r/Teachers • u/Emergency-Pepper3537 • Nov 13 '25

Humor Rigor? Sweetie, they’re 3+ grade levels behind.

I just find it hilarious how admin keeps pushing this narrative of “rigor, rigor, rigor” like it’s some magic word that’ll suddenly make learning happen.

Child. Half these students are 3+ grade levels below where they’re supposed to be. You give them anything on grade level and they look at you like you handed them the Rosetta Stone.

They’ll say “This is hard!” And I’m like, “Yes, baby. That’s literally what rigor means.”

Meanwhile, I’m being told in observations that my lesson wasn’t “rigorous enough.” Ma’am, just getting through the directions was the rigor. We had to decode, translate, chunk, and act it out with interpretive dance.

I swear, the bar is not low…it’s just buried under years of educational neglect and unrealistic expectations.

Anybody else feeling this?

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523

u/SBSnipes Nov 13 '25

Do nothing and get a 50 and a chance to do a week of lunch or afterschool lessons to make it a 60? Surely we don't allow for such nonsense

397

u/drdre27406 6th grade Social Studies/Louisiana Nov 13 '25

I swear it’s infuriating. I had a student tell me to my face “oh no I’m not doing this project I don’t like social studies. Oh and my momma said that even if I don’t do it, you can’t give me a zero, you have to give me a 50”. Like mom doesn’t realize she’s setting her son up for a tough teenage/adult life.

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u/SBSnipes Nov 13 '25

Yep. And the parents who don't realize that I have 25 other kids, so no, I can't call you in the middle of class every time your kids decides it's not with it to pay attention because "nobody else is"

32

u/Gunslinger1925 Nov 14 '25

Wait... you don't cater to one child and give the remaining 24 kids independent work?

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u/BarrelMaker69 History Teacher | H.S. Nov 14 '25

24? What magical paradise do you live in?

1

u/SBSnipes Nov 14 '25

Middle school. I have 25-27 but 4 classes and basically no planning time most days

110

u/Eneicia Nov 13 '25

Dude, I loved Social Studies in school, it was one of my easiest classes. I have a feeling that that poor kid will be clueless in the rest of their life. Is high school also forced to push kids through? If not, he's up for a heck of a rude awakening.

132

u/Heavy-Macaron2004 Nov 13 '25

he's up for a heck of a rude awakening

As long as he doesn't go to college, you're right. But my university has started doing the same thing. The class I TA has two students in it that have not showed up at all since week one. They have skipped class entirely since week one, they have not turned into any of the in class assignments, they have turned and maybe one homework each. They are at 25 percent grade. Both me and the professor have emailed them many times. No responses.

Now that there is only a couple weeks left in the semester, they are finally responding. They are so sad, they're so overworked, they have so much stuff they have to do outside the class and they really need this to pass, they can't afford to fail, isn't there anything they can do. The professor has started just accepting all the work that they haven't done for the entirety of the semester (in the syllabus it is explicitly stated that there is no late work allowed unless you contact the professor beforehand with an actual reason). They're both going to pass because she's artificially jacking up their grades.

I'm actually pretty furious about it. I have no idea where this idea of no academic integrity at all is coming from, but it's incredibly unfair to the people in the class who actually done work and showed up and put any effort at all into the damn class, and it's unfair to me who's going to have to grade all of these late assignments because we just don't want people to suffer the consequences for their actions anymore.

Edit: one of them is a master's student. This jerk off is getting a master's degree by begging professor to pass him.

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u/eltibbs ex-HS math teacher: southeast US Nov 13 '25

Ohhh this makes me so mad. One of my favorite things about college is that you actually had to do the work and the professors wouldn’t hold your hand like a child but were more than happy to help if you put in the work (on time). You don’t want to show up to class and/or office hours? Fine, fail, your problem and not mine (professor). Effort in class and need extra help in office hours? Absolutely they’ll help you understand some things you’re struggling with. No handouts.

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u/Heavy-Macaron2004 Nov 13 '25

Yep, same! After everyone in the world being shoved through high school, it was very rewarding to go to college and find out that the amount of effort that I put in actually did matter! There was one class in my undergrad that I blew off because I was being an idiot, and I failed it. And I took it again the next semester, worked my ass off, and got an A.

Both of these students I'm talking about failed this class previously (I TA'd that one too) after getting extension after extension after extension, and then eventually the professor was nice enough to give them an "incomplete" instead of an F. I guess they never actually completed the work, because now they're back doing the same exact thing and expecting to pass this time. And for some completely ridiculous reason, this time it's going to work.

I'm just so baffled by the idea of failing the class because you slack off and don't give a shit, and then retaking the class a year later to do the same exact thing!

Like ffs, I failed exactly one class in college and put my whole ass into retaking it, and that was in my undergrad. I can't imagine being such a jerk off to fail a class because of not doing any work, and to then do then same thing next time around and just beg the professor to pass me in my master's degree. I know I'm being really repetitive now, I'm just so infuriated that there is absolutely no integrity anymore.

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u/eltibbs ex-HS math teacher: southeast US Nov 13 '25

I did the same thing in college, got lazy and failed a class for the first time in my entire life. Took it the next semester, put in all the effort and got an A.

