i explain the title of this blog

Society tends to portray kids as shallow and rebellious beings. This is why many adults seem to be rude to misbehaving students, and I have witnessed this happen so many times during my observations in a middle-school engineering class. The teacher for that class was relentless in his derogatory remarks towards many of the students, though they are never received as offense by these students. In fact, I might suggest that many of the students found the teacher’s remarks flattering, in a strange adolescent way of thinking. Some of the teacher’s quotes I found quite hilarious actually, so I will list some of my favorites:

1. “I have a cattle prod in the back for [the students].”
2. “I cannot believe that I have 7^th graders who behave maturely, and then you guys come along and destroy the belief of linear progression.”
3. “You are a statistical anomaly.”
4. “…my hoodie homester homefry…”
5. “…I know it’s very hard for you, but try” (in a lighthearted, condescending tone)
6. Student: “Don’t we need a joystick?”   Teacher: “I think of each of you as my own personal joysticks.”
7. “I cannot wait for the complete and utter end of civilization, and you have to work on my farm.”
8. Student: “We can use balsa wood [to build a kite] because balsa is really light.”   Teacher: “Pull up your pants!

These remarks were generally received with laughs, and I think are an example of what was discussed as “reverse-egocentrism.” These students knew their place in the school and their personalities and identities formed around that – inside they have settled themselves with the thought, “I am who you think I am.”