A follow up

School officials clarify policy on plagiarism

The School Board is attempting to clarify public perception of their new report card system. I read this article in the Star Phoenix this morning and I'm not sure it clarified much. But, I can appreciate how difficult it is to try and defend against misinformation / misrepresentation of information.

On some level, I understand separating behaviour from aptitude, but I'm not a trained educator so that understanding is limited. I guess what concerns me most is that attitude and behaviour are intimately linked to success at all points outside of high school. It's kind of shocking when you leave high school and realize that every decision you make might have significant consequences at some point in your future. It's critical for kids to learn that you can't just not do something or not show up, because the world won't give you a bunch of chances to make it up. Your failings will follow you around and show up in places like your personnel file.

I don't envy teachers. They get a raw deal and get shit on more often than praised. I try to imagine having to take care of someone else's kids for 40 hours a week 10 months a year, while also trying in inculcate acceptable values and a sense of morality AND teach them to analyze King Lear or cut apart a dead pig. Sounds rotten to me. Ultimately, it's the teachers that spend the time with their students, that build relationships and trust with their students, and that are responsible for evaluating their success. I'd be really interested to hear what they have to say about the best way to evaluate their students.