I said short, so here goes.
Teens: They have a Zeus complex, in that they think they’re gods. They’re immortal. They can be whatever and nothing can “really†touch them. It’s scary what they do, thinking they’ll be safe or not thinking at all.
They also tend to be “on stage†all the time. They think everyone is looking at them particularly. Each little flaw will show up on a billboard somewhere. Really, except their close friends and worst enemies, no one is even noticing, unless they’re a school leader in some way (athlete, honor roll, newspaper editor).
Students: They think that school is a product they buy. You know, I paid my money. Where’s my A? What do you mean I have to come to class at least half the time, stay awake, and actually do some work?
I love teaching. I like students who are trying to learn. They don’t even have to be particularly good students. I’ll take a C student who is struggling to stay afloat over a smart aleck A student any day in any class. Just ’cause you have an A doesn’t mean I am impressed. It means you did A work. You can still be a jerk and I can know it. Believe me, I am not deaf and dumb just because I am old. (Well, older than you are.)