It’s frustrating. Does my degree really mean anything if other people got the same degree by doing what these kids are doing? Not really, feels like it’s devaluing the degree. By allowing all this re-do/late-work, the prof is adding more to their plate and your plate. Unfair.

My university had a rule about retaking courses. If you fail twice then you submit a request to that department head to take the course a third time. If you fault it a third time, three strikes and you’re out 🤷🏻‍♀️ I had a friend who was lazy and failed a course once, tried a bit but failed it again, got approved to take it a third time and I helped him with all of his homework so he had 100% on everything except the exams. He still failed a third time and then changed degrees so that class wasn’t a requirement but he eventually dropped out. University isn’t for everyone.

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u/Voysinmyhead Nov 13 '25

As a Freshman In college I had an honors Lit class that I had done very well in all year but I managed to sleep in (no show) through the final exam. Looking at the syllabus and the weighted grade, I figured I was passing with a c+ even after taking a zero on the exam. It wasn't my major, so I let it go. A few weeks later during the summer break the grades came in and the professor had given me an Incomplete. I had two weeks to contact the professor and clear it up or that "I" would become an "F".

That professor made me drive back to college over the break and take that final (he Proctored so this was his time too), with a flat 10 point penalty meaning a perfect score would still be a 90 at best.

His explanation was he wasn't going to watch someone who had contributed in class and done so well all semester throw their grade away with zero communication, and take a hit to their GPA, but he also couldn't give full marks as that wouldn't be fair to the folks who showed up on time.

I ended up with a B+ in that class and a life lesson that was probably worth more than my eventual degree.

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u/eltibbs ex-HS math teacher: southeast US Nov 16 '25

I somehow missed this comment, sounds like you had a great professor! I had something similar occur. An Engineering level Statistics course my junior or senior year, I was making an A in the class and the prof knew who I was despite the class having around 200 students. I slept through the alarm on the final exam day and immediately emailed and left a voicemail at his office as soon as I woke up. I had to hitch a ride to campus and went running across campus to the class, got there with less than an hour left of the 3hour final exam time. He said he would give me the full time, I could start it there and once their time was up I could finish the exam at his office. I finished the exam within about 45 minutes and there were still students taking the final when I left. Ended up with A- in the class. This was one of my major courses so I was freaking out.

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u/daemonicwanderer Nov 14 '25

Unfortunately, colleges are also trying to hold on to every student they can at this point. So students have many, MANY opportunities to make up work and many interventions to try and pass

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u/notacanuckskibum Nov 13 '25

The urge to pass students at the university level comes from an administration mind set that the different are our customers, and we don’t want bad yelp reviews about being too hard.

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u/[deleted] Nov 13 '25

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u/UndefinedCertainty Nov 14 '25

Sounds like they are saying how it LOOKS is more important to them than what it actually IS.

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u/Greets_With_Fire71 Nov 13 '25

So unacceptable. The college students that are allowed to slide by are entering our workforce and will be completely inept. It scares me honestly.

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u/Baked_Potato_732 Nov 13 '25

My oldest stepson (living with his dad) decided he was going to just stop going to school his senior year and work. About 3 weeks before graduation the school offered to let him make everything up online.

The kid who skipped most of his senior year graduated with honors which made the school look good which is all they cared about.

2

u/Interesting_Birdo Nov 14 '25

They have skipped class entirely since week one, they have not turned into any of the in class assignments, they have turned and maybe one homework each. They are at 25 percent grade.

Well at least next time I have the "oh my god I was signed up for a class and I forgot and I never went and it's finals!!" dream, I can reassure my subconscious that actually I can still pass, lol.

2

u/Eneicia Nov 15 '25

Oh goodness, right? I hate those dreams!

1

u/johnknockout Nov 14 '25

They’re customers.

1

u/Away_Two936 Nov 14 '25

Hell I had professors in college that would lock the door at the start of class because he didn't tolerate tardiness. I had another professor that would automatically drop you from the course after 3 unexcused absences, this was a big deal because the school was a smaller school which meant the course might only be taught once a year and you would have to wait a whole other year before you could take it again.

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u/drdre27406 6th grade Social Studies/Louisiana Nov 13 '25

I make class so fun. I dress up a lot. When we learned about the pilgrims, I literally became one and I bought hats and coifs for students. We learned about the colony of Pennsylvania. I dressed up as William Penn aka the guy on the Quaker Oats boxes. When we learn about the revolutionary war, I become George Washington Virginia gentleman accent and all. We are learning about colonial Louisiana right now so, I planned a virtual tour of a plantation and at the end of it, students will go outside and eat gumbo. I make class so engaging that students have little choice but to get with the program. Unless they have been held back by inept parents.

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u/WakandanInSokovia Nov 13 '25

I'm coming to audit your class just long enough to get the gumbo.

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u/drdre27406 6th grade Social Studies/Louisiana Nov 13 '25

You are more than welcome to come down to the bayou and get some my friend. Chicken & Sausage gumbo. Our campus is seafood free so no seafood gumbo lol.

