Pass or Fail
In my years as a college student, those two words held me like leash. Yet no one had question the authority given to the person who held such power. Maybe your right to pass was because you were excellent and aces every test on the subject. Or your right to fail is because you didn’t work hard enough to get to this person’s standard. But what right is a teacher to give his subjective decision whether to pass or fail a student?
I was raised in a family of teachers and professors. I know the technical aspect of calculating grades; even our own professors discuss their grading system on the first day of class. Yet there are those who are an exemption to these standards. And this kind of teacher I can never ever understand nor respect their methods of teaching. These kinds of teachers are – to plainly say – their word is law.
Favoritism is another aspect and trait for this type of educator – well, more like dictator. They are categories by two types: the educator dictator – one who actually lectures in class yet made the test so far for what they’ve discuss and difficult enough you know you’ll never ace it, and the dictator educator – one who let’s the class do group reporting to teach the class what they were supposed to teach, and let’s not start what kind of test they give.
“A teacher does not terrorize ignorant students, because a true teacher knows it is his job to cure ignorance,” a quote by Dr. Miriam Defensor Santiago, senator of the republic of the Philippines.
As a student, who actually both passed and failed (only thrice) in my years in college, I understood that getting through these kinds of educators, there is no fairness or common ground. Though you were present in class, did all that had been asked of you, making your home works, even barely passed the exam, these kind of teacher wouldn’t see your own dedication and struggle unless they decide you have exceed a certain expectation they want from you. And know and understand that we are all exceeding in different areas and aspects in life. Even if this educator said you’d never pass this subject, know that those words don’t describe yourself worth.
It is you who knows yourself better than others. But understand that these kinds of people are there to challenge your full potential. Though it doesn’t mean their methods of teaching is tolerable, know they aren’t for the heart but for the mind – meaning, do not take it personal unless they do it first. You just have to get their approval without diminishing your own worth.
Also there is a limit to how these educators can get their way. There are laws even above them, for no man is above the law.
