A good education takes teamwork. Students need to stay motivated, and prioritize learning and teachers need to support students in every way they can. A teacher is just as responsible in the learning process as students, and what they implement directly impacts a student’s education.
Grades should reflect the students’ understanding of the course content. Teachers are there to support students to reach complete and hopefully ‘A’ level knowledge.
Students urge staff to consider ending policies that negatively affect student grades and learning.
One common teacher policy that could be reconsidered is around late work. Students should always get to turn in work late whether they have a valid excuse or not. Not accepting work late sends the message to students that the teacher does not care about their learning of the material.
Teachers often justify not accepting late work because it teaches time management and helps to ensure a student stays on top of their workload. Penalizing students for late work is okay as long as they can still receive a passing grade on the assignment. Learning the course content and ensuring students who put in ample effort to pass the class should be the priority for teachers.
Students also need teachers to be unbiased moderator as of difficult discussions. Some staff have been known to overstep, preach their own biases, and favor students who share the same opinions as them. By cultivating a safe and understanding environment and staying unbiased, teachers will find greater success in classroom conversations. And students will not be afraid to include opposing opinions in discussions and essays.
Even small changes can make a big difference for students. Some teachers take away points in the grade book if a student is tardy to their class, and this is not okay. Again, student grades should not be based on behavior, but instead only on their understanding of the course.
So although students might find it difficult to fully understand course work if they miss instructional time, the behavior should not be penalized by the teacher—the grades will reflect the lack of understanding.
Admin handles tardiness and truancies. Teachers should just support student learning and evaluate understanding for grades. Student grades should not reflect tardies or attendance.
Poway High can be a better place for learning if teachers have policies that prioritize learning rather than penaltalize behavior.