📝 The Classroom Shift: From Managing the Few to Losing the Many

 

🔹Introduction

Teachers often think: Maybe it’s just my class. Maybe it’s me.But it’s not. What’s happening today is real and it’s global.

In classrooms everywhere, only a few students are trying to learn, while the rest are distracted or disruptive.

This isn’t just your situation or your school. It’s a global pandemic in education. A silent crisis that’s changing the way we teach.

📚 Before the Shift: When Disruption Was the Exception 

There was a time , not too long ago , when classrooms had their share of challenges, but they were manageable. A teacher might have one or two students who acted out, talked too much, or resisted learning. These students were the exceptions, not the rule,But even then, teachers had tools that worked.

They could pull the student aside after class, have a private conversation, involve the parents, or use a warning or a minus as a consequence. And most of the time, it worked.

Why? Because the rest of the class was on board  listening, engaging, trying. The learning environment was still intact.

Teachers could still teach. Students could still learn. And discipline was the rare storm in mostly calm waters.

🔹 The Shift and Now

Today, everything feels upside down.What used to be a few disruptive students is now the majority of the class. 90% of students are distracted, disconnected, or simply don’t care.

They come to class because they have to ,not because they want to learn.

And when you ask them, “Why are you here?” they don’t know.But it’s not just their presence that’s changed.It’s their personality.

Students today challenge you, talk back, and look you straight in the eye with defiance. They talk over you, ignore you, test you , and somehow, they’re in control. Not just in the classroom, but even at home.

What caused this shift?

Maybe it’s phones. Maybe it’s social media telling them success doesn’t need effort.

Maybe it’s family problems, or a culture that now glorifies shortcuts.Whatever the reason, many students no longer value learning.

Some ask, “Can you just pass us, please?”

They cheat without shame ,as if it’s expected, not wrong.

And the few who still care? They’re now the quiet exceptions in a loud, chaotic room.

🔚 Closing Thoughts

If you’ve faced this , you’re not alone.Many teachers, especially new ones, are walking into classrooms with the same silent question: Why does no one want to learn anymore?

Here’s the truth: the shift is real. And it’s not your fault, But don’t lose yourself in the noise.Focus on the 10%, or even the 1%, who still try.They’re the reason you stay patient. They’re the reason you keep showing up.

And if someday, it feels like 0%? ,and you can't take it anymore , walk away with your head high , and find a space that values your effort. Because your work deserves to be seen.

And to you , the new teacher, the tired teacher, the teacher who’s still trying:Maybe you can still manage. Maybe your way of handling it matters.Maybe you’ve found something that works.Share it. Write it. Talk about it.

Because if we stop telling our stories, no one will know we’re still trying.