The Dreaded Red Pen

As the school year closes there are reams and reams of paper being graded and many of them being corrected with the dreaded red pen.  When I think about the red pen all I imagine is, “A Christmas Story” when Ralphie dreams of getting an A +++++++++++ but actual gets a C in dark red pen and told “You’ll shoot your eye out!”  The disappointment that accompanies the red pen for most students causes them to feel judged by their grades.  As parents, we need to remind students that grades are not a judgment on them as a person, but rather a reflection of their system for earning those grades.  

Whether we notice it or not, our life is made up of systems, with inputs, processes and outputs.  Let’s look at laundry.  You start with dirty clothing (input) and soap (input) that you put into the washing machine (process), move to the dryer (process), put away(process) with the end product being clean clothes (output).  Going to school and earning grades is no different.  The difference between a student with high grades and low grades is the systems these students have in place pertaining to work completion and organization. 

So why would parents discuss systems now at the end of the school year? Kids are ready to hear it now when they are seeing the output of their systems.  If your kids are seeing grades that they are not happy with, discuss what system they have in place and how they may change that system in order to make their school work more efficient.  For example, teenagers are often distracted by screens (Television, Computer, Cell phone or video games) taking away the motivation to complete work.  What if they chose to remove all screens until work is completed?  Not only would the work get done faster but they will likely enjoy more free time to use whatever screen they enjoy most.  This is just one small way to change the work completion system. 

If your student is bringing home good or even great grades, you can still discuss their system with them.  Just because a system is working doesn’t mean it is the most effective system. For example, think about the security system at any airport around the country. While the system is working, we have become more safe, I do not believe that anybody would describe the system currently in place as efficient.

So when you see an assignment covered in that red pen (or any color really), help your student to understand that this does not reflect who they are but really just the system that they used to complete the assignment.