Key Takeaways
- Accountability is a significant part of learning, and students should understand this.
- Educational institutions and parents should acknowledge that failures can be beneficial in driving personal growth.
- The approach of handing out grades to appease parents and students alike undermines the essence of education.
- Encouraging hard work and determination is more beneficial than labeling students as “smart.”
In the complex landscape of modern education, teachers often find themselves at the heart of many debates. A narrative from one experienced Advanced Placement (AP) teacher stands out. This educator voices frustration over an increasing number of students and parents seeking grade bumps, which they feel are undeserved. The demand, motivated by a growing pressure for high grades, contradicts the very notion of valedictorian ambitions, which traditionally represent academic excellence through hard work and merit.
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Among the cases, the teacher cites, one involves a parent who reasoned their child’s incomplete assignment was due to a misunderstanding of instructions. This justification stands as a shaky premise for those aiming to be valedictorians. The scenario is humorously juxtaposed by a commenter’s sarcastic remark, “Cool, my dream is to play for the Lakers. And it seems like we’re both putting in the same amount of work to pursue those dreams.“
Accountability, a cornerstone of personal growth and learning, is echoed throughout the discussion. One parent of an AP student illustrates, “When he doesn’t turn in 3 assignments in a row and ends up with a C, that’s all on him. He earned that. Obviously I help and support him, but I can’t go to school with him and turn in his classwork for him.” Other commenters chime in with similar sentiments, acknowledging the value of failure as a catalyst for motivation and effort.
Alarmingly, the dialogue paints a picture of an educational system that seems to shelter students from failures. Instead of holding students accountable for their performances, the system, parents, and administrators have become quick to pin the blame on teachers, effectively stripping students of their learning responsibility:
“Accountability is only for teachers. Students are infantilized all the way through their senior year of high school. They are not expected to take a role or accountability in their learning.”
Lastly, well-intentioned advice surfaces: instead of merely labeling children as “smart,” parents and teachers should instill values of hard work, determination, and a love for learning. The comment underscores the potential pitfalls of associating a child’s identity solely with being “smart,” which may lead them to evade challenges or develop a superiority complex.
Conclusion
These valuable insights call for a collective reevaluation of our approach towards education. We must reassess the weightage we give to grades, foster a culture that embraces failure as a part of the learning process, and encourage values like hard work, determination, and love for learning over the simplistic label of being “smart.” Hopefully, we can cultivate an environment where every student can truly learn and grow.
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