Föhn. It's everyone's favourite topic of conversation in Austria, especially at this time of year. It's some kind of warm wind that comes from the mountains and/or the south. Apparently it can be to blame for everything. One teacher was complaining yesterday that she had a migraine because of the Föhn. It can cause colds, headaches, paranoia, anything you can imagine.I am sceptical about things like this, so imagine my surprise and disgust when a teacher used it as an excuse for a class that were misbehaving. Seriously. I have taught the class three times now. Every single lesson has been a battle with them, I lose count of how many times I have to ask them to stop talking/close their laptops/put their phones away. Today they went one step too far. I shouted at them, telling them how disrespectful it was that they were not paying attention, especially as I had gone to quite some effort to do a lesson that they would be interested in. Oh, and I should point out that during the whole lesson the teacher was sat at the back of the classroom marking homework and not offering to help me. At all. Afterwards she said "Hmmm, they were in a funny mood today. Don't worry about it, it's because of the Föhn." Yes, she actually held the weather responsible for their behaviour! I'm sorry... WHAT?! That is one of the most preposterous things I have ever heard. It is not the wind that makes them such horrible people, it's the lack of discipline. Yesterday I confronted a class about ignoring me and said that they wouldn't behave like that if the teacher was talking the the class so why do it when I'm there. I was told in no uncertain terms that they would behave like that no matter who was standing at the front. I know it makes me sound very old to moan about people who are not that much younger than me but I really do think that I am from the end of the generation who were taught good discipline. Perhaps I have been reading too many educational texts on how TV and computer games influence young people and the way they behave but the more time I spend in school, the more I believe that they definitely have a point!
That's all for now, more ranting soon!
I did occasionally wonder if I was just a weirdo for being so astonished by the horrific lack of respect that teachers receive. I guessed I was old before my time and harking back to some Grandpa Simpson time in the past when people actually listened to teachers, shut up when the teachers wanted to say something.. you know the time when Dickens still lived I guess.
ReplyDeleteVery glad to know I am not the only who thinks that the next generation of school kids is completely different to how we were at school. I don't think you're far wrong on pc games and tv either.
Right, where's my daily mail, slippers and pipe...
Oh god, not the Föhn. The amount of times our Austrian lecturer at uni used to talk to us about that!
ReplyDeleteBut I don't know whether I agree with you about the discipline. Well, I do in general but I find that the kids here in the Netherlands are generally quite respectful, with some exceptions. They pay me more attention often than they pay teachers. But then, dutch people just seem to be nice in general