A Letter to my Students

Dear Students,

Plain and simple, teaching is something that I love to do. Paychecks or any sort of personal glory are not the things to which I look forward every day when I come to school. I enjoy working with high school-aged kids, I think school can be fun as well as educational, and I believe that you all have enormous potential. My philosophy is one of hard work, but with a balance of enjoyment in life. I always try to keep this outlook in mind: Work hard so that we can play hard. We have got to be able to work in a productive atmosphere, and if the work ethic falls short of expectations, then we will not be able to justify the “fun” I look forward to having with you.

Here are some candid bits of advice. Please take the time to read through these and the year should be a great one!

1) The type of person who will be successful in my class is the student who takes responsibility for his role in his own education. Be prepared to work hard because this is a rapidly-paced course with accelerated content. Have pride in what you produce in my class. Hold yourself accountable for any work you miss due to absences, and be sure to document assignments and due dates. Many of my students are also taking other honors or AP courses. If this is you, be extra careful in balancing your work in my class with your other classes, as well as your involvement with sports, music, and other activities. Remember that your primary role is as a student.

2) I don’t want to be your paper, pencil, or pen lender. Bring your own materials or borrow what you need from a fellow student. If you ask me, don’t be surprised if I give you a smart-aleck response. Bring whatever book we’re reading to class with you, and no, you cannot keep your textbooks in my room--be responsible!

3) Have pride in your work and make it your best. Don’t let perfectionism hold you back. There’s no such thing as a perfect essay, so be open to the fact that you can (and should) improve each time you write something for me. Perfectionism leads to a plateau effect, while true education involves a steady incline.

4) It’s time to hold yourself accountable for your work. I try to update the gradebook as often as I can, but I’m not here to pamper your bottom and remind you each time you fall behind. Find your own system for keeping on top of things.

5) If you’re taking this class to be with your friend, then you’ve made a poor decision. Too much socializing and gossiping not only annoys me, but it also brings down the quality of the class time. You’re responsible for what you take from my class, so if you spend the semester chatting and don’t like your final grade or feel like you haven’t grown academically, who should you blame?

6) Just because we get along, doesn’t mean that I’m going to give you any special breaks. Conversely, just because we butt heads, doesn’t mean that you’ll never get a break from me. I will be fair with all my students.

7) Flattery gets you nowhere with me. Save the brown-nosing for someone else.

8) My honors English class is as important as all of your other honors or AP classes. Even though there’s no AP test, this is still an accelerated course that needs your full attention.

9) “Life” happens to us all at the worst times. Things that are beyond our control pop up and make it seem like nothing can go right for us. However, you only get to use that excuse so many times before I get sick of hearing it.

10) You’re a student above all else--even your involvement in activities. Even school sports. Even those expensive club teams or dance lessons or music lessons that you might be participating in.

11) Effort alone will not necessarily get you a higher grade. Sometimes that’s the way of the world. It isn’t fair, is it? I hear it all the time: “But I worked all night!” or “I studied for days!” or “So-and-so didn’t even read all of the novel and he/she still did better than me on the test!” Did you put your best effort forth? Did you gain anything? Can you take the time to reflect and honestly answer these questions when you find yourself falling short of your goals? Think about it, and then think about how you can tailor your future endeavors so that you avoid similar disappointments.

12) In my opinion, grades are a representation of your performance through the semester, not an accumulation of points. The various grade weightings represent the averages of your performances on the various types of assignments. All assignments are worth 100 points then. A 4-question quiz has the same value as a 20-question quiz--they’re both worth 75% and reflect a C performance (an average performance).

13) I don’t believe in “Extra Credit.” All too often, students receive extra credit for doing next-to-nothing and this practice leads to grade inflation. I do not offer special opportunities to individual students so that they can raise their grades, so please don’t ask. I do offer “Bonus Points”--everyone has an opportunity to earn these points, students have to work to earn them, and they are valuable enough that they may make the difference when the overall grade is “almost there”.

14) Be ready to work in my class. The only spoon-feeding I do is with my toddler son. Don’t let perfectionism interfere with your growth.

15) Please understand that until you realize that you’re on a journey of self-discovery, your educational experience will be as pointless as you think it is. Figure out how to feed yourself and when food is scarce, you’ll be more likely to survive than the others. Likewise, figure out how to challenge yourself when the course seems “pointless” or “easy” and you’ll end the semester feeling like a mental giant.

Aside from the daily lessons you’ll have with me this semester, these tidbits are the best advice I can give you. Many of them I learned the hard way, but in the end, they helped make me who I am today. Heed my advice and remember that we’re on the same team.