Rebuttal to Nick Jans
Michaela
AP Lang & Comp
Nick Jans Rebuttal
April 25th, 2013
Nick Jans is a retired, somewhat bitter, teacher and in his article Student Problems begin at home he stated, “kids these days ain't what they used to be”. First, he claims that the teachers are not to blame, it's the students. Then he turns it around onto the parents. Jans tries using logical appeal to talk about teenagers' gaming habits, and he tries using emotional appeal towards parents about sex, having bad attitudes and how they should play catch with us. I think that Nick Jans overgeneralizes teenagers, and I believe he is wrong and his argument is weak.
Jans believes that teachers have absolutely nothing to do with how a student preforms in school. He states, “Blaming teachers because your kid can't read makes as much sense as blaming the dentist for a mouthful of cavities”. That statement makes absolutely no sense, because in order to get cavities you choose not to brush your teeth and it is your fault. If you can't read well, it's usually not you're fault. It's a very poor comparison. One statement he had made really bugged me, he claimed that “If I had a hundred bucks for every time a student cheated on a test, or had the nerve to tell me, in the middle of an impassioned lecture, that my presentation was “'boring'”, I could be driving a new car.” If students are actually interrupting his lecture saying they're boring, they probably are! In my experience, when teachers go out of their way to make a lesson interesting I learn more. But when they just talk the entire time with no visuals and little to no humor, I zone out. He states “The problem is far simpler and more ominous: the students themselves.” But then, after he goes on about students and their gaming, music, and sex habits; he claims that it is the parents that are at fault.
Jans claims that “Researching indicates that 95% of teenage boys and 67% of teen girls regularly play video games- including the best-selling Grand
AP Lang & Comp
Nick Jans Rebuttal
April 25th, 2013
Nick Jans is a retired, somewhat bitter, teacher and in his article Student Problems begin at home he stated, “kids these days ain't what they used to be”. First, he claims that the teachers are not to blame, it's the students. Then he turns it around onto the parents. Jans tries using logical appeal to talk about teenagers' gaming habits, and he tries using emotional appeal towards parents about sex, having bad attitudes and how they should play catch with us. I think that Nick Jans overgeneralizes teenagers, and I believe he is wrong and his argument is weak.
Jans believes that teachers have absolutely nothing to do with how a student preforms in school. He states, “Blaming teachers because your kid can't read makes as much sense as blaming the dentist for a mouthful of cavities”. That statement makes absolutely no sense, because in order to get cavities you choose not to brush your teeth and it is your fault. If you can't read well, it's usually not you're fault. It's a very poor comparison. One statement he had made really bugged me, he claimed that “If I had a hundred bucks for every time a student cheated on a test, or had the nerve to tell me, in the middle of an impassioned lecture, that my presentation was “'boring'”, I could be driving a new car.” If students are actually interrupting his lecture saying they're boring, they probably are! In my experience, when teachers go out of their way to make a lesson interesting I learn more. But when they just talk the entire time with no visuals and little to no humor, I zone out. He states “The problem is far simpler and more ominous: the students themselves.” But then, after he goes on about students and their gaming, music, and sex habits; he claims that it is the parents that are at fault.
Jans claims that “Researching indicates that 95% of teenage boys and 67% of teen girls regularly play video games- including the best-selling Grand