You have to immerse yourself in the arena.
“The world is full of a lot of good people.
Many of whom who choose to lead lives outside of the arena in fear of stones thrown from the (few) crazies.
Get and stay in the arena.
It’s the only way to make a difference.
The cowards stones are actually weightless pebbles.”
-Ray Zingler on Twitter
Look at the mass teaching and coaching exoduses that are taking place nationwide, especially at the youth and high school levels.
Why is this happening when working with youth is one of the most honorable and important vocations in the history of the world?
Is it because “kids these days have changed?”
Nah, its not.
Kid’s these days haven’t changed. Kids are byproducts of their environments and what is accepted and tolerated within them.
It’s the adults who have changed.
I can remember the days of getting in trouble at school for some stupid teenage behavior and having the administrator make that phone call to my parents. Well, for me, the news was typically walked to my mom who was teaching not 100’ from the principal’s office, but I remember the punishment from admin was the LEAST of my concerns.
The real fear was the ass chewing/punishment I was going to get at home, which crushed any menial discipline given by my school.
And I remember all my buddies had it like this.
When we got grounded for a month. It meant a month. And we didn’t have phones, either. It was in our rooms, learning lessons with nothing but time that seemed to drag on forever.
It’s not like that anymore though.
Not only are administrations handing out looser punishments to “keep up with societal norms” they are fearful of dealing with the parents.
“Huh?”
Yeah, it’s not student and superior on one side of the table and poorly behaved child on the other.
It’s parent and poorly behaved child on one side and the superior on the other being told how it was some way or another his fault and the child “didn’t even act up.”
What sane adult would voluntarily choose an occupation knowing they have to stand on unstable ground to do an important job they are heavily undervalued and often demonized in?
I’ll tell you, the answer is fewer and fewer and for the reasons outlined above, it makes total sense while most are leaving the “arena” for the 9-5.
I will finish with this though, despite the stone’s thrown and the fires lit from those seeking attention, it has never been more important to be an unwavering leader of our youth than it is today.
