These threads are all very refreshing so I thank you all for your comments- especially the teachers. I'm a spent force and I only teach 0.6 each week so I have to deal with probably just as much shit as a full time teacher but without the permanency and full pay etc. I come from a good family and perhaps this is what makes my job terribly hard. Fifteen year old kids can't even say thanks anymore. They snatch worksheets out of my hand as I distribute them. They let paper fall to the floor and look me in the eye for ME to pick it up for them... They have bad breath, unwashed clothes and smell like cheap Lynx deodorant all day long. They blackmail you with a pathological understanding of their 'rights' in the public school system and at the same time they would not have the patience or literacy skills to write down their grievances in a basic letter and submit it to the administration. Everything is word of mouth, 'rights' to respect ME ME me etc... To the parents- stop smoking crack and concentrate on the BASICS with your children at home. Be good to them, keep them clean, have them go to bed on time, force them to play sport and do their homework at a young age. I'm no 'baby boomer' but hey, it's time to go back in time and have kids sit in rows and keep them busy up until their little heads hit the pillow at night.