She Was Crying Outside My Office Door

I answered the knock at my office door this morning to a visibly upset Charlotte. She had studied hard but did not understand the material and was afraid she would do poorly on today's test. I asked what it was she was not understanding. She told me it was the textbook, the concepts and the quantity of facts. I assured her that there's always an opportunity for remedial work to make up any lost ground. The tears flowed as she told me her father was a college professor who insisted that anything under 80% would be perceived by people in higher education as a lack of effort. I assured her that in my opinion she was already putting forth a lot of effort. Her 75% was a solid average. She wiped her tears and walked away, looking like she had received no comfort from me. I made sure I checked in with her during the test to answer her questions. I also asked her to be sure to ask for clarification when needed, not just an hour before the test!

Voted Against

Today my grade 12 students handed me their votes. I had not asked them to vote. They voted anyway -against having the test today! We had just finished the history unit that included the Greek "ostraka" procedure. They "ostracized" me through their votes for runnning the test today (all in good fun). So I decided to negotiate. They gave me their reasons for not being ready. I listened. A few legitimate reasons were brought forward. I asked what to do about those who were prepared to write the test. In fairness, they needed that opportunity. I proposed those who were ready could write the test today while the others worked on their unit task. Next class, we'll switch. Will the ones who write today give the answers to the others? Not likely, but I'll have to change a few things on the test for those writing next class, just to ensure an equitable oppportunity for all.
Two questions remain: will the students who were given the extension perform better? And finally, some said "thank you" for the extension. Was this a genuine thank you that will translate into putting forth their best effort?