Jun 02 2010
It’s about the work, not you personally
As the end of the school year approaches and you have students who are not getting work done for your class, or making excuses for missing rehearsal (or concerts!), remember this simple phrase as you calmly tell them why their grade may suffer:
It’s not about you personally; it’s about the work required for this class…
Make sure your course description or syllabus can back-up this statement. If not, re-write your expectations. Sooner or later a student you really like will disappoint you…if your expectations and consequences for your course are clear from day one, then you can confidently use this statement to differentiate a good kid from the bad choice they made.
I have found that the students who are full of personality and clever excuses won’t expect this from me when they come looking for a break. Some of these kids I really enjoy having in my class and I feel bad about giving them a lower grade. But the deal is this: it’s about the work, not the person when it comes to being a teacher and assessing kids fairly.
Good line. Don’t you love coming up with reponses like that? It makes difficult situations so much more objective and less emotional (for the teacher!).
As my own kids are growing and becoming involved in activities, I’m becoming more aware of groups that have very high expectations for commitment: multiple rehearsals a week, financial obligations, multiple performances.
Seeing those groups’ expectations is both inspiring and depressing. Depressing because so many students have a hard time with the relatively flimsy commitment my district expects of its students. Inspiring because people are in fact willing to commit to something worthwhile.