LEAVE IT TO THE SWEATS
“You sweat!” jeered one of my year 10s to the other. His tone one of loathing, disgust and pity. I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach as I was once again faced with the reality that no matter how much I praised my student for the correct answer, it would mean next to nothing compared to the inflammatory remark from his peer… Somehow I know that this will be a relatable exchange for any teacher. Whether it’s in their English or PE lessons, boys seem to relish the opportunity to criticise and ridicule another of their clansmen for applying themselves. It’s odd and unfortunately incessant. The irony is, of course, that many of their idols are self-made, practice-driven, effort machines. Look at your YouTubers, your ‘influencers’, your rappers and your footballers – all, fair to say, are targets of today’s modern youth’s idolatry. All are ‘sweats’. All are ‘Try-hards’. So, why then – do students weaponise this idea? Why do they turn another’s efforts against them and use it to...