(Here's an essay I've written a couple of years ago)
On that sunny morning, everybody at the faculty room was busy computing for the grades, writing them down in students’ class cards and accomplishing grade sheets. Some teachers were in front of the computer, some were computing manually using calculators and the others were almost finished with the grades. It wasn’t surprising to see the teachers doing all these; after all, this is the usual thing that happens on the day before the deadline of submission of students’ grades.
Another semester has ended. It is again time for the teachers to submit to the respective colleges concerned the grades of the students who struggled the whole semester just to be promoted to the next level.
The following day was also a sunny day. But the teachers were no longer busy. Finally, they had submitted the grades. They could say “Mission accomplished.” So on that particular day, most teachers were just relaxing – reading their favorite books, sending e-mails to friends, surfing the Internet, and even having extended lunch break at the nearest coffee shop.
But teacher Y wasn’t among them. Yes, she had submitted the grade sheets and she had nothing left to do. She was able to beat the deadline.
Unfortunately, it was so obvious that she was not relieved by the fact that she deserves a break after a busy day.
She seemed bothered and emotionally disturbed. She was not happy with what she submitted that morning.
The next day, teacher Y’s morning started with a conversation with a colleague from the other college where she also had several students. This colleague asked her if she had never made a mistake when she submitted students’ grades. Well, that colleague was just trying to double-check the grades. But that meeting made her worry even more. She didn’t understand why.
Why should she be worried? She knew she had done her job well. She knew she had given the students the grades that they deserved. She was sure that her computation of the grades was correct. So what seemed to bother her?
Every time a semester ends, a college instructor encounters a dilemma. One of the requirements of being a teacher is being fair. The rule is simple: the students who deserve to fail should fail and those who deserve to pass should pass. This rule is so simple, yet so complicated. Teacher Y was actually bothered by this common sense rule.
The following day, teacher Y reviewed her class record. She particularly looked at the records of student X: 11 absences; preliminary grade – 66; midterm grade – 69; final grade – 71; removal exam – failed; decision – 70. Student X failed.
“I’m sorry, there’s nothing I can do. I have reminded you of your absences and your performance in class but you didn’t do anything,” this was the only
statement she was able to say in front of student X who, for the nth time, did nothing but to beg for the teacher’s consideration.
Student X was supposed to graduate the following week. But with a failing grade in an English class, marching while the graduation tune plays became impossible.
Teacher Y didn’t see student X again so she thought, he had learned his lesson the hard way. He will graduate after another year, or if he is willing to enroll this summer, he will finish all the academic requirements by May but he will be marching after a year.
“Good morning ma’am. Is teacher Y here at the faculty room?” This young lady asked the right person. Before telling her she was the teacher the lady was looking for, she tried to recall if she had met this lady before. After a moment of retrieving information from her memory, she was sure this was her first time to see this young lady. Only then did she notice that with her was a little boy, around 5 years old.
Teacher Y could not speak. She had made her point and even showed her class record to that lady who was begging her to give student X another chance to prove himself. That young lady, who then burst into tears, is the wife of student X and with her is their only son. After a while, student X came. Again, an endless explanation and request and begging happened.
This was emotional blackmail, teacher Y thought. They tried to appeal to pity. Teacher Y didn’t like what was happening then but she was left with no choice but to listen to the sentiments of the wife who admitted she and her husband were always arguing about where they would get money to be able to feed their child. They both know that the solution was for student X to finish college and start working. Although the wife has finished college, her husband prefers to make her stay home and let him earn money at work. But of course, a degree has to be earned first.
Just to make the story short, a couple of days before graduation, student X submitted an academic paper to teacher Y – for the first time, she received a substantial, presentable and decent output from student X. This paper and the sincere “thank you” he uttered several times had taken away the burden in teacher Y’s heart.
I knew how exactly she felt at that time because teacher Y was I.
I knew that my decision to pass student X would give a 5-year-old child a better future and a 26-year-old wife, who has no job, a smoother relationship with her husband. Indeed, with all the tears and begging, plus the effort for the paper, student X learned a lesson he would never learn inside the classroom.
