Students Today Are Full Of It

...problem is so are people in important positions.

Picked this up from a site called The Big Feed which in turn, I found via another new blogger The Hegemonist. Hey, I'm all about credits and the love.

It's a video featuring jazz musician Branford Marsalis and touched on a subject I was thinking to cover. When I was in school (something called University, that's College to you Americans out there) it blew my mind the sense of entitlement students exhibited when it came to grades. They would freak totally out if they didn't get the grade they felt they deserved. Often I would hear them maul and circle the professor at the end of class crying like a bunch of babies.

Ah yes, the future is bright.

Instead of asking, "Hey, teach. Where did I go wrong!" it was always "I can't believe you did this!" and "I worked so hard on this!" Me, me, moi. I never went to see professors much. If I did, it was to ask them if they could reread and reconsider the paper (if I felt very strongly about it. I was also aware of the story about the boy who cried wolf) or precisely to ask what I could do more. I was humble enough to admit when I struggled.

Did I work hard enough? I think I could have done more but I never demanded a teacher propel me into a level I did not deserve.

I remember one time when I got a B- and a fellow "student" asked if I was going to fight it. I chose to let it go.

The sad thing is the way the world is wired these days, the person who screams most usually gets what they want. Merit is indeed a dead concept. How many times did I see workers with dubious integrity and skills get promoted to a manager position? Lots. No wonder I lashed out.

A long time ago in a place not too far away I read a book about great composers when I was but 18 years old. I learned that talent alone doesn't make the person. Often, a masterpiece was born after painful, hard work and discipline. I doubt Beethoven would have complained to his music teacher much.

Marsalis is absolutely right. Parents are not helping matters when they too join in on the madness of ganging up on teachers who offer criticism to their kids.




Yeah. But what does Wynton think?