It was the right choice. I really enjoyed my conversations with all three of them, each varying in duration, but all incredibly reassuring. The one thing I feared was coming back and having to explain my passion for filmmaking. There was always this sense of me not wanting to disappoint people (usually older adults) when it came to talking about my future. I always noted that I would be taking computer science courses when going to college and that I would major in communication arts along side a certificate in computer science. Though currently, I am over trying to align myself with what is in a sense "expected" of me. So when it came time talking about my first semester, I was exuberant and couldn't withhold telling everyone about the people I have met, the movies I have seen, the classes that I took, and the realizations that I made.
The last conversation I had was with a teacher I only had for one semester my senior year. Weirdly enough, we talked the longest. While I felt a little intrusive, she welcomed me in and we talked about my accomplishments, but also of the apathetic state of her students. When I was in her English class, I noticed that most of the students suffered from senioritis. To me, the idea of seniors suffering from this affliction was not unusual, but for her she said this senior class was worse than previous ones. This reminded me of how much I pushed myself senior year. I wanted to get out of high school as much as the next student, but I soaked up my time by working, taking four AP classes, and throwing a discus for track. It got me wondering how apathetic I would feel if I never found an interest or something that kept me looking towards the future.
Just her talking about the students' conditions, it just made me distraught. I can't imagine how hard it is to teach students. Teachers obviously don't choose this profession for the pay. While I can't speak for all teachers, I feel that the overwhelming majority want the students to succeed. Therefore, the lack of enthusiasm is defiantly a problem with two things 1) the students themselves 2) the education system and curriculum. It just gets me mad to hear about my old teacher's current issues with motivating her kids. The mentality of her students is most likely having the feeling that they are so close to the finish line, why not walk the last lap? There are so many factors that come into place here: how they grew up, where they want to go after high school, what profession they are planning on going into, do they know what they want to do, are they mentally prepared for the world, etc. I don't think anyone really has all those questions answered (well except for how they grew up) as a young adult, especially as senior, yet it doesn't hurt to start filling out the answer rather than leave it blank.
Since I am only a freshman, I would like to give out my interpretation (my own experience) as to what might be going on with these apathetic students. It has to do with a dance. A dance between procrastination and when to start worrying. I suffer from procrastination myself, but I have developed a system where I know the due dates and when to really start kicking it into high gear when the impending due date is coming up (usually within two nights before it is due). I believe the issue with these kids is that the apathy comes from not knowing when to start caring. I'm not classifying these kids as emotionless beings, I'm trying to say that when they stop caring about the classes they are taking, stop empathizing with the teachers and understanding where they are coming from, and just enclose themselves within their community of friends via snapchat, facebook, and Instagram, they miss something. They no longer have a stake of interest in worrying about what they get out from learning in their English or Social Studies course. Again, not all students are like this. The ones who are involved in sports, the arts, or academics, all have a drive that makes them have to focus specifically on a goal. While I was involved with all three of those groups, I organized myself to have each drive equal to each other. So not only is having a drive a problem for the apathetic kids, but organizing their time once they found something to look forward to.
In the end, the teacher can only do so much. It is up to each student to find their niche, keep busy, and understand themselves. The saying is nobody knows you better than yourself in the whole world. I hope for the best from the high school class of 2016.
Movies I've Seen Recently:
- Carol
- Kristen Johnson: her middle name is Therese but it is pronounced differently in the film Carol
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