I'm Too Late?

[cheernerd5678]

@12stepCheermom I'd still say please don't call my mom!
The only time my mom will do something for me is if I've tried and the teacher won't help. Like I missed a day of spanish last year and went in and got my makeup work. Like a week later we had a test, and we were supposed to analyze this song... turns out they did it while I was gone and when I got my makeup work she didn't give me the song lyrics. And when I tried to talk to her she was like "well you should've gotten your makeup work or told me you didn't have it before the test." Well, I did get my work, how was I supposed to know I didn't have the paper that I had never heard of and she never mentioned in class again? I trusted you to give me all my work... If it had affected my grade, my mom was ready to talk to her. I don't think she ever even graded it, so it didn't matter, but that's the kind of circumstances required for my mom to step in. Maybe it's the fact that she has five kids and doesn't have the time to be a helicopter for all of us
Our yearbook teacher has gotten to the point where she's decided she's sending emails to the parents informing them of deadlines and then if someone's story is late she's going to call their parents about it, because the kids won't just get their stuff done. They don't care about their grades so she's hoping that their parents care enough about their grades to make them do it.

 

[12stepCheermom]

@12stepCheermom I'd still say please don't call my mom!
The only time my mom will do something for me is if I've tried and the teacher won't help. Like I missed a day of spanish last year and went in and got my makeup work. Like a week later we had a test, and we were supposed to analyze this song... turns out they did it while I was gone and when I got my makeup work she didn't give me the song lyrics. And when I tried to talk to her she was like "well you should've gotten your makeup work or told me you didn't have it before the test." Well, I did get my work, how was I supposed to know I didn't have the paper that I had never heard of and she never mentioned in class again? I trusted you to give me all my work... If it had affected my grade, my mom was ready to talk to her. I don't think she ever even graded it, so it didn't matter, but that's the kind of circumstances required for my mom to step in. Maybe it's the fact that she has five kids and doesn't have the time to be a helicopter for all of us
Our yearbook teacher has gotten to the point where she's decided she's sending emails to the parents informing them of deadlines and then if someone's story is late she's going to call their parents about it, because the kids won't just get their stuff done. They don't care about their grades so she's hoping that their parents care enough about their grades to make them do it.

The sad thing is....most of them won't. Apathy and lack of motivation is the number one issue in school today that I see. And the most unmotivated kids I get are the ones who answer the "what do you want to do when you graduate" question with alarming consistency...

...they're all going to be professional sports athletes.

I really try hard to not squash that dream but talk about their "back up plan" in case the NFL doesn't work out for them, but that a was really a hard conversation to have with the belligerent, attitude ridden, 16 year old child who was maybe 5-1 and 90 pounds and absolutely convinced he didn't need school because he was absolutely going to play in the NBA.

Ummmmm.......

 

[cheernerd5678]

The sad thing is....most of them won't. Apathy and lack of motivation is the number one issue in school today that I see. And the most unmotivated kids I get are the ones who answer the "what do you want to do when you graduate" question with alarming consistency...

...they're all going to be professional sports athletes.

I really try hard to not squash that dream but talk about their "back up plan" in case the NFL doesn't work out for them, but that a was really a hard conversation to have with the belligerent, attitude ridden, 16 year old child who was maybe 5-1 and 90 pounds and absolutely convinced he didn't need school because he was absolutely going to play in the NBA.

Ummmmm.......

I know they won't.... but she's convinced they're scared of their parents. Yeah right.
My brothers have that answer too "I'll just get a scholarship for basketball" you're 13, you may be good now but there's no telling what will happen in the next 5 years! They at least do decently in school (well they're going into 8th grade so it's not that difficult yet) and realize they can't fail their classes. That's just their excuse for getting a B.

 

[Pebbles49]

The sad thing is....most of them won't. Apathy and lack of motivation is the number one issue in school today that I see. And the most unmotivated kids I get are the ones who answer the "what do you want to do when you graduate" question with alarming consistency...

...they're all going to be professional sports athletes.

I really try hard to not squash that dream but talk about their "back up plan" in case the NFL doesn't work out for them, but that a was really a hard conversation to have with the belligerent, attitude ridden, 16 year old child who was maybe 5-1 and 90 pounds and absolutely convinced he didn't need school because he was absolutely going to play in the NBA.

Ummmmm.......

You know 12stepCheermom, I no longer like to ask that question to my students but I do anyway - the last 3 or 4 years, these students have comeback with some crazy responses. I actually have girls telling me that they want to be Strippers and worse, Porn Stars, etc... Most of the boys want to be Athletes or Rappers. So since I am a Math Teacher, I incorporate these limitless aspirations into statistical lessons. With the young girls, I show them that these career aspirations are so limited and show them that at most they only have 3 or 5 years to be at the top in that career and how it is imperative that they find additional career paths to at least get them to retirement age with benefits. (Most of the time, these girls will leave class and tell me how they were joking and just going for attention) and they secretly want to be Fashion Designer, etc. However, the boys are truly serious about their career aspirations, they all want to be Athletes and Rappers, so I also, do the statistical and a geometry lesson. (using the Pyramid) But I actually have the class decide who have the most potential to be a Rapper and/or Athlete, and many of these boys are so surprise by the responses they received from their peers. So, after I am finish with this lesson, they learn how limited their aspirations are and many of the boys will leave telling me that they will look into being rappers, but also, sound engineers, etc. But I like to think that from our conversations and lessons the students are thinking about different avenues and career choices.
PS: I teach in an urban Middle School and these young people are always trying to shock us old folks with these comments, but it bothers me that lately these young girls self-esteem is so fragile and low that they need to seek negative attention in the worse way to be validated. JMO

