Dear Students,
As you know it's report card time. As I sit here finishing your grades and assigning comments, I can't help but think of how human we all are. That is to say, we all make mistakes. Judging by how your report cards look, some of you have made plenty. That's fine of course, mistakes are encouraged, but the more important thing is we learn from them. Teachers make them too. This is what I've learned.
One of the mistakes teachers make is that we try to recall what happens during the year and often we over look a lot. My memory likes to recall the most emotional times during the year. I suspect this is true for most teachers. Anger, frustration and happiness are the easiest to recall. As we do an overall assessment, biases occur on the side of emotions versus what you've done consistently over the year. I will most likely remember that amazing poem you created and spoke in front of the class rather than all the small poems that were assigned for homework and completed. By the way, teachers are more pleased when you put effort into everything you do. Raise your hand, get into the discussion and produce work that is your personal best. No one is asking for perfect but we are asking for effort.
My memory also errs on the side of things that happen lately then at the beginning of the semester. This is true for most people. To take advantage of this, put little effort in your early assignments because the effort might be forgotten in three months time. when it's report card time, make sure you put in 150% effort. If you don't, I'll go back into my memory and try to find those early times you didn't do your work to par. That's not to say, you shouldn't be the best student you can be the whole year, but maybe put in extra work in being better during report card time.
I know that I'm biased. I try and collect marks without them. The grade is an unbiased mark, but it's the effort mark which teachers show their biases. Rest assured, I do try and remember all the good and the bad that has happened in the year. It's just that I can't remember all the little things that were said.
Except this: EDIT your work before you hand it in!
Sincerely,
Mr. Arca
As you know it's report card time. As I sit here finishing your grades and assigning comments, I can't help but think of how human we all are. That is to say, we all make mistakes. Judging by how your report cards look, some of you have made plenty. That's fine of course, mistakes are encouraged, but the more important thing is we learn from them. Teachers make them too. This is what I've learned.
One of the mistakes teachers make is that we try to recall what happens during the year and often we over look a lot. My memory likes to recall the most emotional times during the year. I suspect this is true for most teachers. Anger, frustration and happiness are the easiest to recall. As we do an overall assessment, biases occur on the side of emotions versus what you've done consistently over the year. I will most likely remember that amazing poem you created and spoke in front of the class rather than all the small poems that were assigned for homework and completed. By the way, teachers are more pleased when you put effort into everything you do. Raise your hand, get into the discussion and produce work that is your personal best. No one is asking for perfect but we are asking for effort.
My memory also errs on the side of things that happen lately then at the beginning of the semester. This is true for most people. To take advantage of this, put little effort in your early assignments because the effort might be forgotten in three months time. when it's report card time, make sure you put in 150% effort. If you don't, I'll go back into my memory and try to find those early times you didn't do your work to par. That's not to say, you shouldn't be the best student you can be the whole year, but maybe put in extra work in being better during report card time.
I know that I'm biased. I try and collect marks without them. The grade is an unbiased mark, but it's the effort mark which teachers show their biases. Rest assured, I do try and remember all the good and the bad that has happened in the year. It's just that I can't remember all the little things that were said.
Except this: EDIT your work before you hand it in!
Sincerely,
Mr. Arca