It is Easy to deceive me.

Tricking a foreign English teacher who doesn't speak the local language seems like a breeze, especially when grappling with unfamiliar names. I, for one, am no name maestro, especially when dealing with languages I can't even pronounce properly. So, instead of risking linguistic acrobatics, I resort to the pragmatic approach of calling my students by their university numbers during roll call. Now, this might be a common practice in many of my classes, and I usually let it slide without much ado. But not today. Something caught my attention - a student seemed to be playing a double role in attendance, shuffling places and mysteriously vanishing from the class after a second response. 

Being the curious soul that I am, I decided to explore it further. In the picture above I did mark it in green the spot where the elusive student had initially settled. Fortunately, she didn't return, and let's be clear, I'm not here to shame anyone, I am glad she did not return because now she can remain anonymous while I am explaining my point. My goal is not to be the villain in their academic story; rather, it's about nudging them towards a better way of behaving and fostering a good character while learning. 

In my world, where images speak louder than words, take a gander at another picture detailing my grading system. Attendance, a humble 3 points per day, sums up to a whopping 30 points over 10 days, constituting 30% of the final grade. In short, a single day's absence translates to a mere 0.9 points deducted from the final grade. Yes, you heard it right - less than one point, and if the student give me a excuse paper from the office explaining why did they miss my class, they only going to loose 0.3 points, almost nothing at all.

It boggles my mind why students would compromise their integrity for less than a point. In my previous posts, I've emphasized the significance of integrity, both in life and within the classroom. This might seem like a minor infraction, but let me be clear - heading in the wrong direction, even in small matters, can lead to a dark place. 

YouTube

Allow me to drive the point home with a real-life example. There's a viral YouTube video where a judge reminisces about her former classmate, once a friend and considered one of the sweet kids. Now, she sits in judgment as he faces the consequences of his bad behavior, losing his freedom. So, here's my message: don't veer off in the wrong direction, no matter how trivial it may seem at the time.

Article by Marcelo Gameiro

Published 17 Nov 2023