Classroom Culture in 2026 | Seismic Shift of Responsibility from Student to Teacher

Guest: Eric Leininger, teacher in the classroom for 14 years

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Parents, one of the primary “shifts” we’ve seen in education deals with the issue of where the responsibility lies. In the old days, students were primarily responsible for their actions; today if students have a problem, the responsibility falls on the shoulders of the teachers.

Parents, when your son or daughter has an issue in the classroom, Eric’s wisdom on how to best handle these situations is to address the problem at home and help your child learn how this situation can best shape their character. Eric does not recommend contacting the teacher unless the situation/problem is egregious. Disciplinary issues at a school or on the court/field are opportunities to train your children about how to better handle situations or how to work through a seeming (or real) injustice.

Before contacting a teacher, Eric recommends that you examine Scripture and pray for God’s wisdom in how to best proceed. As a parent, Eric also recommends that you should look to trust those who are partnering with you in the discipleship process. Modeling for your students that we respect the authority of our teachers is a valuable life lesson.

Here is the link to a video/article of Hannah, a young former high school English teacher who quit after 3 years because of technology and general apathy/laziness of students in the classroom.