Why Kids Whine

I started teaching several sections of freshman humanities; my classes are mixed honors, which means I have students from a wide range of abilities and backgrounds. At this point in their academic careers (and lives, for that matter), these students have had very few opportunities to interact with adults as adults. Most of their interactions with adults have probably been with their parents.

In class this past week, I had an interesting moment with a student who had missed an assignment deadline. He asked if he could complete the assignment late, and I told him no; his voice immediately jumped an octave, and he said "But whyyyyy...". It was the most transparent, stereotypical whining voice I had heard in a long time, and I can imagine it working with parents.

I asked him if he was aware that his voice had changed, and he didn't seem to be; though I was initially taken aback by his tactic, I quickly realized that this is how he has learned to interact with adults. This is what works for him.

I stood my ground, and we chatted for a bit about how to ask for an extension in an adult way and how talking to teachers isn't the same as talking to parents. It was an interesting glimpse into the mind of my student and the importance of teaching life and communication skills as well as specific academic content.

- O+B