No Respect

I'm not in the classroom today and I am happy about that. Is it just me or do today's sixth graders have way more respect and language issues that those from just a few years ago? I've subbed three times so far this semester and al of them have been an exercise in outlasting each period. My patience is tried like rarely before. The last time that I was a sub on a regular basis (Fall 1999), there were not nearly as many problems with fighting and verbal onslaughts between students as there have been this semester.

I wonder if it's the kind of school. I've subbed in rural schools in the past, now I'm in an urban setting.

I think it's just a different set of values. I don't have any idealized version of country life in mind, but it does seem that respect for others is a "country" value that isn't taught in urban environments.

Another sub wondered if it's that I'm used to a classroom of white kids and now I'd be hard-pressed to find a white kid.

I don't know.