Way to go, Marilyn!!! I taught first grade for 18 years. I retired in 1980. My legs were giving me problems, (veins and knees, both now fixed), so I had decided that this particular year would be my last. When dear, devoted, sweet, Grandma type kindergarten teacher, who was the first one at school and the last to leave, was talking to a little boy before school, at the beginning of the year; I heard him say, "I don't have to do anything you say, cause my daddy told me I didn't have to." I thought, "Boy, I don't want that in my room, I am so glad I won't be here!!!" If I hadn't planned on retiring yet, that would have cinched it for me. Just in the 18 years I had been there, it had changed that much. Now, when I look at the kids I see, with earrings in every possible place, and hair spiked in a rainbow of hideous colors, and the clothes they have on, that don't fit in one way or another, I wonder, how a teacher can keep her mind on what she is teaching?" There, that is my soap box for today. Jerrian -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Neysa Sent: Saturday, March 23, 2013 10:02 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [ML] Children Today Someone mentioned substitute teaching and how children have changed. While I could ramble on and on about this subject, I will try to only have a short soap box rant. When the behavior of 4 year olds can drive a teacher with 20 years experience to say "I AM DONE", it is a sad, sad world. I highly anticipate-----snip-------