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Those on the honor roll at Ballou are persecuted in a myriad of public and private ways. A receipt of $100 to all A's works like a shark to bait when the recipient is ambushed and beaten for his academic merits.

I was wondering what other things do we as educators do to bring trauma to "winners."

I give out report cards and do everything but sing "Alleluia" to those who have accomplished much. I don't anymore since I've seen one chastised by peers. This "winner" was a rock-solid guy, too, and the sharks were merciless within my hearing--who knows what they do out of earshot?

I have been able to counter some trouble. I label the 100's in small tests as "Hot Shots" and give them "Hot Shot Waivers" where they are exempt from the next EOG or EOQ classroom test practice. I figure if they are so good at this practice test, then they can afford to miss one test. It seems to work, but now I am very careful not to traumatize those who do well.

I still wonder how else we can reward success.

kathryn, I think praise is one of those things all teachers struggle with. In the situation you describe, the student was not enjoying the benefit of being praised so I would question if it were necessary. It certainly is not motivating the other students to immitate. The administrator should have recognized this.

Unless a student tells, no administrator can figure out what's happeing behind his back. If our poor Cedric nver "snitches, " then what's to keep the administration in the know.

Look again at the honor roll. It's a pathetic fiew. Look at the number of boys--I'll bet the other potentials were beaten up.

The honor roll can't even begin to match the bell curve. What if we could use bell curves to follow the flow of practice. Since the number of honor roll honorees is far short, then we could suspect trouble.

I hear tell that some administrators review report cards before they are sent home to parents. They review and make quick comments on them like: Good job! What happened here? Try to pick this grade up next time.

Honor roll students get a sucker and a sticker on their report cards. One school will take their all A's out to the food court at the mall on an activity bus. Now how would you like to be the bus driver for that activity in the middle of the day. Oh, and the students bring their own money. The school picks up on the bus tab. Pretty cheap, huh. Yet, effective.

If so few are successful, then it is obviously not the fault of the students. The needs of the vast majority of the school are not being met. Students are lacking something, whether it be quality instruction, guidance, materials, support...the lack of students on the honor roll tells me more about the school than the students. Those who are not honor roll are obviously very emotional about it or they would not lash out with such anger and resentment. Students will not be successful if their emotional and physical needs are not being met first.

Ever hear the old saying that a "few bad apples spoil the bunch"? Every teacher I hope tries to get the best out of thier kids. Yet in some schools the best is steering the students away from gangs or drugs. The honor roll is not a sign of success everywhere. Honor Roll is supposed to be the top academic students not the norm. We can not judge the success and failure of a school by who makes the honor roll. Just because students arent on the honor roll does not mean the teachers and school are awful.

Here's something..

What if a student has a history of poor grades and noncompliant behavior. What if he comes to you mid-year with poor grades, etc. I would suspect that he would continue with the same path of poor grades.

What if...a mis-directed administrator tweaked his grades to reflect a change in behavior and study habits.

Do you think the student would say, "Wow! I made middle school honor roll?" Do you think he would begin to think that he could be better that what he's been? Do think an experiment like this could change his life?

True, I hear you, the leopard can't change his spots. So this means nothing lost...try. He might change for the better?

Remember, it's middle school or elementary and the grades never figure into the holy GPA...

What if we had a chance to make a difference? To one? Would you modify a grade report to reflect a positive?

Tim is getting to the point of the issue of a honor role. Not everyone sees the A honor role or A/B honor roll as positive. Some of this can change slowly with reculturing but that is difficult because it takes students, teachers, administrators, parents, and community to change values and assuptions. Even if we did change or shift the values of a culture would it benifit the school to categories and rank the students?

I would add that Cedric's problems are not just with his school. His poverty is a social problem that is bigger than the school. We still believe in this country that you can be poor and happy. Which is certainly true if you define poor as just not having the luxuries that more affluent people enjoy. But Cedric's "poorness" is deeper. He and his mother lack some of the ESSENTIALS: adequate food, adequate shelter, adequate healthcare. Schools do not have the resources to address these needs. These problems should be tackled by a government that cares what happens to its citizens. Yes, Cedric's school is a problem, but ask yourself will pouring new wine in an old wineskin accomplish anything?

Do we ever hear that the Jennings receive food stamps etc.? Perhaps pride was a much bigger issue? Food stamps and medicaid are too easy to use.

I am not sure that food stamps or medicaid is too easy to use. A lady who is very close to me once confided in me that she had to go on food stamps years ago. She told how hard it was to stand in line at the grocery store and hand those things to the cashier. She was always concerned that someone standing close by would see them and think bad of her. She was in a position where she had not choice. She was a single parent with two children. The father of those children would not provide any money. She went on food stamps and welfare, enrolled in community college and graduated. Now she has a livelihood she would not have been able to obtain had she not had the assistance. The image of people sitting around and getting fat on welfare and food stamps has never really been as true as it had been portrayed.

Every time we try to do something good for the benefit of the less fortunate, people being people will take advantage of the situation. To me, it is more important to fill one child's empty stomach than to worry about ten people getting fat off of free cheese.

I agree Jackie. So what if some take advantage of it if it truly makes a difference in a life. Pursue those who rob the system. Don't destroy others by taking away a safety net.

Barbara Jennings probably never considered food stamps because she was too proud to, but you're right: they're there for people like her and people like the lady John mentioned, who actually need them. In other countries where welfare and food stamps did not exist, these people would have no choice but to starve to death trying to catch a break.

Jackie it sure is hard watching those 10 get "fat" though.. my years working in a grocery store watching some people come in scraping by on the small amount of food stamps and the sharp contrast of people who come in and buy buggies full of high priced food items and deplete their stamps in one stop...then they pull out the roll of money to buy the cigarettes, alcohol, and deli food.
I think the program needs some reform but not at the cost of those who truely need it to survive and would have no hope without it.
Its hard watching those who truely need it (the disabled) that once they start getting there small disability check all other resources are cut off. This recently happened to a teacher at our school who's husband was disabled due to a car wreck and needs continual care but the extra services are no longer to be provided since he gets a disability check. It seems like the most needy fall through our system's cracks.