As I travel from coast to coast teaching workshops on classroom management (New York City to Seattle within this last month), I hear the same complaints about students: they lack respect for their professors, they don't want to do their homework or read their assignments, they come to class late or leave early, their cell phones ring during class (and they even take the calls!), etc.
Thomas H. Benton in his article in the Chronicle of Higher Education on June 9, 2006, challenges us as teachers:
Students and professors have entered into a mutual pact of low expectations, and somebody has to be the first to re-arm. The popularity of programs like American Idol in the college-student demographic shows how hungry they are for honest criticism. On some level, they want the hard truth instead of the "everybody is a winner" nonsense. They will rise to high expectations if teachers are firm and resist sending mixed messages. And we teachers should want, most of all, to be respected rather than liked, even if that means having to grow some backbone and take some risks.
Go ahead and take back your classroom!
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