Fredrik Andersson, 43, is a high school teacher that has grown tired of lazy students. He has now pledged in a Facebook post that he will be tougher with them. The reactions came quickly, with thousands quickly hailing and sharing his post online.
It is not rare to hear people whining about “today’s youth”. Fredrik Andersson was however not satisfied with just whining about it at the dinner table. The teacher announced instead that he would take a hard line towards eradicating bad behavior from students as well as lateness to class.
“I’m going to make my request and formulate demands in such a way that it will not be possible to dodge any further,” Fredrik Andersson told a local newspaper.
He argues that the students, overall, have been pretty positive so far, but that naturally, he is aware that it will not be the case for all of them.
“But at the same time, I’m aware that there will surely be conflicts over this. But I have to accept that. This is for the students’ best interests and their future.
The Facebook post has received close to 13,000 shares.
“I don’t know what I started to be honest, but it feels like something that is very positive.”
Here’s the full post:
“An open letter:
Tomorrow, it’s time for a dreary but necessary conversation to take place at work. The concrete reason for the dialogue is basically the unacceptable behavior of some students today during a concert, but during the year, some have developed behaviors and attitudes that I, as a teacher, citizen, and adult can not accept.
The message I have regards the attitudes and environment at school and the activities that we pursue there. It involves the understanding that everything in life is not fun. It is about the purpose of education. It’s about the attitude towards me and my colleagues. It’s about students’ attitudes towards one another in class. It’s about making the proper effort. It’s about realizing that nothing in life is free or without hard work.
Of my children or my students I require and expect them to achieve the very best that they can. To underperform because you think something is dull or boring is not acceptable, whether at school or within your professional life. There are very few times that a student failed a report or a presentation and was honestly able to look me in the eye and said that he/she really had done their best. Now I’m approaching a point where I no longer intend to accept this general attitude which is held by many students. Tomorrow I intend to speak from the heart and if necessary to show how angry and disappointed I am and get when they completely waste their time in school.
Everything today should be as easy, simple, and carefree as possible. When you do not get top marks, it is usually my fault in the students’ eyes, since they spent a few minutes cutting and pasting from Wikipedia. Completely ignoring even trying to meet the deadline and to report the assigned tasks within the required timeframe feels like the rule rather than the exception. Of course I have ambitious and very talented students too but I lack the time to guide them toward higher goals and levels because I have to put so much time to kick the indifferent ones in the butt in order to just get them to pass.
But yet I really can help. At least within my fields. I could help students reach fantastic insights into our society and our world, both past and present. I could help young people to the amazing performance and potential jobs that they would genuinely be proud of. But it’s rare when I do so. They “don’t have the energy”. To see so many opportunities and chances slip between the cracks due to plain indifference is among the most frustrating feelings I know. I have lost count of the number of hours of lesson planning that I’ve had to abandon because a student/the students were tired, hungry, bored or had to check their snapchat, Facebook, Twitter or some other social network. I would hate to become a completely unengaged teacher, reciting his lines and completely uncaring of what has gone down throughout the day, then go home. I refuse to become one! I can highly. I feel I have a duty to spread my knowledge with spirit inspiration, and genuine commitment.
Therefore, tomorrow I present my students to “Frederick 2.0”. The new, updated version will be a teacher they’re not always going to like, because he will force them to perform. He will no longer accept a lazy and indifferent attitude towards class. He will be uncompromising, contacting parents the very same day a guy or girl in class doesn’t behave. If it’s necessary, the retired Sergeant Andersson will appear in front of the blackboard. In the army, I learned a lot, including the concept of “firm-fair-friendly”. To act firmly, fairly, and kindly was our creed and it helped us be trustworthy. This will, beginning tomorrow at 08:00am also be the motto in my classroom, minus the armored vehicles of course.
From tomorrow …
… classes will begin exactly on schedule. Every minute you are late will be entered as absenteeism (the system does not allow specifying seconds).
… dates and times for assignment submissions will be respected without exception. The only valid reason will be if a parent calls me and explains why their child did not submit their work.
… “I can not” or “I have no desire” are no longer permitted, unless a medical certificate says otherwise.
It would be nice if the youth had at the least a basic understanding of this from their homes. Since it obviously is not the case, I have to take on the role as both adult — and teacher.
Tomorrow I control the ship. Parents and other adults who feel like it, feel free to join in, for it’s enough! And feel free to share this, as my message is for the entire country!”
Fredrik Andersson
Still a proud teacher
Here’s the teacher’s original Facebook post (in Swedish).
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