For the past few days, I’ve been grading exams and the outcome of too many grades has been far from desirable let alone impressive. I’ve been asked if this makes me feel as though I’m not doing a good job at teaching the material. Years ago it used to but after years of teaching I have far too many testimonies from former and present students and parents that tell me otherwise. I can only do so much. I can’t take the test for my students to insure that they pass. So, the issue for many of my charges is WORK: The Act Of Doing. I’ve spent (and this one is no different) years trying to convince students of almost every race and economic background that effort brings about change. Which can then become success. I’ve just read an article in a Chicago based newsletter, The Black Star Project that states 68% of people blame parents for educational problems. REALLY?! I’ve been saying this for years! (But what do I know, right?) The article went on to say those who said parents are to blame were more likely to cite a lack of student discipline and low expectations for students as serious problems in schools. This article discusses the influence that hunger and absenteeism have on low achievement also but I want to focus on effort.
Without high expectations, effort can never reach it’s full potential. One must simply want to work/to study in order to make the grades or performance that will see you to the next level. And the work of parents is involvement and setting high expectations of achievement for your children. One year, I had a parent ring me to talk/ask about his son’s performance in my class.
“ You know Mr. Fletcher… for weeks now, I’ve watched my son come home, toss his book bag to the side (when he has it), sit down and text, play video games or watch television. When I ask about his homework, he says he doesn’t have any. So my question Mr. Fletcher is, What are you doing to make sure that my son does his homework?
I started laughing. Not giggling but laughing (and those of you who know me have shared a good laugh with me) and I then realized he was being serious.
I said, “ It’s called homework for a reason and your son doesn’t live at home with me.” I continued by advising that, “if your teenager comes home from school for three days not weeks without homework you should call the school and ask a lot of questions. Because more than likely he/she is being dishonest with you.” I mean, really? He’s a teen not a toddler. Teens get homework. I used to purposely only due half of my homework at school in study hall so that I had something to work on at home. Because, if you didn’t have something to do…my mother would FIND something for you to do.
Now we’re at the students who wait until the last minute to put forth their effort… the students who always ask for make –up or extra credit work. If a student is absent due to illness, hell, I’ll give you suspension too, I’ll give the opportunity to make up the missed assignments. As an educator, you know who will or won’t do the assignments. You simply document the fact that you gave the opportunity. Now, the jokers who clown/talk, sleep, constantly arrive late (8:30 arrival when school begins at 8:00) and / or disrupt class can fail. Had you simply put forth the daily effort required of you, you would not be in the situation of asking for make-up work the last three days of the term. Please, get out of my face. I also ask these students, “ Why didn’t you ever come in after school?” – “ Man, I ain’t got time to stay after school!”- “ Why do you have an after school job?”- “ Naw, I just ain’t stayin after school.” And I’m supposed to care about your education when you don’t? I do have some students that come after school on a regular basis until they understood and I told them, “I think you got it. Now, just keep studying” And guess what? They have a B in the class. Imagine that. Then I have the students who come to one or two sessions after school and can’t understand why their grade hasn’t improved.
“ But I came after school a couple of times! Why isn’t my grade better?”
“ Well, I think I forgot to sprinkle my magic fairy good grade dust on you before you left. YOUR GRADE HASN’T CHANGED BECAUSE YOU HAVEN’T STUDIED!
Well, let me get back to grading. Hopefully, there will be more exams that prove that they studied.
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