Originally Posted by rubiksoval

I think people/school districts are starting to really come to terms with this more and more. Our metropolitan district is putting an increasing amount of focus on social/emotional learning (at least in elementary schools) because so many students have no idea how to cope with anything. They never learn how to disagree with someone, or approach a problem without resorting to violence, or finding a solution that doesn't involve personal or material destruction. Some kids just freak out and break down at the slightest thing.

And their parents (if there are any in the picture) don't know, either, which is the primary reason so many act the way they do. It's a vicious cycle.

But there is no end to the craziness and despite all sorts of daily and weekly intervention, I would not at all be surprised at a good number of my students ending up in jail or worse by their early 20s. There's just too much baggage and desperation from home life. 10% of my school's students are homeless. On more than a few occasions I've had a kid coming in complaining about being hungry because they hadn't eaten since yesterday's school lunch. Have had multiple kids walk in to school off the bus wearing nothing but short sleeves when it's 30 degrees outside. Two of my kids were talking Friday. They both lived in a hotel but one had just been kicked out. Had no clue what was going to happen next. Not something an 8 year old should be worried about, but an increasingly common reality.

Desperation leads to bad things, and so many kids are desperate from birth.

Originally Posted by rideaz

My son is in marine corps boot camp right now! Were you at MCRD San Diego?