 

[Official OWECheer]

You know 12stepCheermom, I know longer like to ask that question to my students but I do anyway - the last 3 or 4 years, these students have comeback with some crazy responses. I actually have girls telling me that they want to be Strippers and worse, Porn Stars, etc... Most of the boys want to be Athletes or Rappers. So since I am a Math Teacher I incorporate these limitless aspirations into statistical lessons. With the young girls, I show them that these career aspirations are so limited and show them that at most they only have 3 or 5 years to be at the top in that career and how it is imperative that they find additional career paths to at least get them to retirement age with benefits. (Most of the time, these girls will leave class and tell me how they were joking and just going for attention) and they secretly want to be Fashion Designer, etc. However, the boys are truly serious about their career aspirations, they all want to be Athletes and Rappers, so I also, do the statistical and a geometry lesson. (using the Pyramid) But I actually have the class decide who have the most potential to be a Rapper and/or Athlete, and many of these boys are so surprise by the responses they received from their peers. So, after I am finish with this lesson, they learn how limited their aspirations are and many of the boys will leave telling me that they will look into being rappers, but also, sound engineers, etc. But I like to think that from our conversations and lessons the students are thinking about different avenues and career choices.
PS: I teach in an Urban Middle School and these young people are always trying to shock us old folks with these comments, but it bothers me that lately these young girls self-esteem is so fragile and low and they need to seek negative attention in the worse way to be validated. JMO

That's sad. I don't think they realize that NFL/NBA team owners are often hundreds of times wealthier than the players, and those that produce adult films make WAY more than the actors themselves. Plus, rappers like T.I. and Jay-Z own their own record labels. If their careers as artists end, they have their own recording companies to keep them afloat. Some of them were even smart enough to do trans-industrial business ventures (e.g. Dr. Dre founding Beats by Dr. Dre, and then selling it to Apple for $3.2. BILLION. His great-great grandchildren will be able to wipe the floor with $100s).

Plus, you can be a local clothing designer.... just don't expect to become Donatella Versace over night. You have to go to design school to obtain connections, and then work for a fashion house for many years (often under the supervision of people who were once in your position but let their improved status inflate their egos) that takes credit for your designs. If you are lucky, you'll have enough money and help to start your own label and even then, it's difficult. You will have to obtain a copyright for your name and logo, and it is ABSOLUTE HELL getting ready for a fashion show. You have to find models, a venue, money to pay for them, get enough influential people to the fashion industry to come, etc. You have to have pre-show fittings, and stay up all night (often for multiple nights in a row). Lots of people go without paying their light and water bills (or even purchasing food) so that they have money for materials (not to mention the fact that living in fashion capitals like NYC and LA is RIDICULOUSLY expensive). You have to endure subhuman treatment from 'higher-ups' in the industry. Plus, some people have no morals. They will try to sabotage you and take you out, especially if they see you as a threat. It's a vicious industry, ask any designer. Also, consider the fact that you have to compete with the children of millionaires and billionaires that receive their own clothing label by simply asking for it.

 

[Pebbles49]

That's sad. I don't think they realize that NFL/NBA team owners are often hundreds of times wealthier than the players, and those that produce adult films make WAY more than the actors themselves. Plus, rappers like T.I. and Jay-Z own their own record labels. If their careers as artists end, they have their own recording companies to keep them afloat. Some of them were even smart enough to do trans-industrial business ventures (e.g. Dr. Dre founding Beats by Dr. Dre, and then selling it to Apple for $3.2. BILLION. His great-great grandchildren will be able to wipe the floor with $100s).

Plus, you can be a local clothing designer.... just don't expect to become Donatella Versace over night. You have to go to design school to obtain connections, and then work for a fashion house for many years (often under the supervision of people who were once in your position but let their improved status inflate their egos) that takes credit for your designs. If you are lucky, you'll have enough money and help to start your own label and even then, it's difficult. You will have to obtain a copyright for your name and logo, and it is ABSOLUTE HELL getting ready for a fashion show. You have to find models, a venue, money to pay for them, get enough influential people to the fashion industry to come, etc. You have to have pre-show fittings, and stay up all night (often for multiple nights in a row). Lots of people go without paying their light and water bills (or even purchasing food) so that they have money for materials (not to mention the fact that living in fashion capitals like NYC and LA is RIDICULOUSLY expensive). You have to endure subhuman treatment from 'higher-ups' in the industry. Plus, some people have no morals. They will try to sabotage you and take you out, especially if they see you as a threat. It's a vicious industry, ask any designer. Also, consider the fact that you have to compete with the children of millionaires and billionaires that receive their own clothing label by simply asking for it.

