Okay, I’ve had it with kids neglecting to bring a pencil to class. They prefer to call it “forgetting,†as in “I forgot we have a quiz every Monday†or “I forgot pencils are useful in school.†I’m not handing out my pencils so they can forget to return them, and I’m certainly not buying them boxes of fresh pencils out of pocket, and I’m getting tired of the delay and distraction of cadging around for a fellow student with a spare.
So I’m turning to the ancient practice of draconian reaction: If you need me to provide a pencil, you lose a point off your homework grade for that day.
O, the howls of protest! O, the great wailing! O, the unfairness!
And in principle, it is unfair: grades are supposed to reflect understanding, and understanding is not (directly) affected by bringing a pencil. But I note that (1) we aren’t just teaching mathematical technique; we’re teaching life preparedness, which includes bringing a pencil to activities that require one; (2) the loss of one point off a 10-point daily homework assignment isn’t going to have any impact on your grade unless you do it pretty well every frickin’ day; and (3) the kids nevertheless care about that one point, far more than they care about finger-wagging or detentions or any other toothless reprimand.
It’s like regulating multinational corporations. All the chastisement in the world, all the bad PR, all the nominal fees, all the minor lawsuits are just part of the cost of doing business. But hit them in the pocketbook, and get instant behavior adjustment. (Presuming congressmen can be found to write stiff penalties into law, and presidents can be found willing to pursue violations.) Because corporations care about money, in a way they will never, ever care about morality or reputation.
And students care about grades. Already I’ve seen a better rate of bringing pencils to class. We’ll see how long it lasts.
Post a Comment