Tag: grades

Motivational Monday: Grades Don’t Define You

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Happy Monday, friends. If you’re a student, you’ve probably had a few days to rest and relax before grades were publicized. If you’re a teacher, you’ve probably been grading and stressing over submitting grades by the looming deadline (forgive my absence, but I was doing the latter). Now, depending on how well you did this academic quarter, you might either spend the rest of your break basking in the sun or sulking in the cold. Regardless of where you find yourself on this spectrum, I think it’s safe to say that students oftentimes go into a bit of a crisis mode when midterm and quarterly/semester grades are due, and as much as you may feel the weight of your academic careers bearing heavily on your shoulders, I have to let you in on a little secret: grades do not define you.

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Kermit Says: Keep Calm and Pass Your Exams

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Well, friends! It’s the day most students both anticipate and dread. The day they look forward to with both excitement and anxiety. Today kicks off finals week, three days of final exams, projects, presentations, and papers that stand between you and freedom. Three days that stand between you and graduation. Three days that stand between you and summer break. Just thinking about summer vacation brings a single tear of joy to my eye. So what can you do to perform at your optimum level and excel in your classes? Take a look back at my post before winter break, Rock Yo’ Finals!

Remember, the best way to prepare for what can be a pretty stressful week is to approach it with a peaceful mind, calm spirit, and confident demeanor. You can do this! I believe in you, so believe in yourself.

Need relaxation tips? Check out this awesome Buzzfeed video that provides some calming tricks.

Good luck with finals and have an AWESOME summer! You earned it 🙂

Kermit Says: Rock Yo’ Finals

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Between grappling with current events, completing your commitments, and spending quality time with your friends and family, it’s quite possible that finals week has snuck up on you! Where has the time gone? Wasn’t yesterday September? Didn’t 500 bright and eager students descend onto campus–both anxious and excited to start the new school year? I guess not…

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Kermit Says: Forget the Grade

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As a teacher, I face a lot of obstacles that get in the way of productive and positive classroom experiences, one of which is grades. I often have students asking for additional opportunities to improve their grades, not their skills. Or students who bypass marginal comments and flip to the back to see their grade. And in rare cases, students who try to negotiate their grade in an effort to change it. While I would never prevent a student from doing better in class, I’m concerned that, more often than not, a student’s focus and motivation to improve is misplaced.

When did the importance of grades outweigh the importance of learning and growing?

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Dear Kermit: Nervous in New Hampshire

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Dear Kermit,

Midterm grades are coming out soon and, if I’m finally being honest with myself, I haven’t done well at all. In fact, that’s pretty much an understatement. This is my first semester at a very intense school, and the level of work and effort required of us has been really difficult, way harder than my previous school. The issue is my parents have no idea! I haven’t been completely truthful with them about my progress and experience in school, and when they find out…let’s just say it won’t be pretty. Help! What should I do?

Thanks,

Nervous in New Hampshire

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