Real Talk
“Can you tell us why he’s failing?”
Three administrators sat across the table from me. I had been called into a mandatory meeting in which the main goal was to “ensure no student is falling behind.” I, however, felt as if I was being interrogated for a Class A felony.
“Because he refuses to do his work,” I answered, confused.
I explained to the administrators, in detail, why a student in my class was failing. Just today, he had refused to complete an assignment, laid his head on his desk, and fell asleep instead. This was not a rare occurrence.
Yes, I had inquired about *why* he was falling asleep, and I had utilized the school guidance counselor.
Yes, I had given this student multiple opportunities to make up the work and bring up his grade.
And yes, I had given second, third, and fourth chances before I was left with no choice but to enter “0” for many of the student’s assignments.
The burden of responsibility
I answered the rapid-fire questions from the administrators, one by one, as my confidence in my teaching abilities dwindled. For a split second, I wondered if somehow I was at fault.
I couldn’t help but think, “Shouldn’t the student be the one to be asked these questions?” Instead, I was being questioned about WHY I had given them multiple zeros. As a first year teacher, I was shocked that responsibility for these grades seemed to have fallen directly on my shoulders.
No one had told me that I technically wasn’t allowed to fail anyone. It seems to be this unwritten rule that you’re expected to follow.
I confided in a veteran teacher across the hall later that day, venting about the whole ordeal. Even her response shocked me.
“Yeah, you just have to pass them, unfortunately. Give them a 60, let them coast. Do yourself a favor and just pass them; the alternative is that you put up a fight, just to be bullied into giving students 60s anyways.”
I don’t quite understand. Why have a grading system we aren’t allowed to use properly? How can we encourage our students to do their best when we reward the opposite? What happens when our students realize we’re doing this?
I personally have a problem with being part of the problem; but what can I do? My back is against the wall, yet again. I’m an easy target for another slap on the wrist. I am too often manipulated, just like the grading system.
Why students who do zero work should fail
We are failing our students by not failing them. We are setting them up for a life of “good enough” instead of greatness. In the end, we are enabling a future generation of employees who never developed a work ethic. We’re creating a population of workers who do zero percent of their work and still expect to get paid. As educators, we have an ethical responsibility to prepare kids for the real world.
It pains me to think that my middle school students will carry this mentality into adulthood. These adolescent years are our chance to turn things around, to create good habits, and instill a drive in our students that will benefit them far beyond the classroom. Why are we doing this to them?
Are we so afraid of having a student repeat a grade, have some more time to mature, and then try again? That’s a true second chance. Yet we are somehow caught up in how failing numbers *look* on our record; or maybe it’s the backlash from parents.
This student is just one of many examples of someone who could benefit from receiving zeros. In this case, it’s a matter of maturity; it’s a lifelong lesson to be learned at an appropriate age, that achievements in this life are earned.
Admin, stop pressuring us to go against our gut and principles.
I have another student in my 7th grade classroom that is currently reading at a 4th grade level. Again, I am doing a disservice to them by constantly giving them 60s in my English language classroom when the accurate grade is much lower. By passing them onto 8th grade, the education gap will widen and the frustration will grow larger.
Frankly, it goes against everything I stand for. I feel bullied into disregarding what’s best for my students in favor of what makes the broken system operate smoothly.
Don’t get me wrong, I am the first teacher to round up the grade on an assignment, as long as there is effort. I will always reach out to a student to make sure everything is okay when their performance in class is suffering. This isn’t about having a “no excuses” mindset when it comes to teaching kids.
While I can’t speak for everyone, most teachers (including myself) do not want to see our students fail; however, it is our job to initiate progress.
Without failure, there is no excellence.
