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Recently, this BuzzFeed article sharing firsthand stories from teachers got a fair bit of attention. In it, teachers from Kindergarten to college detailed their experiences and frustrations teaching kids who just "cannot do basic things anymore," from tying their shoes to zipping up their coats to printing their own names — and that's in college. In response to the article, even more teachers wrote in, and I thought I would share. So, here are the unfiltered thoughts of teachers sharing what they have to teach kids nowadays:
1."At recess, I am still having to tie the shoes of second to fifth graders, still zipping up coats in the older grades, have second graders who can't open a new book and figure out how to flatten the spine to keep it open, fourth graders who struggle with finding the next page on a stapled packet of papers, first graders who still don't know the alphabet, and I see massive meltdowns in third grade over not getting a swing at recess. Kinders are flipping desks because they didn't get the blue crayon, and first graders who can't use scissors or hold pencils correctly. It's a never-ending list, and it all comes down to the parents."
2."Retired elementary school teacher and current substitute teacher here. I have one thing to say to parents: PUT THE PHONE DOWN AND PARENT YOUR KIDS! That’s the problem and the solution!"
3."Children have no sense of capitalization or punctuation. Sentences don’t make sense, and neat handwriting is unimportant. Many students do not grip a writing utensil properly or know how to tie shoes. When asked if they were taught at home, they say no."
4."My son-in-law teaches high school math and is so discouraged about the kids who can't do basic math, like adding, subtracting, and fractions. He also thinks it's mostly the parents. Plus, all the different ways to teach math. I feel so badly for him. He was a Naval Academy graduate in math."
5."Kids lack the ability to perform basic skills these days, and it should be studied! I have students who can't tie their shoes, open simple water bottles, or use paper clips, and I teach fourth grade! I fear that the generation of students who are currently in college may be our only hope if millennials want good doctors, lawyers, and educators for their children, because any generations after them are respectfully COOKED (as they say)!"
6."During our professional development, I asked: 'We keep discussing techniques to increase test scores. However, none of this matters if we don’t answer the simple question: Why do our students forget everything they have learned the previous year?' Most of us reasonable teachers have to reteach all sorts of basic skills every year. I have juniors and seniors who use their fingers to add numbers as simple as 18+7."
7."Some of the kids I teach (I teach music) don't know the difference between a state and a country. 'Where is France?' 'Texas.' What state is next door to us? *Crickets.* What country is below or above the US? 'China.'"
8."Students are no longer taught basic skills in lower-level education. They do not know how to tie shoes — so many students wearing crocks or slip-ons — because parents don’t want to take the time to teach them how to tie. They are not taught how to read or write in cursive."
"Most do not understand the concept of alphabetical order, or how to research or even write a formal paper without cheating."
"Administrators, government employees, all want quick results without allowing us time to teach basic concepts. Everyone is looking for a quick fix!
Go back to what’s been proven to be effective: basics first, then build on them. Stop changing programs every two years that require teachers (outside the classroom) to learn how to implement yet another program that will be obsolete in a couple of years. Someone making lots of money wants you to believe their program will suddenly improve math skills or reading skills with a 'trick' or a 'new concept.'
Go back to 'common sense teaching' of the basics and give students a fighting chance."
—Anonymous 30-year educator
9."I work with younger kids and have seen a huge spike in rigidity, helplessness, deregulation, inability to self-sooth, lack of age-appropriate eating and sleeping habits, etc."
10."I'm a college professor, and it is worrisome how there is no effort put into reading directions or making the effort to get support. They write papers using text language, AND don't even get me started on AI usage! AI is going to make this worse!"
11."I am a college professor. Their writing is illegible. They think that I'm a hard teacher because I expect them to be able to write by hand, make an argument, and spell. The spelling is borderline illiterate, and I'm not being condescending. I love teaching, but I am shocked at the rapid decline — think in the last three years — of basic skills like spelling, sentence structure, and handwriting."
12."High school teacher here. Students' emotional response to frustration is on the level of a child, and they really can’t tell time on a regular clock anymore. It’s embarrassing."
13."I teach third grade, and every year I am taken aback by how academically and emotionally behind they are. Many of them cannot read, write, or even know all of their letters. They do not know their phone numbers or addresses. And I cannot tell you the number of parents I've had who have asked me not to correct their child's work. It will make their child feel bad! Oh, brother!"
