You’re a parent of a middle school-age child who has been disciplined and diligent in her efforts to complete an assignment. You’ve watched your child make sacrifices and invest energy into the tri-fold poster board of stencils, border and a tabletop display that accompanies her 5-page, double-spaced report.
You make arrangements to be a few minutes late to work to help set up the project at school. Maybe the volcano needs just a little more red Play-Doh at the top, the Grecian columns had to be repositioned, or your sweet student needs last-minute assistance with an outfit that puts her in character.
Whew! A smiling child and a proud parent deliver a project that just has to be a success.
Now, imagine that you’re at the dinner table that night. You can’t wait to hear the details of the presentation, the teacher’s response and the comments from classmates. Along with your meal, you’ll savor your precious one’s success.
Instead, your child tells you that the project was noted as one of the best in the class, but that full credit will not be awarded her. With wide eyes and shrugging shoulders, your efficient student explains that, “because some of the other kids didn’t have a poster or drawing, I had to give five points from my score to give to others.”