Whose Work Ethic Do You Have?

I drove home today as usual with my brain buzzing. To be inside my mind is like watching a hamster constantly running the wheel yet never getting the snack. My mind never stops. And so I drove home repeating my usual mantra: all I do is work, work out, and write; work, work out, and write; work, work out, and write. You get the picture. Even when I’m mentally and physically drained I keep going because of the commitments I’ve made OUTSIDE of work. This year I am disturbed at the number of students who are missing school. At first it was one, but now there are a handful who miss days or weeks of school at a time. I’m not just upset about students missing my class. I’m concerned about what being allowed to miss school is teaching them. For some of them I’ve noticed that over the course of two years, the absenteeism has gotten worse, and it isn’t a chronic health issue that prevents most from coming to school. They just don’t come to school. When I grade papers I can categorize students into two groups: the ones who always do their work and the ones who rarely complete work or turn it in. As frustrating as it is, I can only do so much about students who don’t come to school regularly or students who come to school but don’t work. I don’t have any easy answers or solutions, but maybe someone reading this will reflect on how school prepares children to be responsible adults. Maybe they will see how what is done in school K-12 is a training ground for a young adult entering the military, college, or a career. Gaining an education is a foundation for so much more. It is also an institution for social interaction, developing interpersonal skills, honing natural abilities, and developing a strong work ethic. A colleague and I joked that we too would love to be at home playing video games or just relaxing, but part of being a responsible and productive adult is showing up and working hard. Another colleague has joked me in the past for coming to work sick as if I was going to get a perfect attendance award for coming to school every day. It’s what has been ingrained in me, and am I not one of the people setting the example? What will be ingrained into our students if no one at home is emphasizing the work habits that will make them productive citizens? As in anything worth obtaining, showing up and being engaged matters.