I do not think students will, or can be, compelled to succeed if everything is given to them. I know that if I was guaranteed a 4.0, as this article suggests many are, then I would not try in any class. Successes are also far less beneficial for learning. I find that I learn best if my success comes at length, following a good deal of challenges and struggling. Tough teachers have always appealed to me. I think that, while teachers and institutions should be considerate of a student’s particular needs, stringent work and grading appropriately is a necessity to encourage quality education among high school students. I think that failing to grade students as they deserve creates a kind of entitlement; snowplow parenting does not adequately prepare children for the realities of life.
— Jackson, Cumberland Polytechnic High School
And they empathized with their teachers, who were often caught in the middle of a dysfunctional system.
Parents and bad policies are making the job of teaching one that no one really wants, which can be seen through the national teacher shortage plaguing almost every district in the U.S. A teacher on the East Coast named Russell explained that every student in the graduating class at his school had a 4.0 GPA and the students also knew that “failure was a bad word” and one that the students feared immensely. Because of these bad policies and overbearing parents, teachers are becoming more and more burned out every day. Because of this burn out, teachers are simply finding it easier to just pass the students instead of putting in the effort of holding the students accountable, since it wouldn’t even work anyway. Now, I’m not calling these teachers lazy by any means at all, they’re simply burned out and it is not their fault. When the student doesn’t perform, the teachers are made to be at fault, not the students, and they’re questioned by parents: “Why is my kid failing your class?” and “What are YOU going to do about it?” Teachers are being held “accountable,” not the students.
What would make teaching more appealing to me is if teaching was a more appreciated profession. Although administrations, parents, and students do respect teachers, I do not believe they respect teachers enough. Teachers have such an important role in society, but yet people treat them as if they do not.
— Katalina, New Rochelle High School
It’s not fair to force a teacher to display a certain grade and still hold them responsible for keeping kids accountable when it comes to learning. Most teachers chose their jobs because they realized their contribution to society. But if they are unable to contribute because of policies and angry parents, it’s not surprising how they may fall out of love with their job. I would consider teaching as a career because I enjoy it. I love teaching kids new things and watching them grow as people, but I wouldn’t be happy with the way school is seemingly less focused on educating/preparing kids for the real world and more focused on keeping students happy.
— An :), Bentonville West High School
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