Miss, I don't get it

Every bloody Wednesday afternoon, that's what I get from my year 13 A level group, the plaintive " Miss, I don't get it". I am truly stunned at the lack of depth these students have. I can only conclude, sadly, that either I was a 18 year old genius or exams are getting easier and teenagers are getting more stupid.

This module we are doing is on understanding human behaviour and we cover the big 6 theories of development. I have to teach Eysenck's Biological theory. I was telling them that he was a Jewish sympathiser who had to leave Germany due to the Nazis ( neatly linking in with Tajfel's social identity theory and Allport on prejudice and how it can lead to ethnic cleansing and genocide), I know, I know, you're riveted too. Then I get, quite seriously too....

" Miss, what's a Nazi ? "

There were 4 students in my group who had no idea what World War 2 was about, never heard of Auchwitz, Dachau or other concentration camps, no idea who Hitler was, just that they'd heard the name, no idea of Kristallnacht or the forced wearing of The Star of David, some didn't even know what it was. So before I could even start on old Hans and his theory, I had to do a diet lesson on WW2.

Now, Eysenck had a theory about personality, there's a test I had them do on line. I spent the whole lesson explaining words that included - dwell, brood, dominant, submissive, melancholy. That's the ones I can remember and then the killer question that flummoxed a 19 year old student

I respect authority

" Miss, I don't get it " to which I very sweetly replied " Of course, you don't sweetie, it's harder than colouring in isn't it ?"

If this student didn't have an offer of a university place, it wouldn't be so worrying.