I failed Spanish IV as a senior in high school.
Actually, I wouldn't even use the word failed. I need a stronger word choice. A word choice with the type of punch you get the first time you drink whiskey. (No, I don't drink whiskey. I don't drink at all. It's just an analogy.)
My Spanish IV grade was abysmal.
Now, like all senior high school students in the 1990's who were failing classes, my mom didn't know this. We didn't have internet and all those fancy gadgets that parents have now to check up on their kids. It was the internet dark ages. My Spanish teacher told my mom during spring conferences my senior year.
Yes, my mom went to spring conferences during my senior year. WHO DOES THAT?
Really, I see few parents coming to this particular conference. By this time, kids have already applied and been accepted to college. What their student's teachers have to say doesn't really have much relevance anymore. If the senior is failing, they already know. If their senior isn't failing, then score one for that parent. Parents think that, by this time, their kids need to be adult enough to handle their grades on their own.
And I would support this idea. I don't have much to say to my senior parents during spring conferences.
But my mom went. And found that my Spanish grade was hopeless. I believe the conversation went something like this:
Mom: So, how is Ann doing?
Spanish teacher: She's failing.
Mom: She is???
Spanish teacher: You bet she is!!
Mom: Can she bring her grade up?
Spanish teacher: There is no way she could possibly do this. I am surprised she passed Spanish III. Ann does not have the skills to pass this class.
Mom: So what can she do?
Spanish teacher: Nothing.
Mom: Does she even need to come to class anymore?
Spanish teacher: Nope.
My mom came home and asked me if I knew I was failing Spanish IV. At that point, I gave a hearty laugh. OF COURSE I knew I was failing Spanish. This was not news to me. Mom was horrified. I was not. I didn't need the class to graduate and had already been accepted to college. It just didn't matter. I found
Now it matters more because, when I speak Spanish to native Spanish speakers in my classes, they laugh in my face or stare blankly wondering what I just said. I wish I had tried a little harder. But failing Spanish IV didn't ruin my life.
I tell this story to my students all the time. One reason is because it's funny and I can tell a story in quite an amusing way. It humanizes me as a person and students can relate to me better. Secondly, many of my students truly need to know that it is okay to be bad at something. Especially the brilliant kids.
I have had students actually start crying when they get an A- in my Public Speaking class.
Cry. Real tears. Wow.
They cry because they aren't going to get that perfect 4.0 grade point average in high school that they have always dreamed of getting. That will go on their high school transcripts forever. That will become completely irrelevant the minute they leave Drake University after graduation.
Now kudos to that student for having that goal. But perfection is not the way life works.
My students need to know it is okay to fail at something. They will fail at many things in their lives.
Now, don't get me wrong. My students need to try (especially in my class. My class is obviously the most important one :0) But everyone has talents and weak points. And just because you don't do a wonderful job in Chemistry, Biology, Sociology, Algebra etc, doesn't mean you won't do well in life. It just means that might not be your field of employment. And that's okay.
So I failed Spanish IV and I relate that story to my students every year. I temper it with "Do your best" and "Try hard", but I also let kids know that you can be a successful person in this life without straight A's.
I didn't even graduate in the top half of my class. And I have a master's degree in Speech Communication. But that's another story.
AML
Actually, I wouldn't even use the word failed. I need a stronger word choice. A word choice with the type of punch you get the first time you drink whiskey. (No, I don't drink whiskey. I don't drink at all. It's just an analogy.)
My Spanish IV grade was abysmal.
Now, like all senior high school students in the 1990's who were failing classes, my mom didn't know this. We didn't have internet and all those fancy gadgets that parents have now to check up on their kids. It was the internet dark ages. My Spanish teacher told my mom during spring conferences my senior year.
Yes, my mom went to spring conferences during my senior year. WHO DOES THAT?
Really, I see few parents coming to this particular conference. By this time, kids have already applied and been accepted to college. What their student's teachers have to say doesn't really have much relevance anymore. If the senior is failing, they already know. If their senior isn't failing, then score one for that parent. Parents think that, by this time, their kids need to be adult enough to handle their grades on their own.
And I would support this idea. I don't have much to say to my senior parents during spring conferences.
But my mom went. And found that my Spanish grade was hopeless. I believe the conversation went something like this:
Mom: So, how is Ann doing?
Spanish teacher: She's failing.
Mom: She is???
Spanish teacher: You bet she is!!
Mom: Can she bring her grade up?
Spanish teacher: There is no way she could possibly do this. I am surprised she passed Spanish III. Ann does not have the skills to pass this class.
Mom: So what can she do?
Spanish teacher: Nothing.
Mom: Does she even need to come to class anymore?
Spanish teacher: Nope.
My mom came home and asked me if I knew I was failing Spanish IV. At that point, I gave a hearty laugh. OF COURSE I knew I was failing Spanish. This was not news to me. Mom was horrified. I was not. I didn't need the class to graduate and had already been accepted to college. It just didn't matter. I found
Now it matters more because, when I speak Spanish to native Spanish speakers in my classes, they laugh in my face or stare blankly wondering what I just said. I wish I had tried a little harder. But failing Spanish IV didn't ruin my life.
I tell this story to my students all the time. One reason is because it's funny and I can tell a story in quite an amusing way. It humanizes me as a person and students can relate to me better. Secondly, many of my students truly need to know that it is okay to be bad at something. Especially the brilliant kids.
I have had students actually start crying when they get an A- in my Public Speaking class.
Cry. Real tears. Wow.
They cry because they aren't going to get that perfect 4.0 grade point average in high school that they have always dreamed of getting. That will go on their high school transcripts forever. That will become completely irrelevant the minute they leave Drake University after graduation.
Now kudos to that student for having that goal. But perfection is not the way life works.
My students need to know it is okay to fail at something. They will fail at many things in their lives.
Now, don't get me wrong. My students need to try (especially in my class. My class is obviously the most important one :0) But everyone has talents and weak points. And just because you don't do a wonderful job in Chemistry, Biology, Sociology, Algebra etc, doesn't mean you won't do well in life. It just means that might not be your field of employment. And that's okay.
So I failed Spanish IV and I relate that story to my students every year. I temper it with "Do your best" and "Try hard", but I also let kids know that you can be a successful person in this life without straight A's.
I didn't even graduate in the top half of my class. And I have a master's degree in Speech Communication. But that's another story.
AML
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