I realized that teaching is not just all about academics. There’s more to life than formal education. Teaching is also about helping students reach their goal. Teaching is about understanding and relating to students’ sentiments. Teaching does not end where emotional matters begin. My decision might have been wrong for some people but I know deep in my heart that I just made the right decision.
All these, I did, in the name of the future generation where my own kids belong.
Another semester has ended. It is again time for the teachers to submit to the respective colleges concerned the grades of the students who struggled the whole semester just to be promoted to the next level.
The following day was also a sunny day. But the teachers were no longer busy. Finally, they had submitted the grades. They could say “Mission accomplished.” So on that particular day, most teachers were just relaxing – reading their favorite books, sending e-mails to friends, surfing the Internet, and even having extended lunch break at the nearest coffee shop.
But teacher Y wasn’t among them. Yes, she had submitted the grade sheets and she had nothing left to do. She was able to beat the deadline.
Unfortunately, it was so obvious that she was not relieved by the fact that she deserves a break after a busy day.
She seemed bothered and emotionally disturbed. She was not happy with what she submitted that morning.
The next day, teacher Y’s morning started with a conversation with a colleague from the other college where she also had several students. This colleague asked her if she had never made a mistake when she submitted students’ grades. Well, that colleague was just trying to double-check the grades. But that meeting made her worry even more. She didn’t understand why.
Why should she be worried? She knew she had done her job well. She knew she had given the students the grades that they deserved. She was sure that her computation of the grades was correct. So what seemed to bother her?
Every time a semester ends, a college instructor encounters a dilemma. One of the requirements of being a teacher is being fair. The rule is simple: the students who deserve to fail should fail and those who deserve to pass should pass. This rule is so simple, yet so complicated. Teacher Y was actually bothered by this common sense rule.
The following day, teacher Y reviewed her class record. She particularly looked at the records of student X: 11 absences; preliminary grade – 66; midterm grade – 69; final grade – 71; removal exam – failed; decision – 70. Student X failed.
“I’m sorry, there’s nothing I can do. I have reminded you of your absences and your performance in class but you didn’t do anything,” this was the only
statement she was able to say in front of student X who, for the nth time, did nothing but to beg for the teacher’s consideration.
Student X was supposed to graduate the following week. But with a failing grade in an English class, marching while the graduation tune plays became impossible.
Teacher Y didn’t see student X again so she thought, he had learned his lesson the hard way. He will graduate after another year, or if he is willing to enroll this summer, he will finish all the academic requirements by May but he will be marching after a year.
“Good morning ma’am. Is teacher Y here at the faculty room?” This young lady asked the right person. Before telling her she was the teacher the lady was looking for, she tried to recall if she had met this lady before. After a moment of retrieving information from her memory, she was sure this was her first time to see this young lady. Only then did she notice that with her was a little boy, around 5 years old.
Teacher Y could not speak. She had made her point and even showed her class record to that lady who was begging her to give student X another chance to prove himself. That young lady, who then burst into tears, is the wife of student X and with her is their only son. After a while, student X came. Again, an endless explanation and request and begging happened.
This was emotional blackmail, teacher Y thought. They tried to appeal to pity. Teacher Y didn’t like what was happening then but she was left with no choice but to listen to the sentiments of the wife who admitted she and her husband were always arguing about where they would get money to be able to feed their child. They both know that the solution was for student X to finish college and start working. Although the wife has finished college, her husband prefers to make her stay home and let him earn money at work. But of course, a degree has to be earned first.
Just to make the story short, a couple of days before graduation, student X submitted an academic paper to teacher Y – for the first time, she received a substantial, presentable and decent output from student X. This paper and the sincere “thank you” he uttered several times had taken away the burden in teacher Y’s heart.
I knew how exactly she felt at that time because teacher Y was I.
I knew that my decision to pass student X would give a 5-year-old child a better future and a 26-year-old wife, who has no job, a smoother relationship with her husband. Indeed, with all the tears and begging, plus the effort for the paper, student X learned a lesson he would never learn inside the classroom.
I realized that teaching is not just all about academics. There’s more to life than formal education. Teaching is also about helping students reach their goal. Teaching is about understanding and relating to students’ sentiments. Teaching does not end where emotional matters begin. My decision might have been wrong for some people but I know deep in my heart that I just made the right decision.
All these, I did, in the name of the future generation where my own kids belong.
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