Dressed in Overalls

This past Wednesday was the day grades were due, for a grading period that had been cut short due to the "polar vortex". As I had mentioned in a previous post I was going to give my students the opportunity to redo their semester exams.  What i originally planned for redo time, had to be adjusted due to the weather.  This had me in a panic, I worried that I would once again be shorting my students. 
  
Due to the polar vortex, I allowed them to finish their writing during the day Wednesday, knowing that I had to submit grades by midnight of that same day.  It was a choice I was willing to make for the betterment of my students, because I believe in second chances. 

At the end of the day on Wednesday, as I began sorting and grading the redone exams, I was deeply saddened to find that only 8 out of the original 16 who applied for a retest, actually submitted a one.  And what was much more devastating to me, was the few who needed to pass the exam to earn credit for the semester, did not take advantage of the opportunity.  

I was angry, I was frustrated and quite frankly a little hurt.  I had offered them a second chance, and they had wasted it.  I had even contacted parents during the calamity days and explained to them, the importance of their student earning better grades on their exam. 

Even now as I write, I am still struggling to understand the wasted opportunity.  Had I failed them again? Or was it time for me to accept that the responsibility lies with those students who didn't take advantage of the second chance given to them? 

Perhaps, it is like Thomas Edison says, "Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work'

<3 Laura