Why I Am So Hard On My Students

Not messing around :)

I teach three honors-level history courses: a sophomore United States history survey, an advanced course on the American Civil War and Reconstruction for juniors and seniors, and a course on historiography designed especially for seniors. They are all exceptionally challenging by design. And when it comes to grading, I am tough. I mean really tough. I don’t know, maybe I’m old fashioned…but I think high expectations and demanding evaluations teach my students something about effort and merit. They work extremely hard…but more important, they learn valuable lessons. They learn about the rigors of research and the complexities of the historical record. They learn that often times lines of inquiry take us down roads that lead to dead ends (and back to the drawing board….). And, this is a big one folks, they learn there are no short cuts to excellence. They have to think deeply about the material and grapple with historical themes that sometimes seem more perplexing than not. They learn that there are rarely simple answers. They learn very quickly that if one really, really wants to figure out how this discipline works, then one has to put in the work. Sometimes they learn this the hard way, but when I hold them accountable, I do so because I want them to maximize their potential. Most do well, but some don’t. And when they fail, I’m there to explain why and show them the path to intellectual growth. The process teaches them about persistence, perseverance, and the meaning of grit. I do this so that they don’t have an existential crisis and melt down when things fail to go their way down the road. Look – these kids are eventually going to be dealing with the problems and issues we have all collectively created. I would rather not have them embrace mediocrity when they are supposed to be learning the skills they will need for the future. If you think about it, we are kinda depending on them. Pushing them now strikes me as a wise move.