Janet's Response to August 10 blog

I think, as Christians we are called to exhibit beliefs and values that is often outside of and in conflict with the "norms" of main-stream society. It is difficult to apply absolute standards and parameters to "human development", the "human experience" and the "life situations" that humans find themselves in.  It is important to note that it is GOD who is IN CONTROL and NOT US, and we are called to SERVE and NOT JUDGE.

Who knows why your student "presented" as he did during the school year?  You appear to be saying that his performance during the school year was "sub-standard" and he was deserving of the outcome (consequences) that had befallen him. I think you will find Biblical references which contradict this "behavioral science" (Skinner) approach. Perhaps this was an opportunity for growth on the part of this young student and of a "seasoned" teacher as you. I think, as a person of Faith, you’re called to “give opportunity” period .. no limits, and an agent of society, you’re expected to “respect deadlines”.  I hope that as I continue on in my teaching career, I can live with integrity by honoring my principles, values and beliefs in all that I do.

Giving every opportunity versus respecting deadlines

The following is the first incident of its kind in 27 years of teaching:

I received an email via my workplace email service from a grade 12 student from last semester on August 8th. He let me know that the scholarship money he was hoping to receive from the university he is about to attend was diminished due to a lower mark average than what he needed. He asked me if he could do some extra work this week to improve his average.

Note that during the semester:
1.  he often submitted assignments late.
2.  he did the minimum of what was required.
3.  he did not take much initiative to understand the assignments.

I let him know that I was not authorized to do this sort of thing and that he needed to talk to the school administrators.

This unusual request raises a question in my mind: have we so loosened the grip on deadlines that students feel they can work when they  want and without any reference to faulty work habits?

A case of abusing a learning disability

Gavin, a grade ten student, was not passing my course. I attended a meeting with the father, the administration, Gavin's other teachers and the Academic Resource teachers. We acknowledged his disability: his handwriting is almost illegible, he prefers to learn auditorily and he displays defiance to authority.

In the context of the meeting, he insisted that he would not write anything down, either with assistive technology. Was this adamant refusal due to a total lack of confidence in his note-taking skills, or was this a case of banking on his auditory skills to absorb enough information to pass the course? His other teachers told me he typically waited until the end of the course and produced just enough work to pass.

Toward the end of the semester in my course,  Gavin wrote some tests and the final exam. His final task portfolio which is heavily weighted in my course was brought to me after the deadline and its content was incomplete.

Twice he oppposed my requests of him in the classroom to the point where the Vice-Principal had to come and remove him. Once he pushed me to get into the classroom when I stood at the door with some catchup work for him to complete in the hall. At times he would get up and move around without permission, touching classmates or throwing objects.

As the teacher, I struggled between wanting to help Gavin and letting him suffer the consequences of his behaviours. I tried to stay open to seeing him succeed until the end of the course, though at times I felt it was not in his own best interest to receive the course credit. 

I did not really know until I added up the marks, including for all the work I had received late, whether he would get 50% or not. In the end, he was not successful. I believe this may help him to see that a disability cannot excuse incivility and last minute efforts.