Disingenuous

disingenuous: (adjective) without sincerity or honesty; giving a false appearance of being sincere or honest

The students' disingenuous efforts for their research presentations nauseated Mr. Anson.

          I'm back with a little vocabulary today. No real story--just the truth of the current situation with my 9th graders. And I wonder if the station is a reflection on society in general, or if I just have a bunch of lazy teenagers in my classes this year. I know that I am cramming them all into a false stereotype, but I think that the work ethic of students in general has depreciated over time. Is it the demand for instant gratification brought about by fast food, instant messaging, and on-demand entertainment? Or am I just becoming a decrepit old fart? Does anyone invest themselves in anything any more? Or is society's answer just a mouse-click?
          When I was a 9th grader, my dad was 35, a veteran, and the person who knew the most about anything in the world--at least as far as I was concerned. I am not too far removed to acknowledge that on more than one occasion (more like three quadrillion), my efforts regarding school, scouts, church, sports, and everything in between were rather disingenuous as well. This confession manifests itself in tales housed in the annals of previous posts. (Sorry, no link; you'll have to scroll back if you want a story today.)
           So if I was able to pull my head out from when I was a disingenuous, bull-headed punk, there is still hope for most of these disengaged-from-life students that currently frequent my classroom. I'm not too cynical to realize that not all students are rotten, not all politicians are corrupt, and not all bloggers are brilliant. I do have have good kids.
          But sometimes, I just want to see a little more effort (even from myself).