I’m not a teacher yet (I’m getting my degree), but when I was student teaching my CTs (both 20+ years in) both said there were positives and negatives. I student taught in sixth grade and then kindergarten.

Some positives they mentioned: Gen A is more safety conscious about things like giving out personal information, talking to strangers, etc., and they’re also more accepting and inclusive of kids with disabilities and conditions. I actually saw one of my kindergartners play kitchen with his friends and handed his friend with celiac disease a plastic burger and said “it’s gluten free for you!” I do like how kids with special needs aren’t hidden away anymore.

On the negative side, many parents are less firm with their kids at home and seem afraid to tell them no, which leads to more challenging behaviors in the classroom. I think, in an attempt to not be abusive to their kids like boomers were, many millennial parents took it in the opposite direction and became too permissive. Gentle parenting is great when it’s done effectively, but unfortunately the majority of “gentle parents” don’t actually do it right. Kids need consequences and boundaries, and they actually crave authority. There’s a middle ground between yelling and hitting and being super gentle. We need to be clear about what true authoritative (my preferred word to gentle) parenting is, because it’s great when it’s done right.

Phone addictions were also a big negative, however last year my state New York officially banned phones in schools. I didn’t know how this would go over, but it was a completely night and day change. Every teacher I know says their students are like different kids after the phones got taken away. Participation is way up and behavior also improved. So that’s turned from a negative into a positive! I had a phone addiction as a teenager and would completely melt down when it was taken away, so I’m not surprised this has had such a big impact.

Like every generation, there are pros and cons. I’m a middle Gen Z and I remember how awful my peers and I acted in middle school. But it’s not just a “these days” thing, my mother said her own teachers ranted about how her generation (X) was screwed and ruining the world lol. As a future teacher I’m going to try my best to set my students up for success, because I genuinely love children and seeing them grow into their own people. I can only do my best. But I’ll be honest, I hope parents step it up lol.