Let me explain.
Nearly half the kids from each grade earn failing marks and get held back each year. That is to say that half of my English students are taking first year English for the second consecutive year. In my math classes, half of my students, for the second year in a row, are failing to wrap their minds around the concept of negative numbers. It frustrates me know that I am failing to transfer knowledge from myself to my students, the ultimate goal of education. It hurts even more knowing the grave and eminent consequences awaiting students who fail to grasp the concepts.
A student is allowed to repeat a grade one time without consequence other than burdening his family with an extra year of tuition fees. A student is barred from school if held back a second time. Being a math teacher, I calculated with minimum effort that one in four of my students will not be allowed to return to school after this year. When grading tests and giving multiple consecutive failing marks, 7 out of 20, 5 out of 20 and even 1 out of 20, I can’t help but think that I am contributing to the termination of my students’ education. It doesn’t take an overly compassionate person to understand the frustration and anger I feel when my students fail to do homework, sleep in class or in general fail to recognize, or perhaps have repressed, the gravity of their situation. Keep in mind my students are malnourished, ragged clothed and often smelly 6th and 7th graders.
This is the context in which I need to play the game.
I recognize and understand my students, my opponents and friends. For me, victory would be to see each of them earn the right to move on to the next grade. This will not happen as the resulting log jam would cause the entire system to implode. So my redefined victory is to give the right, to those who have earned it, to pass. This means recognizing those students who have worked hard and grasp the concepts. This is easy at first. But the difficulty comes in separating student number 75 from 76. The former will pass and continue to be educated. The latter will be relegated to a life in the fields. [I shall argue the fault in assuming a life in the fields as undignified later.] This decision will be mine to be made come May. For now, it is for me to punish the cheaters and corner-cutters, allow the students to work hard, and accurately reward those who do. This is my game. A good life.
No comments:
Post a Comment