Finley's New Year's Resolution

Hello!

            Every day I drag myself out of a nice warm bed to get ready for the place everyone in the United States has to go until they’re sixteen – school. My days there are pretty typical. I arrive at 6:57, power walk through the hallway, frantically tearing off my coat and gloves until I can shove them haphazardly in my locker. Then I make a mad dash for my classroom with my fingers crossed that I can make it by 7:00. I don’t put up with that to have to endure the poor grading habits of some teachers; it just isn’t fair.

            Webster defines an objective thing as “not influenced by personal feelings or opinions in considering and representing facts.” Conversely, something subjective is defined as “Based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions.” These two things relate very well towards grading styles, which is something that all high school students should pay attention to.

            If something is objectively graded, it is graded without personal feelings coming into effect, right? In theory that’s how all assignments and tests should be graded regardless of what class you’re in. In practice, that’s not how the cookie crumbles. Instead, in certain classes you get saddled with not-so-good teachers who will grade your work subjectively. That’s when their personal feelings come into play.

            Some classes have work that a teacher has to grade objectively, such as math and science classes. There is either a right answer or a wrong answer, there’s no middle ground where a teacher gets to decide whether or not you “deserve” the extra few points. In other types of classes your teacher may be able to get away with giving you points if they like you, or take points away if they don’t. That’s pretty stupid.

            If you’ve ever been on a teachers’ bad side, you’ll know it’s not pleasant. They don’t have to go that “extra mile” to ensure your success. You’ve been gone for a few days? Sucks to be you, here’s a 200-point test! It might seem unfair to you – and it is – but face it. You’ve probably done something to get on that teachers’ bad side.

            In a perfect world people would all get along. Students would be nicer to their teachers, and teachers wouldn’t turn it into a power struggle. I know it’s a little bit late, but maybe you students out there that are reading this could try putting “be a bit nicer to the teacher” on your list of New Year’s resolutions. I know it’s certainly on mine.