When faced with a new semester, restless students and demanding administrators, what is an educator to do? Don’t give in. Don’t give up.

Yesterday, I gave my first vocabulary quiz of the second semester. As soon as students walked in, most, one by one started to grumble, rumble and tumble into their desks with a sudden and serious case of amnesia. They did not recall us discussing these terms last week. They did not recall writing them down in their notebooks either. They also did not recall me reminding them to study Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. With a group of 15 or so kids complaining, what was I to do? Postpone the quiz? Heck no! Review with them for another 10 minutes? Wouldn’t help! Make the quiz open note? What would the point of me giving a vocabulary quiz if they can use a dictionary?

I did what anyone, specifically a parent, who is fed up with a nagging kid would do: explain, in a very firm voice, that this quiz is scheduled today. I reminded them that they had a week to study. And if they do poorly, then count this as a learning mistake, realized you need to be prepared, take responsibility for not studying and know that next time, you’ll do better.

I find that these types of excuses are used often in my profession. But sometimes, the excuses are legitimate and need to be looked at further. This year, I have several students who have various disabilities or medical conditions. One in particular, I have been exchanging emails back and forth with her mother. I realized that through these exchanges, this mother and her daughter have only seen the inside of a hospital for most of her life, not the inside of a school. In one email, I offered advice on how to help keep her daughter’s lunch cool or hot, since she has to prepare my student’s food due to so many allergies that the school cannot accommodate. Also, I offered suggestions to keep her organized and develop time management skills, so she can be aware of when she is absent, what work she needs to make-up and what work has she turned in, in addition to learning how to handle the daily life of a high school student.

Regardless of the challenge faced from students, a teacher must remember to look directly into the eye of the situation, take a deep breath, exhale and respond appropriately.