To Make Up or Not to Make Up

"Is there anything I can do to get a passing grade?”  How many times have each of us heard that questions two days before the end of a semester?  “What the heck have you been doing since the semester started??”  I want to ask.

There has been controversy among educators for a long time about whether or not to allow students to “slide by” by letting the student complete make-up or additional work in order to earn the credit.  Is it fair to other students to allow someone to pass who has not been showing effort throughout the semester?  Are we doing justice to the child who really hasn’t learned what he needs to in order to pass?

This article suggests that these sort of practices are being abused (which I am sure we have all suspected already.)  Another unsurprising fact:  state education officials (in NY) are looking into regulating programs that allow for credit recovery.  I know that a credit recovery program is different from just giving a student an opportunity to pass but they both run along the same lines. 

In my Junior English class last year, several students were failing at Christmas time due to missing or incomplete assignments.  A couple of them asked me if they could do extra credit to improve their grades.  I told them that they could read the book “Ethan Frome” over break.  It is a short book that I would have liked to include in the semester anyway, but would not have time.  I gave the entire class of 25 the opportunity to read the book over break and take the 100 point test in January when school started again.  They could earn up to 100/100 extra points.  How many kids read the book?  Two.  One of whom had a B average anyway.  The other wanted to ask me questions about the book before the test.  Questions like “Who died at the end?” let me know that he not only did not read the book but didn’t even bother to Sparknote it either.  He failed the test and ended up failing the class as well.  When he asked for extra credit, he wanted to draw a picture of write “I want to pass” on the board 100 times.  He didn’t actually want to do anything extra. 

I don’t think that extra credit work needs to be regulated by the school.  Teachers don’t need to be micromanaged; but we do need to be responsible.  When we allow students to do extra work, it needs to be something that will actually help the kid learn, not just busywork. 

We’re not doing ourselves or the students any favors by allowing them to slip by. 

It's just a grill people!!

I’ve always been against censorship.  I think libraries should be able to have whatever books they want on the shelf.  I think school textbooks should represent history appropriately regardless of material that could be critical or damaging.  I think that a teacher should be able to teach a book that has important lessons and themes.  Having said that, as responsible adults, we need to have some sort of idea about what’s appropriate in what forum. 

Along with the curriculum, I feel it’s important to teach character development and social responsibility in my classroom.  I do this by taking advantage of teachable moments to encourage compassion and understanding.  Because I teach communication, we also discuss knowing your audience and formal versus informal setting. 

The Fargo Forum gives online readers an opportunity to comment on each story.  I admit, I’ve been drawn in to reading some of the comments and they are disgusting.  Readers who comment do not even have to reveal their real names. This gives them an added sense of courage to write something they may not say.  This article about a shooting in Wahpeton sparked many racist comments.  An article about a Valley City pastor who got in some hot water with a prostitute produced comments that certainly aren’t appropriate for my family friendly blog.  This simple article about an Ellendale hardware store owner who won back a grill bought at his store (a neat coinicidence) caused commenters to question “who did the drawing?” and mention the word “conspiracy.”  It’s just a grill people!!  (You can’t read these particular comments as it seems The Forum has deleted them.)

Matt Von Pinnon, editor of The Forum wrote this piece basically asking the public about the situation.  He admitted that “many of those comments were racist, ignorant or intended only to hurt.”  He then posed the question, “But is it important to know those thoughts exist in our community, even if those thoughts are shared anonymously?”  I think we all know that these thoughts exist in our community, but do we really need to give them a venue to flourish?

The Forum comments section goes directly against what I teach in my class and I think our society should think twice before continuing to allow these posts to appear on a site that should be a reputable news source.  What kind of example are we setting for our youth? 

This just reminds me that as educators we need to be diligent in our fight to instill compassion and understanding in our students.  I hope when one of my students read something in the paper, they are able to look at the issue from all sides and form their own conclusions.  I hope I am helping to create critical thinkers for the future who won't take part in posting "comments" like the ones I've read on The Forum's website.

Motivation$

I always wished my parents would pay me for getting good grades.  I always thought, “now that would be some easy money!”  No such luck.  Many of my friends did get paid for grades, I just wasn’t lucky enough.  Now I am starting to think my parents had the right idea.

Nightline did a story tonight about the DC school district.  It was about a pay-for-grades program that rewards kids for earning good grades (other factors, such as good behavior and attendance could have an effect on pay-off as well.)  Should we pay students for good grades? 

On one hand I think it’s a great motivator for kids who are otherwise hard to move.  Money is relevant and real to today’s kids.  This article points out that kids “can do out there and make $50 illegally . . . we have to do something to compete with that.”  Another site says, “whatever it takes to get them to learn.” 

On the other hand, I agree with the many opponents of these programs.  Does the end justify the means?  This article points out that, “you really want them . . . doing well on their own for the internal satisfaction of a job well done.”  I often feel that kids today are responding to intrinsic motivation less and less.  But is beefing up the extrinsic motivation really the right direction to go?  Does that make for a responsible citizen down the road?    

Another issue to consider is the money.  Where is the money coming from?  I certainly don’t it coming from money that could have gone to teacher salaries!  According to this source, Chicago’s program was funded by a research study and private donations.  However, this more recent note points out the both NYC and Chicago will no longer have this type of program because of lack of funding.

Tesoro has a program called Gallons for Grades which, since 1997, has rewarded As and Bs with free gas.  If you’re against pay-for-grades programs, are you against this program as well?  Or is it different because it’s not sponsored by the school?  What about parents who pay kids for grades?  It’s all sending the same message, right?  What about insurance companies (like those discussed in this article) who give discounts for drivers with good grades?

One thing I can say is that I do applaud these districts for thinking out of the box.  Nothing is going to be resolved or “fixed” if we keep doing what we’ve always done.  As far as paying kids for grades, I’m not sure.  What do you think?