A recent Penn study found that teachers are leaving their jobs at even higher rates than nurses and police officers. According to Education Resource Strategies, 23% of teachers left their school in 2023. Some parents and community members may wonder why this is happening, with some assuming a post-COVID world just cannot go back “the way things were.”

However, a teacher with 24 years of experience in the U.S. and abroad believes this wave of teachers leaving has nothing to do with COVID, it’s actually a cultural shift in parenting styles.

In a viral TikTok video with over 480,000 views, Lisa Conselatore claims that the big problem has to do with kids’ parents.

“The problem is cultural,” Conselatore says. “We have raised children to think that they are absolutely the most important person in any room. They are so special that whatever they want to do, or whatever they think, or whatever they say is the most important thing in that moment.”

“I know your children are special to you. I know that my children are special to me,” she continues. “But none of them are the most special person ever in the room at any time. They’re not. Nobody is because we live in a society and we all have to get along and we all have to respect one another and part of respecting one another is recognizing when you have a contribution to make and when you need to sit there and open your ears. … We don’t have that down. We’ve missed it.”

In the video, Conselatore blames American parents, but she also offers some simple solutions to improve this concerning education crisis.

“Teach them when to listen, taking a turn to speak. Speak when it’s appropriate. When you have something to say and it’s your turn,” she says. “Let’s reevaluate our family cultures, our community cultures, and our larger society cultures. Because of this is not working, not working.”

In Conselatore’s comment section, several teachers chimed in, agreeing with the OP’s point of view. Some even shared their own experiences of being disrespected by kids in the classroom.

“Every time I give an activity, I hear ‘I don’t want to do this.’ When has that ever been an option at school?? 🙄,” one user wrote.

Another said, “2nd year teacher here and I am so tired of the talking over me! and so tired of the blatant disrespect because they think they’re right all the time.”

“💯 % Been at it for 24 yrs. The teachers can’t teach anymore due to them having to parent their students! Not much parenting being done at home,” one user said.

“Many kids today don’t sit at a dinner table and engage in conversation, taking turns to listen and speak to one another,” another pointed out.

One teacher pointed out that this issue may not be just an American thing.

“I teach in Ireland and its the same, there’s no going back though, it’s bigger than covid and culture, it’s a generational thing and the system…,” one user wrote.

In recent years, there has been some shifting in the ways of parenting styles.

Research shows that around 44% of parents have shifted their parenting approach to one that aligns with a more “modern parenting” strategy and away from what they received as children themselves.

Many of those tactics focus on conscious parenting, developing understanding supporting their kids’ identity.

Research also shows these types of parenting styles increase confidence levels in children, which could be part of the reason for this “misbehavior” that TikTok teachers are concerned about.