Arrogant Teens

Yesterday, my new English teacher finally came into school after being taught by a substitute English teacher for the past 3 months. Everyone's been really excited for it because they didn't particularly like the teacher we had before. He seemed nice, but he was kind of a strange guy, and he didn't really know what he was doing. When the teacher came and gave the first class, everyone was excited for a new face, and I was personally excited to finally have a teacher who could teach English well (hopefully).

Of course after the class, everyone gathered and spoke their words on the new teacher. I really liked her, and I was hopeful for the class. For some reason though, the rest of the class had a different opinion. They all said the same thing.

"Oh god, we're actually going to have to work."

Perhaps I'm overreacting, but when I hear comments like that, it upsets me. I can't stand the attitude that teenagers have towards teachers and education sometimes. Sure, I understand that homework is not always the most pleasant, but without it we would all just be illiterate fools.

In Herricks, we have such a rare opportunity. We have a school with generally good quality teachers, we live in an environment that generally encourages learning, and we don't have to pay extra because it's a public school. So many people do not have the advantage that we have. People in Africa or in 3rd world countries don't have the chance for good education, but not even that. A lot of people in the US lack good education, especially in the public school sector.

I understand, when you're young, it's generally hard to appreciate the gifts that have been given to you because you don't have a full scope on the world yet. Even I fall into the trap of seeing things narrowly, judging, and acting like I'm superior. Everyone does.

However, if you're expecting to get into Harvard or another high level school and you say that you don't like your English class because you "actually have to work"? School isn't just about numbers and grades. We're learning such incredible things, and everyone takes it for granted. If you're going to be lazy in High School, you'll probably be just as lazy in a high level college. After college passes you by, you'll have a degree but nothing to back it up. Perhaps you will later regret the amazing opportunity you had to talk to world class professors who are experts in their field and ask intelligent questions. More likely, you wouldn't even know what you were missing.