Untapped

Literaure? Beouwulf? Spell check?











It would be one thing if this student was at his intellectual limit. If he truly gave his best efforts, I could look upon his works as sweat-soaked proof of his genuine mental exertion. Even if these imperfect works were riddled with errors, I could still bask in the warmth that both he and I were at our outer boundaries.

But this is not the case.

This student is smarter than this assignment depicts. When he does the reading, his comments are trenchant and lucid. When he actually tries on the homework, it often sets the standards for the class. He is smart, but he rarely shows consistent passion.

Learning to be autonomous within the structures of school is part of the educational process. Though very bright, this student is just eking by grade-wise in my class. His homework is late, and assignments, like the one above, are bloated with careless typos and apathetic formatting. Being smart is not enough to be a gifted student. A gifted student uses all their resources: intellect, time management, effort, manners, creativity, accountability.

Getting "F" papers isn't the most disheartening thing; seeing untapped potential sinks me even lower.