14."Before I retired in 2016, many eighth-grade students struggled with reading cursive writing. I told them that I only write in cursive, and they needed to learn how to read it. I had all the letters across the top of my board, so they could refer to it."
Related: My First Grader Handed Me A 9-Word Note. When I Read It, My Stomach Dropped.
15."This, sadly, is the reality. I teach high school — ninth and eleventh grades — and see most of these things on a daily basis: Students' handwriting is horrible, and no one writes in cursive or in anything other than pencil. Students cannot tell time on an analog clock. I have pencils at the front of my room for students to borrow, and they will sit in their desks and say, 'I don’t have a pencil to do my work,' without thinking to go get one. Their attention spans are extremely short, and many don’t follow directions, written or otherwise. Many cannot read at grade level."
16."Former teacher here. I taught the first year of school for over 40 years. Kids are starting school with far fewer skills than students did years ago. This includes: fine motor skills, because all they do is swipe on devices. Low attention spans from watching YouTube all the time. They have not been read to on a regular basis at home, so they have no idea of how books work or knowledge of stories."
"Students starting school now have low language skills because no one talks to them. No knowledge of letters, sounds, or numbers. They act like toddlers; they have tantrums and have no self-regulation or social skills. Why?"
"Immature parents who are always on their phones and have no idea how to interact with a child, too much screen time, no books or activities that would help develop skills and resilience, poor social and physical skills, no boundaries or consequences at home, and poor quality care in daycare."
—Anonymous, 67, Female, Australia
17."My sister is a sixth-grade math teacher, and she told me two things that blew my mind: kids don’t know how to hold a pencil correctly, and they can’t remember the difference between portrait and landscape. My husband made a joke and told her to tell them it’s 'TikTok and YouTube' because maybe they'll remember that way."
18."I'm a high school teacher, and the amount of kids who can't send me an email is staggering. They don't know how to copy and paste either. I had a kid ask me how to type Roman numerals. As 'tech-savvy' as they are, they're as bad as boomers when it comes to basic computer skills."
19."I've been teaching for 24 years. The last six years, I've taught gifted elementary and middle school students in a daily pullout program. The difference is astounding. My seventh- and eighth-graders were in first and second grade during COVID, so they had a typical preschool/kindergarten experience. I don't know if that's the difference, but there is a severe drop in basic skills after that group."
20."I am a public librarian, which I know is not the same as a teacher, but I have seen some of the things that teachers talk about when parents bring their kids in for books or use the computer for research. One of my coworkers was helping a 13-year-old child get a form off her USB Drive to print, and the child did not know how to use a computer mouse."
21."I am a second-grade teacher, and every year it appears to be getting worse. Gentle parenting is not working."
22."Speaking not as a teacher but as an employer who hires kids starting at 16, I'm horrified at the number of kids who not only cannot count back correct change from a register, but also don’t even know how much a penny, nickel, dime, or quarter is worth in order to do so."
23."I teach second grade, and kids will straight up not even attempt the work; and this is after I go over the assignment, read the instructions, and ask if anybody has any questions. I have kids who will cry because I don't come to their desk and help them work. I have to continually remind them that in second grade, we actually earn grades and you have to complete assignments."
24."The learned helplessness combined with not caring — for anything or anyone — makes teaching feel near impossible. Kids don't pay attention and think they can just use ChatGPT to get them through everything. Simple skills like writing decent emails or writing more than three sentences in a paragraph are out the window. Basic manners and covering their mouths when they cough or sneeze are gone. It's terrifyingly stunning to see what these kids DON'T do."
25.And finally, from a supportive parent showing that some kids do still get support at home: "I was concerned my kids would struggle as I did. In my senior year of high school, I couldn’t spell vacuum, didn't know about the United Nations, and more. I was embarrassed and felt left out. My teens make food, can spell, know where a lot of countries are, and their capitals! I’ll get to signing their names, writing checks, and more."
What do you think about this? Have you noticed any similarities at all? If you work with kids and have a story or anecdote of your own, feel free to share it in the comments. Or, you can use the anonymous form below.
Note: Responses have been edited for length/clarity.
