One step at a time

Today was ridiculous. That is the only way to explain it. I substitute teach right now to earn extra cash while waiting for the next school semester to begin. They called me this morning and I was in such a deep sleep I never even heard the phone. Luckily, my parents picked it up and brought it in to me. High school needs a sub. I have never seen such unruly kids as these high schoolers. I sighed and got up to get ready for the day. Little did I know what was in store.
Sitting down at the teachers desk, everything seemed normal. I noticed I would be having a day of sophomores. It could be worse, I thought, I could have all freshmen. This first class was the worst. I had to continually tell them to sit down, to stop talking, and to get to work. This is what we call redirecting. This does not work with high schoolers. While I was walking around the room, as I was directed in college, some boys jumped up and started wrestling. These boys had been a pain all class. I told them to stop and sent hem to the office. It is not my job to deal with problem kids, I am just the fill in for the teacher. A temp to hand out the assignment and make sure the kids stay focused. Anyways, the boys basically said no they were not going. I had to raise my voice at them in order for them to actually leave. I hate doing that but sometimes it is called for. Next I went to intercom the office and let them know who was coming to see them but the seating chart was off and I was not sure of their names. I asked the kids and they refused to tell me who they were. Go Figure. At the end of class they told me their names. Next class period was my plan time and I went to talk to the principle about it. She had sent them to ISS for the class. I'm not sure what other disciplinary actions were taken. I did find out that the students in the class gave me the wrong names of the kids, which I was kind of expecting.
Question: When did kids start acting this way? When did parents stop making their kids respect their elders? NEVER would I have EVER pulled a stunt like this? Never would I have continued talking in class when asked not too. It saddens me that American schools are this way. I know that in foreign countries these sorts of things don't happen. Kids don't act this way because if they do they are kicked out of school and their only choice of a job from then on out is to join the countries army. Maybe that is not how we in America would want to go about it, but we have to do something to get our kids to focus. They need to take education seriously. As a future teacher, I am terrified of the way our schools are heading.
Of course another part of me compares myself, at their age, to them. I was raised in church. I knew better then to act up and I can't help but think that being raised with God had a great hand in that. If all the kids in school were brought up in church, would they still act out as they do? That would be a great study. Maybe one day I will get a chance to do a study or something on that.
Anyways, the rest of my day went fairly well. I still had several rude students, but it was manageable. Throughout this day I have had this song stuck in m head. I know that one of Gods was of communicating with me is through song. The lyrics I have had are from a pop song that has nothing to do with God, but the chorus can be applied to my life right now. Patience.

One Step At A Time by J. Sparks

One Step At A Time
There's No Need To Rush
It's Like Learning To Fly
Or Falling In Love
It's Gonna Happen And It's
Supposed To Happen
We Find The Reasons Why
On Step At A Time

Still playing the waiting game but trying to have patience!
<3Melissa