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I Am a Teacher

During one of my lessons, a student asked my opinion about a teacher who had lost a bunch of exams.

I answered him that anyone can make a mistake, and if that happened to me (fortunately it has never happened so far), I would give each student individually the choice between being assessed using the rest of their grades, or take the exam again.

The boy went on saying that this teacher who lost the exams should be severely punished. I replied that I would have agreed with him when I was his age, but as I have grown older, I have become more lenient with mistakes who have its source in distraction, and less with those whose foundatilns are in laziness, ignorance, or selfishness.

How would you have reacted?

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juiceyangel333 · 31-35, F

Depends how she lost the exams and if this had happened before with the same teacher.

It is a mistake and I don't think the teacher intentionally wanted to lose the exams... But sometimes it's one of those difficult subjects and maybe a student studied their ass off, only for the teacher to be so careless.

It's not as simple as just rewriting the test or using a student's previous marks. Usually when a test is reset to be written, it's way more difficult for the student. The teacher wouldn't give the same test as before... So it is actually an inconvenience.

Also what if a student doesn't want to rewrite the test and perhaps they would've gotten a good mark in that test that the teacher lost? And this same student had bad results throughout the semester, now this teacher's mistake has caused this student an inconvenience.

We have to look at the bigger picture.

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Cierzo · M

@juiceyangel333 It happened some time ago. It has not happened again. I agree it would be difference if it had.

There is not a perfect solution, but the way I see the bigger picture is that all of us have to deal with human mistakes sometimes. They are irritating, but that's the price we pay for being social beings.

juiceyangel333 · 31-35, F

@SW-User uhm what?

juiceyangel333 · 31-35, F

@Cierzo yeah but the solution is also not black and white. It's not as easy as just rewriting the exam or using the students previous assessments.

If it was tests during the semester, it would be more understandable... But to lose exams, that's quite serious.

Picklebobble2 · 56-60, M

I always love how youngsters see no grey in the world.
Everything is either black or white no matter what the issue !

I suppose grey is maybe something you only see as an adult with an understanding of how the world really works.

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Cierzo · M

@Picklebobble2 Regarding my student, I think he considers that, since the teacher is paid for her job, she cannot afford making mistakes. He sees the world in a purely transactional way, which to be honest makes me sad.

Picklebobble2 · 56-60, M

@Cierzo I can understand that

Cierzo · M

@Picklebobble2 I don't blame him. That is what kids see every day.

novembermoon · 51-55

I agree that the teacher must pay for his mistake in some way. The same way we expect students to be careful with their work, all the more the teacher should have exercised care in safeguarding the exam scripts. It is not a matter of forgiving mistakes. It is more about taking responsibility for a mistake committed.

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Cierzo · M

@novembermoon It is harder to make mistakes when their head is not crammed with the many things teachers' everyday life involve, and their only purpose is how to caress the ears of public opinion.

I know I am an idealist, but I refuse to measure individuals by their results rather than by their beliefs, values or intentions. In this case of a teacher losing exams, results may be the same if he deeply regrets his mistake, or he does not care; but for me it is totally different, and the outcome should not be the same.

novembermoon · 51-55

@Cierzo beliefs, values and intentions are important but they are not measureable. On the other hand, data and results are. Hence the evaluation of the individual's performance rests more on the latter rather than the former. Often, leaders also mete out the 'punishment' as a warning to others not to commit such mistakes. How do we determine if the loss was due to sheer carelessness or exhaustion and overwork? It is hard to ascertain such things.

Cierzo · M

@novembermoon Yes, this is the world we live in. What is not measurable is second rate.

I react against this idea because I think it goes against the core of human nature. In the long human history, the span of time when economics, interest,profit, results...have been more highly regarded than beliefs, moral, culture, religion...is a short one, two centuries. And I guess it will be over soon.

DrScissorhands

If it was my school they would have been fired. No questions asked.

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DrScissorhands

@Cierzo It isn’t them. We abide by very strict regulations regarding exams as our papers are externally moderated for our International Programmes.

Cierzo · M

@DrScissorhands Then I blame those in charge of international programmes. They should accept we are human and make mistakes.

DrScissorhands

I don’t blame them. Students pay a ton of money just to sit those exams for their diploma. You lose a set of papers, you lose thousands of dollars in student money to pay for the examiners to send you a new set. @Cierzo

4meAndyou · F

I would have asked him if he FOUND a "bunch" of lost exams. If he said no, then I would have asked him how we could possibly form an opinion of someone who lost or mislaid something?

And I would ask him his opinion of a man or a woman who lost his or her keys. Should that person also be severely punished?

I might explain, if he was still unsatisfied, that many academics are absent-minded, but that is often a sign of deep thought.

luv2fish · 61-69, M

In 39 years of education, I did lose one student's single page assignment. It was in with papers of the same assignment, but I never found it. I deeply apologized and gave the student and A. He was an A student anyway, so I felt it was not out of line. The student was very kind about it. I felt awful though.

Anonymouslyyours86 · 36-40, F

What do you mean he lost exams? I don’t understand?

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Anonymouslyyours86 · 36-40, F

Yeah some of them but not all of them these students worked hard and stress over their futures enough because of exams @Cierzo

Cierzo · M

@Anonymouslyyours86 A good, reliable educative system should be able to accept that human errors happen, and provide solutions.

Anonymouslyyours86 · 36-40, F

Yeah the solution is use technology for exams you can’t lose them that way, regardless what computer system you use!!@Cierzo

xixgun · M

While anyone can make a mistake, in most jobs, there would be severe repercussions usually ending in termination.

Cierzo · M

@xixgun According to the answers I am getting, it looks like we live in a perfect world full of perfect people who never make a mistake.

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