Chewing Gum was a Big School Problem by Dr. Robert Wallace on Creators.com

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Chewing Gum was a Big School Problem

DR. WALLACE: My mother is a teacher and receives many educational magazines in the mail. Since I also plan to be an elementary teacher, I read some of the articles in them. One article reported that 50 years ago, the top student problems were: talking to friends during class, passing notes, chewing gum, cutting in line, running in the halls, being late for class, littering and dress code violations.

Today, the serious school infractions include: drug abuse, alcohol abuse, tobacco abuse, theft, assault, verbal and physical abuse toward educators, rape and murder. What has caused our schools to become so bad? — Sheila, Houston.

SHEILA: Schools are a reflection of society. When society suffers a breakdown of moral standards, the results can't help but be felt in the schools. This is a complex, pervasive problem. Our nation must begin a moral healing process, and the place to start is in the home.

The article you site seems to paint an overly idyllic picture of the past. Things in schools may be worse today than they were 50 years ago, but chewing gum and passing notes were not the sum total of the problems back then; the bigger problems just weren't discussed openly.

YOU ARE NOT AN UGLY DUCKLING

DR. WALLACE: I'm 14 and a very good student. I think I have a good personality and I'm not shy. I should be very popular at school, but that's not the case. In fact, I'm considered a loser. I wear braces on my teeth, don't have the clearest of complexions, weigh more than I should and used to wear glasses (though I now wear contact lenses).

My braces will come off in three months, I'm on a healthy diet and exercise program, and my grandmother will soon be paying for my visits to a dermatologist.

I really want to change my physical image by summer, so I can be the new me when school starts in September. My concern is that I'm considered an "ugly duckling" now, and I'm worried that label will stick to me even if I change. Is there anything else I can do to change my classmates' perception of me? — Nameless, Mobile, Ala.

NAMELESS: Stick to your plan! You've got a great deal going for you, and by the time you unveil the "new you," you'll have even more. Yes, there are a few jerks in any student body that take it on as their personal mission to single out others for ridicule, and they may keep up the cowardly taunting no matter what you do.

Ignore these creeps. Most of your classmates will be far kinder. Indeed, most of them are probably on your side now.

If you need some inspiration, how about movie star Julia Roberts? When she was in high school, she — like you — considered herself an "ugly duckling." We all know, of course, that she grew up to be a beautiful swan. So will you.

Congratulations on making this difficult commitment. The results will be well worth the effort.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. E-mail him at rwallace@galesburg.net. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.