Just Give Me a Reason

just a little bit's enough

That line has been reverberating in my head for quite some time now, thanks to people who keep singing it *coughRichmondcough*. But earworms aside, it does make sense, doesn't it? We all have our reasons for doing (or not doing) things. And sometimes, even a sliver of hope is enough to ignite a burning passion within us.

Our students aren't any different. They do things for reasons we may or may not understand. They study for different purposes. They imagine themselves climbing the corporate ladder someday; they want to prove to themselves they can achieve anything they set their minds to do; they dream of making their parents proud; they long for the chance to show others who they are and what they are made of and reap the fruits of their labor. Because honestly, who doesn't want a pat on the back after a job well done?

Nobody. Everybody wants to be appreciated; everybody wants to be recognized and given credit when and where it is due. A simple "you made a strong argument since your claim is well-supported by the evidence you provided" on a submitted essay can make any student's day. Straight A's and academic awards are the icing on top of a kid's cake after a challenging year. He/she can then say, with head held high, that he/she really is smart and diligent.

Smart and diligent. It does sound off, doesn't it? Having students say "smart and good" often enough makes the words appear to be collocates*. What, then, happens to being "good"? Doesn't MITIS take pride in developing students holistically? How does MITIS pat a student on the back for being good?

This year, MITIS will be awarding students who embody the STRIPES and ESLRs. In addition, the teachers of Grades 4 - 8 plan to give an award to the classes with perfect attendance and no disciplinary cases.**

*collocates -- words habitually juxtaposed with one another with a frequency greater than chance
 example: ask and question (You ask a question; "say a question" doesn't convey the same meaning.)
**It's 12mn. I'll add details when my mind is up to speed.