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Who is the Dude With The Chains
Progress is not always better
School, as I remember it, was a formal place. The male teachers wore jackets and ties. The female teachers wore dresses or pant suits. By the time I started teaching, I noticed teachers wearing jeans and casual clothes. Over the years, the dress code relaxed even more. Now children wear booty shorts, tight tops, and t -shirts that often say obscene things. Teachers are wearing stretch clothes and gym attire.
It is customary to call your teacher by their first name. I am uncomfortable with this. I always asked the kids to call me Mrs Cohen, or Mrs. C. I am old and old-fashioned. The only exception I know is my grandson’s school. It is a school you must test into with high grades, an impressive standardized test score, and an audition. He says nothing has changed there. I believe him, I would like it there. He does.
The point of this familiarity is to bond with the students. I have seen students speaking to teachers, rolling their eyes, and laughing when the would-be “friend” walks away. I don’t like it.
This story is about my last years teaching High School. Then and now, teachers get observed by an administrator. Sometimes you know ahead, sometimes not. It always made me very nervous, since you are graded, and it will often determine whether you keep your job or not.
