Just when you think the American work ethic isn’t what it once was, along comes George Parrott and our faith is restored — NOT!
You may have missed the story, so here is what the Associated Press reported this week:
“A California university professor can no longer demand snacks from students taking his psychology classes.
“Sacramento State professor George Parrott has demanded snacks from his students for 39 years.
“Students were told of the snack demand on the first day of class. But two weeks ago he walked out of his Psychology 101 lab class because there were no snacks.
“University spokeswoman Kimberly Nava says members of the psychology department at California State University, Sacramento decided Parrott’s decision to walk out of class was unacceptable and the dean told him to stop.”
Ow!
The dean told him to stop!
His poor hurt feelings.
Listen, we have a problem if people are allowed to stomp off the job and all that happens is they’re told to stop.
How about hiring someone who will bother to do their job?
George has been doing this for 39 years.
OK, to be honest, the part about the snacks is sort of funny, depending on how he handles it, but it also presents one of those situations in which the students are bullied by their professor, so you’d have to ask the past students whether this behavior is benign or mean-spirited.
But walking off the job in a huff because he didn’t get his snack goes over the line.
The point to all this is, our young people see enough bad examples. They deserve, and need, to see a positive work ethic. The sort of thing that they experience every day if they are forced into the private work force.
Most of us remember teachers who put in long hours and were good examples to their students. They used proper language skills. They dressed professionally. They were on time. They were, in short, teaching by good example — at least the good ones were.
A good teacher is worth their pay and more.
But one who walks off the job in petulance?
Flunk him.
— Chuck Smith