[Lyric] Nobody Tells Me How (Working: A Musical (Original London Cast))

My classroom was always a showcase
In those days we did it ourselves
With colorful pictures and charts on the wall
A snowman in winter, a pumpkin in fall
And all my supplies were in neat little piles
On the shelves...

My children were always respectful
When the principal came, they would rise
If I had to leave for a minute or two
They always found something productive to do
And everyone sat in their places according to size

But kids don't know how to behave anymore!
Ask thеm to rise and they ask you: "What for?"
We confiscatе weapons and drugs at the door
No spitballs and comic books now
They want me to teach in a classroom like that
But nobody tells me how...

I made a big thing about spelling
But they learned by the time I got through
They copied the words till they knew them by heart
Ten times for the dumb ones, and twice for the smart
And gold stars were given
To those who made sentences too...
But why bother teaching them spelling today?
Nobody knows how to read, anyway
How can you spell what you can't even say?
It's "se habla español" now
The way I've been teaching for forty -some years
Is no longer "effective" or so it appears
Well, dammit, it worked for me then
So what's wrong with it now?
They say I'm supposed to "keep up with the times"
But nobody ever tells me
How...