Poor Grades in School? Why Blame Teachers!
One of the parameters for assessment is 'Results'. If students gets poor grade or fail grade, then teacher is held responsible.
Entitlement vs. Responsibility.
Why is it that in our society, many believe they are entitled to certain things? How have expectations gotten so out of sync with the realities of the world? Why are things always someone else’s fault?
Let’s have a look at what is happening in many of our schools.
Who is to Blame for Poor Grades?
Whose fault is it if a child is not getting good grades in school? Too many parents blame the teachers when their child doesn’t get a good grade. They complain that Johnny or Suzie can’t get into their choice of university unless their grades are better. They march in to meet with the teacher and demand a better mark for their child. Many years ago, if the child brought home poor grades, the parents would hold the child responsible. Now, it seems that all too often the parents blame the teacher while not putting any responsibility on their child.
How about asking Johnny or Suzie to work harder? Hand in all of their assignments? Ask their teacher for extra help or see a tutor? How about taking responsibility for their grades instead of thinking they are automatically entitled to good grades because that is what they need.
I am a firm believer that our kids all deserve the opportunity for a quality education – they are entitled to that! I know there are certainly cases where the teacher isn’t doing a good job, and there are cases where the kids who need special supports do not get them. However, as with many things, what the kids put into their schooling will be reflected in what they get out of it. If they work hard and hand in all of their work and take all of their exams, they will likely get a grade that they deserve and have earned. If they don’t complete assignments and miss exams, then they should also get the grade they earned!
No Zeros
Most schools especially secondary schools have a “no zero” policy and expect teachers to give a grade for work not done based on the student’s ability. Let me get this straight – you can get grades for things you didn’t even do. So, the student who works hard and completes all the required work could end up with the same grade as a student who only did half the work. I think it is fair in certain circumstances to give a student an extension, or even an alternate assignment to make up for missed work. However, to provide credit for something that wasn’t ever done just seems wrong.
What Does This Teach Our Kids?
What will their boss say someday when they don't do their assigned work? "Oh don't worry that you didn’t do the work. Here is your pay cheque since I know you could do the work if you wanted to". I don’t think so. Let’s work on preparing kids for the real world, not one where they think they will be handed everything on a silver platter just because they think they are entitled to it.
Please, let’s teach them accountability and responsibility.