defy the teen and their equally loud parents -remember the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. When bullies win, teachers lose their authority in the classroom. And, yes, authority is important. Students need to know who is in charge and who will take care of them. They need structure to feel safe.

Reaching the defiant ones is next to impossible without support. The time it would take to tear down the barriers they have placed around themselves is not available to a lone teacher. There are crowded classrooms, with many needs, that demand the teacher's attention. There isn't time for a childish showdown. Teachers need a support system that allows learning to continue for the remainder of the class, while the troubled teen receives the guidance that they need to correct these inappropriate behaviors.

More and more entitlement behaviors are being identified. More students are exhibiting these undesirable characteristics. Teachers are losing ground. Student who want to learn are being robbed of instruction time. The future isn't looking bright for the entitled ones. As they exit their little school world, they will discover an outside world that doesn't cater to their whims.

(For more of Kim Frencken's writing and information about her educational products, check out her blog, Chocolate for the Teacher.)