LogFAQs > #933234931

hard work = success.

Now, I know that this does not account for everyone, but in my 5 years of teaching middle school, I have seen that disillusionment with future success taking over. I teach in a low-income neighborhood and a lot of students are planning to live at home and work at a small job the rest of their lives, knowing that it is nearly impossible to a) move up to the middle class, b) own a home, or c) attend a university and not drown in debt. Even our most brilliant students hold mild dreams for their future, often not realizing what they can achieve with their potential.

It's no wonder that young people are fascinated with get-rich-quick archetypes, such as millionaire Youtube content creators, breakout rap artists, viral social media influencers, etc. The concept of going to college --> getting a good job --> steadily amassing wealth is so rare and difficult to conceptualize now.

Furthermore, students whose parents are renting are being pushed out of the neighborhood by rent increases, and even with students who live in a mortgaged home, many are living in garages/living rooms as their parents are still living in their parents homes and they simply do not have enough space for everyone.

The worst thing that I see more of now is that students who hold such a blatant disregard for their academics believe that they are justified in being defiant, disruptive, etc. because they think that they are better and will still become more successful than the students who are focusing on their academics. And I can't really blame those students; rather, I blame the current political and economical climate in which they are growing up which has cannot promise a successful future for those students who "do the right things."

Just my thoughts! I love my job, but it's hard not to feel frustrated at times. I just need to vent!

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