Wow, I agree with all your thoughts, but I need to get my students away from thinking about destructive careers to thinking more about long term viable career choices. After our casual conversations, which normally occur doing our down time, the students get a real realistic idea of career choices and I even will do lessons, where students will need to do research on their career choice and I have them go to websites that keep statistics on the labor market and I will have the students name the well-known people in that career that they know about. For example, Fashion Designers- the students will name all the designers they are familiar with and then I have them consult the website that will give the numbers of all fashion designers, which will normally will be 100,000 or more and they then take this number and figure out the percentage of everyday designers to the well known designers. I do the same with the Athletes and Rappers, how many people they know of in that field and compare that to the number of people, who aspires to be in the field (which will be an astronomical number - 10 million or more)and come up with a statistical number using the labor market website. After this lesson, the students have a more realistic vision of their career choice.

 

[cheerisloving]

I think most people have responded substantially to what I'm going to say but it's definitely a reversed mindset than kids who graduated 15-20 years ago. Whereas we said "please don't call my mom!" Not it's "go on! Call my momma, up you'll see!"

Susie's mom is a reality in school as well. Susie is brilliant, should make straight A's never does anything wrong, mom does the projects, fights the class battles etc etc. the younger a kid is the less this bothers me but we just had a mom call us about her kid's GPA flipping out on the phone.

Bottom line, Susie had a 2.5 and a college acceptance. Susie got senioritis her spring semester and guess what. Her final GPA (of which we gave her the day before graduation in her official transcript with the specific direction to check it over and talk to us NOW if anything is wrong...and she didn't) was a 2.3. College (upon final transcript review) revoked the acceptance so mom is flipping on us that we need to do something have those teachers put together work packets or some assignment (they're all home for summer vacation mind you) so Susie can get her GPA up, have us fix the final transcript and get Susie back into college. Really? No. The girl graduated. She's not even on our roll anymore.

At what point does Susie talk to me? She never did. How long is helicopter mom going to fight her battles or take on her kids responsibility. Kid is 18. A high school graduate. Is mom going to argue with her professors for the next four years and set up her job interviews (had that happen last year by the way, a mom calling to set up a teaching interview for her kid). Um...really? Have your kid call me. They didn't.

AMEN! My mom worked at my HS and it was common belief that I got the things I got or knew what I knew because of her. Did I have some perks? Yes. But for the most part the relationships I made with teachers and adults were of my own making. Even if they knew my mom, I had to maintain those relationships.

I monitored my own grades, and behavior. There were times that an adult was DEAD wrong, and my mom handled it without me knowing or I went to her just because I wasn't sure how to handle it. For example, I had a sub who was a former teacher be sooo nasty to me, (accused me of cheating, and then made rude remarks about how I couldn't possibly read classic spanish literature in 20 minutes). When I was done I went to my mother and she came up at the end of the period and handled it, ONLY because the sub had a history of racially profiling the black female students. Then there were times when I had to beg my mom to relax and not be upset.

My mom checked up on my grades only because it was easy for her and it would determine if I could continue to do the myriad of extracurriculars, or the teachers would let her know if my grades were looking bad (this only happened in my senior year with mean senioritis and a concussion ). She may mandate that I go to a teacher during a study period but it was really all on me.

I had friends who had moms that had nothing else to do but write emails, or bail them out of the AP class they got a C in. My mom wouldn't even think about that.

 

[Official OWECheer]

The sad thing is....most of them won't. Apathy and lack of motivation is the number one issue in school today that I see. And the most unmotivated kids I get are the ones who answer the "what do you want to do when you graduate" question with alarming consistency...

...they're all going to be professional sports athletes.

I really try hard to not squash that dream but talk about their "back up plan" in case the NFL doesn't work out for them, but that a was really a hard conversation to have with the belligerent, attitude ridden, 16 year old child who was maybe 5-1 and 90 pounds and absolutely convinced he didn't need school because he was absolutely going to play in the NBA.

Ummmmm.......

Even people that make it to the pros can get injured and lose their spot on the team. Most pro players aren't even discussed much.

 

[12stepCheermom]

Even people that make it to the pros can get injured and lose their spot on the team. Most pro players aren't even discussed much.

I tried that argument too. He told me he was amazing and he wasn't going to get hurt and I didn't know what I was talking about and just needed to mind my own business.

At that point I changed my tactic to....well you have to GRADUATE to get to the pros so why don't we talk about THAT. :banghead:

 

[Official OWECheer]

I tried that argument too. He told me he was amazing and he wasn't going to get hurt and I didn't know what I was talking about and just needed to mind my own business.

At that point I changed my tactic to....well you have to GRADUATE to get to the pros so why don't we talk about THAT. :banghead:

Even being a Division I athlete is dangerous. We (cheer-lovers) often complain that we get treated like trash by our schools, but (all stereotypes aside) the same thing would happen to kids in other sports if those sports were not huge moneymakers for the school. I have heard of college athletes who lose everything (scholarship, etc.) because of getting injured.