Loud, escalating rumbles; students walking in and out of the room; a near empty homework collection bin and a classroom full of disrespect.

Lately, students are putting themselves on an equal playing field with teachers. They’ve become demanding and outright disrespectful towards the people who provide them with an education. If students think teachers should cater to their every demand, then they’re in for a rude awakening once the real world hits.

Some students think yelling across the room, walking in late or not completing their assignments is the right way to skate through high school. Just picture trying to teach a class of 30 plus teenagers when a handful of them won’t do their homework and barely pay attention during class. This not only makes it difficult for other students to learn, but also doesn’t prepare them for the real world.

It may be difficult to hear, but the real world isn’t a place full of homework passes and tardy slips. It’s a place where unintelligent choices can lead to severe consequences. Students won’t be able to skate by in life; they will have to work for everything they want. So, they better get used to being independent and supporting themselves. They aren’t going to have a teacher by their side to help once they leave the school building.

Even though it may sound unbelievable, teachers were once teenagers too. So before students launch into a heated rant about how their teacher is terrible at their job or doesn’t understand their life, students need to realize their teacher was once in their shoes. Teachers deserve respect and they will only give it when they receive it.

In the end, the teacher trumps the student. Students need to look at the situation from the teacher’s point of view. A quiet, focused classroom; every student in their seat; a full homework collection bin. A classroom full of respect, where a teacher can provide students with a proper education.