At the end of each term at the school I am currently teaching, each academy has a special awards assembly. I find it to be a bit senseless and meaningless however because technically everyone is awarded. I find that some teacher leaders and administrators have grown afraid of students feel left out or embarrassed at these types of functions. As such, I see an effort being made for every child to get some form of commendation. I understand the common philosophy behind such an action. They often feel that when students receive an award, even if it is truly undeserved, it will serve as a motivation to get them to work harder next term. I have seen where the complete opposite turns out to be the end result. Sometimes the students who know the true worth of their efforts becomes less appreciative or motivated by their award when they see a colleague being awarded for an effort they cannot identified. For them it echos teachers and school being double standard. Similarly, the students who receive an award, knowing they are undeserving, usually walks across the platform to the amusement of everyone, laughing. It is no wonder that the certificates they are given rarely make it through the gates of the school.

I feel it is important to guide students in understanding what rewards mean or represent. I was always like Tea, intrinsically motivated to work hard so as not to be left behind when awards are being given out; I just could not handle the embarrassment, for lack of a better word. Teachers should aim to dialogue with students who fail to truly earn rewards prior to and subsequent to award ceremonies about the emotional and psychological component of receiving or not receiving awards. Only then perhaps will the awards received and not received will serve its intended purpose.

Tea was upset but then reconciled herself, and wrote beautifully about her process. Her family and (quite probably) her school and you, Miss Lahey, have helped her develop resiliency and self-awareness, which are the bases on which REAL self-esteem are built.

A particularly resonant line from “Death of a Salesman” states, “Life is an oyster but you don’t crack it open on a mattress.” You helped Tea struggle with hard texts and challenging assignments and, lo and behold, she’s getting tough. Disappointment and struggle don’t end but now she reacts to it more constructively.

This is an inspiring incident to me, not a sad or really even a cautionary one.

I’m inclined to believe that there were too many awards being handed out if all but 4 students received something, but I’m gratified that this young woman did not go wailing home and have her parents show up at a school board meeting crying “foul”. I would love to have a class full of Tea Levys, those students who are motivated by the words, “great effort”, “nice work”, more than “you are smart”, or “you are pretty”.

What stayed with me about this piece of writing were the final few paragraphs. I remember having a similar feeling at a particular point in my middle school years: I distinctly remember sitting in my seat in the middle of the audience, watching those who stood up to accept their awards, and there was a moment when I wanted to blame everyone, from my parents, to the teachers, to the school, to awards in general.

I also remember acknowledging that I could have worked harder and chose not to.

It was a defining moment in my life not because I had worked hard and achieved, but because I was forced to face not having worked hard and was able to reflect on who I wanted to be.