2008 Woodie Awards
Teachers, please raise your expectations
Brian Goodrich
Issue date: 9/23/04 Section: Features
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Speaking on behalf of the student body, I would like to call upon all the various teachers across the Marist College campus to help us all achieve more than we ever have before in our classes this semester. Whether you've been teaching here at Marist for 20 years or are just starting your career, please help us work harder. Don't be afraid to test our limits-we welcome an academic challenge. Not only will we gain the important skills that we will need to enter the job market when our college years are over, but we will gain an immeasurable sense of pride in our fellow students, our teachers, and our school as a whole.
Now I understand that this appeal may come as a surprise to both teachers and students alike, but entertain this request and place some faith in the leaders of tomorrow for just a moment.
The student body here at Marist is filled with bright, energetic students who have great academic potential. Although we come from different parts of the country and even different parts of the world, we are all the same in the sense that we have the capacity to accomplish great things when we are prodded to do so. While a laudable portion of the Marist student body is currently striving to do the best they can (with the help of some very devoted teachers), popular opinion across campus surmises that the majority of students take a far more relaxed approach to their studies.
Teachers can do an immeasurable service for the student body by helping students achieve more in their classes. Raise the level of expectation, and students will accordingly raise the level of their academic effort and scholastic interaction. Tougher classes will yield higher results for students than just the ability to answer questions correctly on Jeopardy (although this may be viewed as an important skill in the eyes of some). Classes themselves will become livelier as students who are asked to aim higher try harder. Tougher classes can result in changes not only in the classroom but also across campus in the non-academic realm. If students are pushed to work harder and think more about their classes-there will no doubt be less time for the juvenile tomfoolery that seems to occur on a regular basis here on campus.
Now I understand that this appeal may come as a surprise to both teachers and students alike, but entertain this request and place some faith in the leaders of tomorrow for just a moment.
The student body here at Marist is filled with bright, energetic students who have great academic potential. Although we come from different parts of the country and even different parts of the world, we are all the same in the sense that we have the capacity to accomplish great things when we are prodded to do so. While a laudable portion of the Marist student body is currently striving to do the best they can (with the help of some very devoted teachers), popular opinion across campus surmises that the majority of students take a far more relaxed approach to their studies.
Teachers can do an immeasurable service for the student body by helping students achieve more in their classes. Raise the level of expectation, and students will accordingly raise the level of their academic effort and scholastic interaction. Tougher classes will yield higher results for students than just the ability to answer questions correctly on Jeopardy (although this may be viewed as an important skill in the eyes of some). Classes themselves will become livelier as students who are asked to aim higher try harder. Tougher classes can result in changes not only in the classroom but also across campus in the non-academic realm. If students are pushed to work harder and think more about their classes-there will no doubt be less time for the juvenile tomfoolery that seems to occur on a regular basis here on campus.