I imagine that, as a parent, it is hard to stay angry at your children after they have done something wrong. I was lucky to grow up in a household with a mom, dad, and sister, a grandmother, and a couple of uncles. But, boy ... whenever I did something foolish, all of the adults in the house would be on the same page and united in ensuring that whatever discipline I was receiving was consistent. In other words, I could not go to my mom if my dad was upset with me, nor could I seek refuge with my grandmother. My uncles would have an "I told you so" look on their faces. My sister would generally be in my corner, unless, of course, I somehow crossed her in the process as well! The key was for me to seek forgiveness and to atone for my wrongdoings, whatever they happened to be. Then, I would cry and all would be forgiven.
Anyway, I assigned a group project twelve calendar days ago that was a culminating summative assessment. I clearly laid out my expectations for the project, and pre-selected the
group members to ensure that there was a good balance of personalities
and talents. I had them create a working document that they would keep
up to date with all of their progress and work. I gave them their
rubric and a clear deadline. They were given some class time, but they had to do some work off-hours to ensure that the project was completed. The project was due today, a Monday.
I was away for a few days the week before for an immersion experience. But, everything was set and the students were on their way to success ... or, so I thought. Why wasn't I surprised when I received a barrage of emails from some members of the class asking for extensions on the group project? All sorts of excuses peppered the various emails.
I had to crack a smile, however, when I came across this message ...
First, note the time stamp. Pretty late on a Sunday evening, eh? Second, how about acknowledging the lateness of the ask. Okay, a few points for acknowledgement and owning up. But, the kicker is in the last two sentences! This is a typical diversionary tactic to stem away the sting of asking for forgiveness by asking about the immersion experience and then wanting to hear all about it! It also seems to fast-track the assumption of my granting absolution for the infraction with the quick "thank you, see you tomorrow!"
I was not amused.
Neither was Captain Picard.
In class today, we talked about accountability, responsibility, organization, and communication. In truth, I want my students to own up and to communicate earlier in the process if they should encounter any difficulties. I'm much more tolerant and lenient if they plan appropriately and if they attempt to anticipate their scheduling issues. At this age, we all know that the adolescent male does not yet have a fully developed frontal lobe.
So, for this reason, and because I occasionally get emails that give me reason to smile ... even if they are late on a Sunday evening, I can't stay mad for long.
