Entitlement

I actually had a parent tell me a few days ago that their child was entitled to a party. Two times. They compared it to having a birthday cake at a birthday party. “Who cares whether they’ll eat it or not, a party has a cake”. “My child will have a party.”

I wonder what that means to someone in Somalia watching their child die of starvation? I wonder if they feel like their child is entitled to a graduation party? I wonder if education is more important than the party? I had a different parent come to see me about that same time, for the first time all year. To discuss academic concerns? No, and there are a few things that could have been discussed. They came to discuss a party. I wonder why I struggle at times with getting students to take any learning process seriously at all? If graduation from school is more important than school itself, what kind of message am I fighting against when I try to get them to put out any effort.