Choices, Choices: Good and Bad
May 10th, 2007 by Shawn Hansen
I posted my e-mail response to one of my students yesterday, and today, I learned from another of my students what the real scoop was with Ms. Numerous Deaths and Tragedies Girl. She is up for a promotion at a local (low-end) electronics store.
If things go well for her, she’ll soon be an assistant manager. (And to think we just got finished reading John Updike’s “A & P.”) In order for her to have a shot at this coveted position, she’s had to work some odd shifts and overtime to prove herself.
This has resulted in her missing class and deadlines and lying to me about it. She was earning an “A,” but she’s tanked her grade into the “F” category.
I am certainly in no position to judge the choices my students make; however, I can’t help but feel as if a really talented student has blown a shot at something good in exchange for an opportunity that is not going to be long-term.
Shortly after learning the truth about this student, I returned to my office where my officemate was conferencing with one of her students.
This student is an extremely gifted writer: she has recently turned twenty-two, and is apparently as good a student in the rest of her classes as she is in English. She loves writing—she’s even had a few things published, but she wants to be a doctor.
It turns out she is also a musician—a drummer in fact, and she must be pretty good because she decided to audition for Beyonce’s upcoming tour. She was extended a job offer to be the drummer for Beyonce’s all-girl touring band.
She confessed to my officemate that while excited, she was going to turn the offer down so as not to get behind in school
I was shocked (and frustrated and saddened) to learn my officemate hadn’t tried to convince her to go be a drummer for two years.
Again, this is a twenty-two year old who has an opportunity to travel the world with a reputable performer while exploring what must be considerable musical talent.
I am relatively certain school and the rest of her life will be here waiting for her were she to choose to go be a drummer; however, I fear what the repercussions might be if she stays here, continues with school, and looks back at some point wondering “what if?”
So, in one afternoon, I dealt with a student who tossed a good grade away to pursue an assistant manager’s position at an electronics store and another student who isn’t going to see the world as a drummer so as not to “get behind.”
Honestly, these two choices have left me (theoretically) speechless.
This is an amazing post. The gap between the two students could not be wider. Did you really send the email response to Ms. Numerous Deaths and Tragedies Girl that you mentioned in your last post? Quite brave!
I agree - she should have taken the chance on the 2 years drumming with Beyonce. What a missed opportunity. She’s so young and her life would have been waiting for her. It makes me wonder if she was more scared of the creative success than she was the academic?
Good post. I’ll stay tuned to see if you really are rendered speechless.
QM,
I did, indeed, send that e-mail. I have a theory that professionalism and honesty must go hand-in-hand—especially in education. Given I am teaching “adults,” I think it only fair to call them on their stuff.
Brave? I don’t know about that, but definitely honest! I think if more parents were honest with their kids and more teachers were allowed to be honest with their students, we’d be in a better place with education and humanity.
As for the little drummer girl—you have a good point about the issue of success—perhaps that is her concern. (Of course, I still don’t understand how my fellow educator could fail to encourage this young woman in the direction of the music.)