If we continue to make education superficial and give students A and B because they have worked hard, then we are actually doing them a disservice or stumbling block and can't help them prepare for success in the real world.
Last year, one of our fifth-grade freshmen had a hard time studying. When he entered Clark School, his grades in every subject were below the grade level, and he failed in several subjects. Once, I met his mother by chance, and she defended her son: "Well, he got straight A's in other schools." I was very surprised at what she said. She explained that her son got such good grades because he had a great teacher. God, this is incredible!
There is a misunderstanding in America that students get good grades and their teachers must teach them well. In fact, parents, officials and general social groups should not think so, and good grades should not be equated with understanding and mastering knowledge. In fact, in most cases, teachers can teach good grades in order to avoid conflicts with parents and administrative departments. Compared with giving every child what he really needs, it is easier to give students high marks step by step, avoiding the supervision of administrators and the anger of parents.
I have attended many awards ceremonies. In fact, in some classes, every child got a certificate of honor. Parents kept cheering and taking pictures, which made them look extremely proud. I sat there thinking: ignorance is bliss.
Did these children really succeed in accepting the challenge? Or do they just meet the mediocre standards set by mediocre teachers under the current education system? However, parents seem so proud and satisfied.
Worst of all, most parents prefer their children to get a lot of A and praise directly through the so-called good education, rather than a really excellent education-in this kind of education, children work hard but get a lot of C.
At the beginning of each year, I will give an assignment to the fifth grade students. Let them read a book and summarize a character in the book-they should try to present some details of that character in a clever and unique way, such as what is buried in his heart (his favorite), what he sees in his eyes (his world view), what he is trying to stick to, and how he is indomitable (his belief). I encourage students to describe it, and give full play to their creativity and imagination, giving the characters in the book fresh life.
Most students will hand in a two-or three-page homework with a picture of a person and various body parts. Some students will draw brightly with fluorescent strokes, while others will draw many colors. I know that in most schools, such homework will get high marks, mostly A and B, but I give low marks like 14, 20, 42. Parents and students are always disappointed, and many want me to give an explanation.
I asked them to believe me and explained that if I gave this kind of homework A and B, there would be no reason for students to try to improve their next homework. Some of my colleagues even said, "Ron, you know what those children will face when they get home, and you know that they have done their best." I immediately told them that society will not forgive children because of their family status, so we can't do this either. If we make excuses or leave room for our children, we will send a wrong message to them, that is, it is understandable to behave badly on the grounds of poor family background. We can't do this. We must set high standards for every child and try our best to push them to that level.
I remember failing a fifth-grade student's first assignment. For this reason, she kept crying. Her report card has never been lower than A, and her mother was shocked and unacceptable. I explained to them that low marks will be a meaningful life lesson. Later, I taught the little girl and other children in the class some skills that can help them get high marks in the future. I showed them three assignments. Why did one get 70 points, one got more than 80 points and one got an A? Happily, her next assignment was a model of a skyscraper in new york. It is composed of mud and miniature billboards, full of ingenious ideas, and street lamps can be lit. This assignment has obviously made great progress and got 70 points.
The last assignment is to guide students to make a timeline, which should cover at least 50 days, and these 50 days must be important days in the history of a certain region in the world. The girl handed in her last homework with a big garbage bag. Opening the bag, I saw a huge great pyramid of giza model, 4 feet high (about 1.2 meters). As you can see, this pyramid is made of cardboard. Obviously, in order to make it look more real, sandpaper also came in handy. The pyramid looks beautiful, but it doesn't contain a timeline, so I told her that this assignment couldn't pass.
She smiled at me, went to the pyramid and pressed the top of the tower. In an instant, the three sides of the pyramid slowly bloomed and the tower was unobstructed. It turned out that she carved time in it and described 150 important historical events with detailed pictures, charts and words. She even put her own Egyptian artifacts in the pyramid, which looked like opening a Pharaoh's grave. She also made a mummy, which she found online. She looked at me and said, "Mr. Clark, I've been doing it for weeks." I hope I can do it well enough. I want to get an A. Her works are really incredible and charming.
I looked at her and smiled proudly and said, "Honey, you got an A."
If she didn't get an F in her first assignment, she would never have reached the pyramid. This child is about to graduate from Clark School, and she is ready to compete with students from any high school in the United States. She knows what high standards are, the significance of working hard with firm beliefs, and how to pursue Excellence. If we continue to make education superficial and give students A and B because they have worked hard, then we are actually doing them a disservice or stumbling block and can't help them prepare for success in the real world. Without strict and difficult requirements, the little girl will not finish that wonderful homework; Now, she can enter any high school with her pyramid and comprehensive knowledge about how to pursue Excellence, and she will stand out among her peers.
I often bake cookies for my students. I told them that it was made with a secret recipe handed down by my great-great-grandmother, which she told me quietly before she died. Well, that's a bit of an exaggeration. When cookies are distributed, children who study hard will happily get a piece, and none of them who don't study hard. Parents will call and say:
"Mr. Clark, I heard that you gave each child in the class a biscuit, but you didn't give it to my child. Why are you doing this to my children? "
Why should every child get cookies? My parents think I will hurt my child's self-esteem. The crux of the problem is that we only pay attention to children's self-esteem, without considering their performance and ability. Isn't it? If we give cookies to those unqualified students, we are telling them that they can get rewards even if they don't work hard. By doing so, we send the message that cookies will come at any time. It is this practice that makes many young people in their twenties still don't understand what it means to work hard and still count on their parents to provide financial support (give them cookies).
I told my classmates who didn't get cookies that I would bake cookies next week. I told them that I would observe their performance before that day, and if they were willing to work hard, they could get their cookies. Unexpectedly, so many children began to work hard to get a biscuit, regardless of age.
It means a lot to get your own cookies. The students' faces will be filled with pride. They will say that they are going to eat half first, and then leave the rest for later. They will also say that this biscuit is the best they have ever eaten. It can be seen that hard work will pay off. If parents and teachers only reward their children for no reason, then we have no value in teaching them personal efforts.
We should let our children know that not everyone can pat the back casually because we want to make him feel better. Undeserved praise will only make our students suffer more failures.
If you are such a teacher, you want to raise your expectations, but you are afraid of being opposed or protested because you have failed students, which makes parents and school leaders anxious, then you might as well try the following self-protection methods. Whenever you assign homework, tell students your expectations in advance and describe in detail the standards of failing, passing and excellent; And communicate with your leaders to get their approval; Then let parents understand this expectation. Let everyone know in advance, and there is no reason to complain after the results come out.
If you plan to give students some rewards, such as cookies, let parents know which behaviors of students can get them cookies and which ones are the opposite. If students' performance is not satisfactory, they should clearly tell their parents what they need to improve and correct. If the child still can't meet the requirements, you should be clear about your expectations and avoid conflicts.