I Teach The Real World

By Author: Kathleen
Total Articles: 56
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Last week I gave a student an F on an essay and the next day, believe it or not, an angry parent stormed into my classroom to tell me that I would have given more grace to the student if I worked in the "real world."

I love that there are still concerned parents in the world. They can motivate students in the right direction. I want students to succeed; that's Tag Heuer Replica why I began teaching four years ago. But this parent was there because of a grade I gave and not because of the poor performance of the student.

Face to face with the angry parent, I had two choices: argue my case, or silently take my punishment from the parent and move on. With students filing into class, I silently allowed the parent to vent.

Now, allow me to share what I'd have said if I had chosen to argue.

I worked in the corporate world for seven years. The company I worked for only allowed employees to arrive to work late three times a year. After a third warning, an employee could be fired.

Even though it didn't happen to me, I ...
... knew someone who was fired for arriving late to work on a regular basis. Where is the grace in that? Where is the grace in hurting the employee's family? Was the supervisor showing grace in firing the employee?

As a teacher, a supervisor in the corporation of education, I am training students not only in the arts of reading and writing and speaking but also about the cruel realities in the world. If a student makes an F on an essay, am I showing grace by increasing the grade? I believe I am showing grace by giving an F on an essay because I am teaching the student a lesson: In this "real world," you must try your best at all times or you will be left behind. Being left behind can lead to unemployment, poverty, and pain.

As a teacher I do more than work in the "real world"; I teach it every day. Shame on those who feel English teachers do not work in the "real world." We are professionals engaged in the most precious occupation that Breitling Replica Watches exists, helping young men and women want to make something special out of their lives. Perhaps most importantly, we teach students to care: to care about themselves and others, to care about life, to care about the future. If that's not working in the "real world," then tell me, what is?