Millennial teacher shares list of things Gen Alpha students no longer know how to do

Over the decades, lifestyles, trends, and a lot have changed, which has, in turn, rearranged priorities and necessities. What was an absolute need for millennials or Gen Zs is no longer required by Gen Alpha, and it has affected their learning of basic skills and knowledge. An elementary teacher who goes by @mommy_n_zachy on TikTok was disheartened to reveal 10 things kids no longer know how to do. It has deeply impacted their basic quality of life, and the internet is hoping for a change to bring back nostalgia and important values at the same time. 

The teacher first mentioned that many kids are unaware of how to read a clock “with confidence.” She often finds herself being asked the time despite having a clock in the classroom, and students claim they “don’t know how to read” it. The next thing the woman mentioned was their writing. A lot of students barely know how to write proper words and sentences neatly, and because it’s barely being taught in schools anymore, it’s adding to the dilemma. “We need to bring it back,” she noted. Furthermore, the educator mentioned that kids cannot memorize. Basic details like their parents’ phone numbers, addresses, and so on are hard for kids to retain. 

It was noted next how kids are now completely removed from street names, blocks, and things like that. Recalling a conversation, the teacher mentioned how, when she asked a kid where he lived, his reply was, “Down the block.” When asked for a street name or any other direction, he had nothing to say. “Number 5, they don’t know how to count money,” the teacher noted. She explained that the kids are not to be blamed. The systems are such that these practices, though formative and important, have long been forgotten. Because of the extensive use of cards, contactless payments, and so on, having cash on hand is far from reality, let alone managing it.

A few other things the teacher mentioned were not being able to tie their own shoes and not knowing their parents’ names or any other details about them. Many didn’t even have basic knowledge of themselves. “They don’t know the year they were born,” the teacher remarked. Another major concern was kids having no clue how to use a dictionary. According to Business Insider, these changes were visible from the time of the Gen Zers, with their attention spans and focus decreasing. However, with Gen Alpha, it’s even more concerning. Joshua McGoun, a K-12 public-school teacher in Frederick, Maryland, noted, “They should be able to turn the book the right way up and open it at the first page. These days, some students aren't able to do that."

U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D., on the Senate Education Committee, shared a plea. He said, “Literacy — the basic ability to read — is at the heart of all other learning. If students do not learn to read, they cannot read to learn in other subjects. We are at risk of having an entire generation of children, those who were in their prime learning years during the COVID-19 pandemic, fail to become productive adults if reading proficiency does not improve.” Lastly, the educator pointed out that their listening and attention skills are also deteriorating to the point where they cannot follow multiple instructions. People added to these worries. @durwoodbynum wrote, “I had high schoolers who didn’t know their address.” @cutieq37 added, “It’s not being taught the way it used to be.” @mikebriggs13 noted, “You forgot about reading a ruler and tape measure.”

You can follow (@mommy_n_zachy_) on TikTok for more content on education. 

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