Wisdom from the Young

Be honest with yourself and be humble-"I've been doing this for XX years!" is not an excuse to ignore what I have to say.

You didn't get to where you are without some help, remember that.

Realize what you NEED and work to acquire that. Anything more than that is better spent on experience not things.

If you want respect, give it in kind. I work with a few people who are in their 60's and only one of them doesn't talk down to me, despite having a higher education than the lot of them, speaking more languages, more computer proficient, more traveled and being genuinely respectful and polite.

Remember that when you are old and infirm, we will be asked to take care of you. Do you seriously think my generation is going to forget how we were treated by yours?

 

This is not an age thing, this is basic respect towards the person talking to you - you're not a young rebel, you're just rude. Act like you don't give a shit and ignore what's happening in my class and I'll fail you with a quickness.

(though, to be fair, I don't teach in a lecture hall...)

 

Completely agree, like you said this is not necessarily an age thing, but when you are talking to someone in person or they are talking to you, keep your cell phone in your fucking pocket. Whatever it is you have to say can wait until the conversation or class is over.

 

We're not actively trying to be disrespectful you're just boring as fuck (and probably a condescending douchebag). The interesting professors rarely have this problem.

 

This. Just because I am young doesn't mean I don't know what I am doing, and it may just be possible I know better than you because things are changing rapidly. Instead of dismissing the possibility that I could know anything, why not listen and see if there is useable information there? This is especially important if it's coming from your children.

And on that note, older people with children: live in a way that your children would be proud of, and don't do anything unless you can determine whether they will still be able to look up to you after you do it.

 

Forgive me for judging too quickly - clearly, you're not rude at all. While it has not happened to me yet, I do hope that I can learn from the wisdom and fascinating experiences of people like you, how to be interesting enough that it never does.

 

See, this is why we can't have nice things.

 

Young people being rude? Heaven forbid...

If your class was interesting your kids wouldn't be dicking around and texting, they would be paying attention to you. I know that since you are old your wisdom is infallible and you get to play condescending douchebag but in reality, if you didn't suck as a professor your kids would show you more respect. My advice to you old geezers is to drop the moral indignation for 5 seconds and think of more engaging ways in expressing your ideas to kids instead of blaming it all on a lack of disrespect and removing yourself from any form of culpability. I'm going to pull out my crystal ball now and guess that you'll make another douchey sarcastic quip because you're older than me and therefore know best about anything and everything.

And for the record my phone is always off in class even if my professor is a boring asshole.

 

Wheee! Just like old times.

This is the "Wisdom from the Young" thread, right? Please help me - what will make my students finally show me the respect you speak of? How can I find interesting experiences I can use to spin tales of derring-do that will hold their attention?

What does it feel like to have people interested in listening to what you have to say?

 

THIS.

You are not any more entitled than anyone else. Life is not your giant carnival and party. It's time you are informed that everything is not on this planet for your mere enjoyment. You are going to have boring professors, be required to take stupid classes, have jobs that you want to stab yourself in the eye every time your alarm clock goes off, and BE BORED OCCASIONALLY. Big shock to your precious little snowflake system, I know. Respect is not something you are given carte blanche, you have to earn it. Being a know-it-all rude little prick is not going to get you anywhere in life.

Other than that, I really like the kids (I call them kids because they are still in college) that live next door to my boyfriend's parents. They are hilarious. One of them is in culinary school and she has taught me how to cook. The other one is constantly suggesting funny books she has read or let's me know when I should go to campus with her to hear a visiting author. They are very intelligent, sweet kids.

They do have some crazy parties on the weekend and are really loud. However, we aren't dicks and don't say anything...they are simply doing the same things we did at that age.



(Texting while someone else is talking is completely rude and disrespectful. I don't tolerate it from my friends, why in the hell should a professor tolerate it from you?)

 

Nice try at backtracking but did you even read your own posts before you hit the submit button? I don't stomp on your dick, don't stomp on mine. It's common fucking courtesy.

You might want to take a step back, there is more to this world than what you see in your protected little bubble.

And for the record, stay the fuck off my lawn too.

 

Money is why.

 

Boom. There's the douchey sarcastic quip.

Well, benevolent dictator of wisdom, I am not, nor have I ever been a professor, so I am unable to give you step by step instructions on how to be one that doesn't suck. But one common trait amongst the good professors I've had is that rather than talking down to their students they rationally explain their thought processes and objectively explain the consequences. As opposed to handing out poor grades because their students find them boring.

Maybe being an interesting professor is something you are either born with or not and it's time for you to find a new profession.

 

Tell you what, son - here's the deal, straight and true.

I'm condescending to you because you act like a child. I have no indignation about your rudeness, I'm disinterested in it. I wouldn't chastise you, I'd dismiss you. I'm not concerned about students being enthralled by my wisdom - I've earned the right - my classes are full with long waiting lists, and students literally compete to get in. One thing age can bring (though it's not any guarantee) is experience and the confidence of your accomplishments. I don't worry about whether a student thinks I have something to teach them, there are dozens in line behind him.

If you want to learn about the things I've achieved success in and you've decided that you shouldn't listen to me because you think I'm an arrogant asshole, then you are a fool who is destined to fail.

You're the child who puffed up your chest and wrote about texting in lecture halls. I'm the man who told you that it isn't about age, but common courtesy. And then you called me a boring douchebag.

Way to go, champ.

 

edit: I always have an emotional response to old people condescending to us young'ins. Time to go baste in my youthful stupidity, get trashed and fuck a sorority girl, I really do appreciate you dignifying me with a reply. Happy Friday!

 

I never said that it's ever happened in my class - in fact I think even said that it hasn't. I said that doing it is simple rudeness, and has nothing to do with age. And that IF I saw someone doing that in a class of mine instead of participating in the discussion, I would probably fail them. I never have, but I've seen enough entitlement and boorish behavior to know that it's inevitable in even the most interesting class in the world.

Because, as I was trying to say from the beginning - it isn't about the course material or the professor, it's about a) common courtesy, and b) the student being too stupid to realize that he/she/their parents are paying a great deal of money for them to learn how to learn, and deciding that you're not being entertained sufficiently is foolish, childish, and an important ingredient in the recipe for a life of failure.

 

Damn kids never listen

 

Getting away from texting during real life conversations or in lectures, but still cell phone related:

Missed calls. Your phone tells you who called, when they called, and it's implied that since you have missed this person's call that the call will in fact be returned when they have a chance to. Leaving me a voicemail that says "Hi this is Mom, call me back when you get a chance" EVERY SINGLE TIME I don't pick up doesn't provide me with any more information than "1 Missed Call" and the corresponding call info. Although it's not the end of the world, having to delete pointless voicemail messages nearly every single day is tedious and god damn frustrating. Don't be that caller.

Or maybe this just applies to mothers.

 

Roxanne:

Let's try flipping that and see if it's still relevent:

And on that note, younger people with parents: live in a way that your parents would be proud of, and don't do anything unless you can determine whether they will still be able to look up to you after you do it.

Yup, still works.