My God.

I feel so sorry for middle school teachers.

I considered writing one of my signature script-type descriptions of my encounter, but I decided that I could do a better job in standard narrative format. So here we go.

I rode the bus home today. As I always do. I got on before the majority of the middle-schoolers, which has the advantage of settling in before we're off, and the disadvantage of not picking your own seat partner. Normally I can count on some sort of friend-figure to save me from the midgets, but not today. And yet again, I am floored by the maturity level of the American middle-schooler. Particularly, the American middle-school boy. After years of resistance, and "we're not all bad..." I've given in. Young boys are assholes. Young meaning younger than second semester of freshman year.

I suppose I should explain this. My seat-partner for the day was a young middle-schooler boy, I'd guess 7th grade. But he's not who I've got the beef with. My problem is his friend in the seat across from me. In hindsight, he actually looked quite a lot like a chipmunk. This boy (I'm refraining from my normal 'guy.' This was a boy) was sitting there, excitedly relating the days exploits to his friend, sitting next to me. Seems chipmunk-boy had quite a blast. It seems in Life Skills, they have little lights by the computers that they light when they need help. Chip, in his cleverness, turned it on, then as soon as the teacher approached, turned it off. And repeated this several times. When teacher mentioned that he ought to stop that, chip calmly explained that no, of course he didn't want to go to the principal's office.
End of story. Back on the bus.
"It was so funny!"
And then he laughed. It is impossible to do this laugh justice on words. Just think of the most annoying, carefree, insolent, there's-nothing-funnier-in-the-world-than-making-people-want-to-kill-themselves laugh you have ever heard. Add in that it sounds a lot like a chipmunk in orgasm. And then you have this kid's laugh.
New story. Apparently when he's bored, Chip just *giggle* starts insulting people *cracks up* for no reason! It's so funny!
There's that laugh again, folks.
New story. It seems to be a habit of teachers of the young to count down for silence (accompanied all too rarely with a fiesty "If you don't get quiet in the next three seconds, I'm going to whip your asses so hard that you'll be raw till your GRAVE), and chip leaned back in his chair. At one, BLAST OFF, and, if I interpreted it correctly, somehow he simultaneously stood up and flipped his chair out from under him, I can only imagine in the most obnoxious way possible. It was so funny.
And he laughed.
Now imagine up yourself a story where the student in question typed derogatory sentances on his screen and erased them as soon as his teacher walked up. Well, about a half second after teacher sees it.
Now imagine a long, drawn out scene of the teacher desperately trying to extract a confession. To no avail, of course. Our dear chipmunk is so infinately witty, and outsmarted the teacher yet again. And multiple threats of "one more word and ______."

It was so funny.

Of course, I didn't belong to the school system from third to 8th grades, which are the main grades from whence the assholery comes. So, maybe I'm not accustomed to it. But for the love of God, how do they get away with this bullshit? I don't think chip even got a detention. As long as you know to stop after you've been threatened, you can get away with anything.

So, I'm forced to wonder, who's to blame? The only conclusion I've drawn is that it can't be the middle school teacher's fault. These kids are 4 days in to 7th grade, if I guessed right, I can't imagine losing that much maturity in 5 days and a summer. So, that leaves a) elementary school teachers, b) parents, c) themselves, d) the administration, or most importantly, e) their peers.

I'm sure that all five groups have a large amount to do with it. If the teachers had been more disciplinarian, or the administration had let them, this could be avoided. If the parents had instilled actual values, this could be avoided. If the kids weren't blind to their actions, this could be avoided.

If being an ass wasn't cool, this could be avoided.

I'll leave you to ponder.