Second Chances

Here are some terms that you do not want to hear in athletics:  Swing and a miss, air ball, false start, worm burner, dropped TD pass, double dribble, it’s in the bunker, the crossbar fell, fault, missed the green, icing ……All of these terms indicate failure at some level.  The batter in baseball who swings and misses has a strike against him…but he gets two more chances before being called out.  The golfer who hits a “worm burner” gets another shot to reach the green. The high jumper who knocks the crossbar off gets two more chances at that height and the hockey player who gets called for icing gets to keep skating.  All have negative connotations.  HOWEVER, the commonality is that in each of these situations, the athlete gets a second chance.  Aren’t you glad that, for the most part, we are afforded second chances in life?  Maybe third, fourth, and 99^th chances.

Do students deserve a second chance?  Does anyone deserve a second chance?  Kids assigned homework for the first time should be assessed on their work, but NOT graded.  This is a practice session and is not worthy of a grade that cannot be erased.  What if they have a minor discipline infraction?  Discipline consequences should be progressive unless the violation is so egregious that Peter Francis Geraci needs to be called in.  Trust me, I grew up in a generation where trips to the woodshed were common.  Heck, the neighbors had full reign to whip your behind if necessary.  “Time outs”?...Yeah, right.   The onion didn’t get peeled back then.  Kids mess up.  Adults mess up.  I am in no way suggesting that kids should not be accountable.  EVERYONE needs to be accountable!  What I am saying is that often, we need to teach them how to be accountable. If you haven’t noticed the prevalence of “It wasn’t me” attitude, pay closer attention. So, we need to teach the kids how to be accountable. We do that through clearly stated expectations and through a great example for them to follow.  There needs to be consequences (both positive and negative) for their actions and “non-actions”.  Things will never change if not.   Back to academics – the practice of “test corrections” is debatable.  If these corrections are nothing more that “correcting “ mistakes, then it is a worthless activity.  Come on, if they didn’t get it the first time, they won’t be magically getting it now.  This “corrective” period needs serious feedback and some interventions from the teacher.  2^nd chances…yep.  Maybe even 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th  chances as most of us have been afforded.