Blessed are The Good Students -- For Real

I love teaching and dread the end of the fall semester especially since it no sooner ends and the holiday season is ramping up or in full swind depending upon your religious persuasions.  The part I dread the most is the students who all of a sudden realize that they are oh-so-close to an A and if they could be granted attendance points for days they missed or given special extra credit or a chance to make up the assignments they blew at the beginning of the semester that would do the trick.  Alas, the scrooge in me says to each and everyone "there is nothing I can do for you as you did not take advantage of the means by which to get an A when the opportunity presented itself during the semester, much like those who will get an easy A for being more vigilant in their studies."  As I have learned, even the most rational, fair, ethical, articulate explanation given to students as to why there are no special deals and that the issue with a blown assignment in week 1 should have been resolved in week 1 if not by the end of week 2 and not during Week 15 of the semester is always met with "are you sure there is nothing that can be done to fix it, make it up, etc?"  To which I say again, No!

What troubles me is that it is the handful of students who try to lobby or cry their way to a next higher grade as well as those who will lie, cheat or steal that shapes my attitude toward all students.  It is difficult to get the small percentage of students who are not good students and want to win my favor for a grade they do not deserve out of my head and find the happiness that comes from the vast majority that simply show up, do their best, collect their B or A and move on to the next course.  Those are the kids we need to keep in mind when reflecting on how well the semester went because it cannot be judged by the handful of those who give us grief and blame their shortcomings on our teaching skills -- never of course they study habits, personal choices, lack of focus, and all the rest.

So this post goes out to all those kids that make me glad I am a teacher because they are in the majority and need to dominate my thoughts and feelings toward teaching; not the lobbyists and lawyers who show up at the end of the semester to be granted something they absolutely did not earn and do not deserve -- fake tears and all.