Commentary Feedback

Re: Educators who Act Like Law Enforcement Agents

From: D. Penwell
           Jupiter, Florida
           January 2, 2009

Thank you for the opportunity to give feedback to one of your commentaries. I have read your commentary on the plagiarism issue at Piper High School. Although you bring up some important issues, I must comment that your tone is offensive to me as a high school English teacher. You put forth "possible scenarios" as though facts and then draw your conclusions. This hardly seems fair to Mrs. Pelton.

I consider myself a nurturing mother, staying home to breastfeed three children until they were two years old. I did not work full-time until my youngest was eight years old. My children are now 27, 22, and 19. My retirement pension will be small because of the years I didn't teach and from living in different states (that is another topic, however). I do not regret a minute I spent raising my children.

The question now becomes "Why do I have to parent, not just teach, other people's children, also?" I teach approximately 155 tenth and eleventh graders. This semester is the beginning of teaching the "Research Paper" unit and the plagiarism issue always looms large in this part of my curriculum. I can assure you that although I would like to assume the best of my students, experience demands I make sure the students and their parents understand the seriousness of plagiarism and how it will be dealt with if it is proven. I want my students to learn this lesson now, not when they are in places of power as adults. This is why Mrs. Pelton had her students and parents sign the agreement beforehand; she had prior difficult experiences as well.

Your references to the type of teacher you would like us to be sounds just like the type of teacher I try to be as far as my school system allows. Perhaps it helps you to know that with the number of students we have in each class (you noted,I hope, that I have a total of 155 students), the personal touch you desire is not possible. I work 50-60 hours a week to try and attain this goal and it is still not possible. I surprise parents sometimes by my personal attention and try to make it part of my teaching style, but reality is that it is becoming more rare. I bring home $500 a week for my efforts and honestly, more often than not, I care more about my students' futures than they or their parents do.

Let me conclude by stating the main reason behind plagiarism is very simple - laziness. You can sugarcoat it as you do that students do not know the difference or need to be taught by their mistakes, but many students would look at you and tell you to your face that they knew what they were doing and did not care. (Read some recent studies on high school and college cheating.) Besides, they rationalize that it is OK because it doesn't hurt anyone and what's the big deal, anyway?

Every year I try to make a better effort to train for and curb plagiarism. I emphasize over and over that the student actually gets more credit for proper attribution and it is in their own interest to acknowledge the source. As I begin this unit, I will revamp my materials to ensure the teaching is clear and the expectations are clear, as well. It won't be perfect and there is always room for improvement, but if I don't stick to some policy (whatever it is) then my students won't take seriously deadlines and guidelines. When a surgeon performs surgery there is not usually a "do over" policy. When do students need to begin learning that lesson?

Thank you for your time and I hope you understand the heart of what I am trying to communicate.

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Dr. Kawasaki replies on January 3, 2009:

Dear Ms. Penwell,

Thank you for visiting my Web site and for leaving such a thoughtful and comprehensive comment. If you would like, I can put it on the Web site. You obviously have thought a great deal about the subject of plagiarism, and you address this issue in your work as a high school teacher.

It is inevitable that I wind up offending someone with my writing, but it was never my intention to insult someone who works as diligently as you do in your profession.

You are correct that there is on excuse for plagiarism. I find it offensive as well, particularly when I read the work of professional writers.

My real concern is the state of the modern educational system. I think way too much is expected of students, and this is where you will probably disagree with me. I realize that we need to have high standards in the system and that students need to reach them. I wonder, though, how many students can actually succeed. The reality is that there will always be naturally gifted children and children who can afford to be tutored. What about the rest ... the ones that you face every day and challenge yourself to care for and nurture?

I guess I am speaking on behalf of those students who may not even understand English well enough to write a research paper. I'm not advocating plagiarism. I'm suggesting that these students need more help and support so that they can write papers. I truly believe in learning from one's mistakes.

If you bear with me, I will make some suppositions. You may be teaching your students how to avoid making mistakes. You may be informing them that their papers may not actually sound very original when they cite so many different sources and that their papers may be riddled with quotes. This may be very encouraging for students who cannot produce their own theses and supporting arguments.

I must admit that my commentary probably did cast Mrs. Pelton in a negative light. Part of that was probably bias on my part, just from reading that she did not enjoy being a high school teacher and became a preschool teacher.

Ms. Penwell, I appreciate your thoughtful commentary. I hope that you continue to strive to help your students. You face a great challenge, and it looks like you're meeting it admirably. All your students will benefit from your instruction and care. There is little doubt about this.

It is curious that we live in a society that fails to treasure its teachers. This will change some day, but probably not soon enough.

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Ms. Penwell replies on January 9, 2009:

Thank you for your response. I appreciate your taking the time for such a
thoughtful and comprehensive letter. I understand your concerns and share
them. It is a cliché to say, "there are no easy answers," but you and I know
it is true.

Education for the children you describe will continue to be a struggle as
long as we educators must pretend that all students are college bound. I
certainly do not subscribe to the educational systems that decide whether a
student is "university material" when the student is 12 or 13. We go the
other extreme, however, and cannot accept it is not necessary for all
students to attend college in order to be successful or find meaningful
work.

Vocational education has suffered greatly in the last two decades and not
many seem to be concerned. From my experience, we do students a grave
disservice when we expect them to stay in school until they are eighteen or
nineteen years old to receive a high school diploma, then graduate them with
no real marketable skills for the short term.

I believe we can educate our young people in the important areas of content
by the time they are fifteen or sixteen and then allow them to choose
different tracks for the next two years of their education. If a young
person doesn't choose a college bound track at this juncture it does not
preclude their attending college at a later date.

It is not a coincidence that students tend to drop out of school at about
this time of their lives -- age fifteen or sixteen. We need to acknowledge
the changes in our society and force educational systems to catch up. This
shift in thinking will be difficult since the universities, colleges and
technical schools make a lot of money from the system as it is. To allow
students to use those last two years of high school to gain valuable work
skills and experience is a threat to those institutions.

I worked at an alternative school that was pioneering this concept. It was
so exciting the year we graduated twenty or so "almost" licensed practical
nurses. (They had to pass the state licensing test in the summer.) These
students were able to work in a hospital right after high school earning
about eight to ten dollars an hour more than the average high school
graduate. Several I kept in touch with went on to the community college in
the fall to begin course work on their RN degree. These young people needed
a "real" job in order to afford to go on for more education.

Some other programs at this school were refrigeration and air conditioning,
pre-architecture, commercial art, and computers. These were taught with the
traditional math, science, English, history and foreign languages.

Another problem is that too many middle schools are wastelands of
opportunities as we allow students to slide by during these years, making
excuses that adolescence is a difficult time. What young people need is for
us to believe they are capable of more and then give them meaningful
experiences in education and the workforce. The "extended adolescence" in
our society that moves right into college has not produced the best results.

Many of my students have to work and I admire their work ethic and their
stamina. For some it works out well, but for others it means lower grades
and eventually the desire to leave school and make more money. They cannot
see the point of more schooling if it's going to be like the schooling
they've already had. I think we can do better by all our students, but the
bureaucracies will have the last word and in today's climate I do not
predict change, if for no other reasons than funding.

Thank you for allowing me to express these thoughts.

I wish you much success as you focus attention on the important issues
affecting our children.

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Dr. Kawasaki replies on January 10, 2009:

I completely agree with what you have written. Your perspective on education is keen and insightful. I'm sure that others would enjoy reading it.