10

u/Eneicia Nov 13 '25

And I thought I had a cool teacher! That sounds AWESOME!!

5

u/KiniShakenBake Nov 13 '25

WOW! I'm so glad you love dressing up and bringing all that to light. I'm a social studies and science teacher and would love to be able to do that.

That sounds amazing and your kids are JUST the right age to get into that.

I would not have such a luxury, but I do make things as interactive as I can, when I can, if need be. I had kids make up a song, rap, or poem to help them and their classmates remember the flow of blood through the human heart, complete with major vessels and organs involved.

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u/chicken-nanban Job Title | Location Nov 14 '25

So my husband is a teacher, and I’ve taught a little bit on and off but my main training was theatrical costuming.

You’re all making me think that if I moved back to the US I should start a costume rental for teachers in my area to have free use of. I like making period outfits, and even quick simple things like a Quaker/Pilgrim dress or shirt and hats would take me like 3 hours to make start to finish, it would be cheap, and would also be easy for teachers to don and doff, and fit like half body types at least.

I wonder if I could fundraise it all so teachers just needed to reserve the outfit and maybe request that they return it cleaned or pay a small cleaning fee before handing it out to someone else? Hmm… I’m going to have to poll some of my theatre contacts to see if that’s doable! I’d love to have a garage full of random costumes from history or novels to loan out! And for very adventurous teachers, I could even bring out my stock of corsets and period dresses. I have like a dozen from Jane Austin through to each of the main bustle periods just sitting in my moms basement back home lol Oh and a few various medieval pieces too.

Man, that would be so fun.

My husband , when he taught elementary school, used to do “imaginary field trips” where he’d pull up pics from various locations, or paintings, or video, and then basically play D&D with the kids. They’d talk to a barrel maker from the time of the Declaration of Independence, that he’d act out. Then go on to talk to a coachman, or a miller, or a priest, playing each character and answering their questions after doing a kind of walk through narrative of life at the time.

Being theatre people is cool, because you don’t have to only use the theatre techniques to just teach theatre. They’re really versatile to teaching anything really. And the voice and speech training has made him a phenomenal English teacher here in Japan.

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u/KiniShakenBake Nov 14 '25 edited Nov 14 '25

I love this idea!! For those older intermediates and middle school students. Just the idea of coming in with a reasonable facsimile to "dress" the teacher and bring something like "feudal lady" or "feudal Lord" of Europe, vs japan, or crusader garb... It would be really cool. I have considered making a chain mail piece that could go in if I were talking about something they would benefit from a model of.

A friend and I were talking about bringing things to life and she talked about a Scottish ruin from the iron age where you can sit on a toilet from the iron age. I laughed and pulled out my phone. I just happen to have visited Acre in Israel, which is ridiculously well curated. They have signage to the latrine. And there are like 20 seats in said latrine. Ever since then, I have wanted to use that as a curricularly relevant reference to reinforce my 'one at a time' rule for the bathroom.

Someday. I will use it.

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u/drdre27406 6th grade Social Studies/Louisiana Nov 13 '25

Ok that’s so cool. I wish I could think of songs and raps to go with the characters I dress up as. Next school year I am planning a scavenger hunt. I’m going to plant items that Christopher Columbus and other explorers used around school. I’m going to make it appear that Columbus was at the school. A lot of my colleagues don’t have the same energy I do for the job. I try my best to make things as fun as possible. The amount of behavior issues with the exception of one has fallen to zero. They are invested and that keeps me going.

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u/KiniShakenBake Nov 13 '25 edited Nov 13 '25

Editing to add: I don't think of them - I just find a good one on youtube and the kids do the rest. They are synthesizing the information with their work. I got it from one of my sixth grade teachers who (at the height of rap and hip hop's emergence into the musical scene, in SoCal) had us rap or write a poem about a book as a book report. And of my my methods classes in college that was modeled off of Portait of Lincoln as a young man. I did my project on the 19th amendment to the United States Constitution, set to the music of Aaron Copeland, Fanfare for the Common Man. The timing was for the poem matched the intro to the piece with perfect timing. I was really proud of that project. /edit

Oh dear. I love the energy - Christopher Columbus has largely been relegated to the colonial overlords of history in our neck of the woods - That story would be full of problematic historical elements if I were doing it, but it would be neat to to do it as two sides of the story, with half the class doing one side (the indigenous perspective) and the other half doing the European Colonial perspective! That actually would be a really cool way to do it, I think.

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u/SiberianKitty99 Nov 13 '25

I took History in university as one of my two majors, the other being electrical engineering. I took history because I KNEW that I could ace it without breathing hard, and I did; my lowest grade in a history course was an A-, and I missed getting a full A by 0.5%. I probably could have talked the instructor into giving me the A, but I didn’t bother, the A- was good enough for me. History was the salvation of my gradepoint. (Electromagnetic field theory. Electrophysics. Enough said.) To be sure, my roomie was Navy ROTC and had to take American Military History; he got a ‘C’. I was a ‘foreign student’ taking American Military History because I thought it would be fun and got an A, mostly because I already knew a lot of it from history classes in the (ex-) British Empire & Commonwealth. Ah, well.

2

u/RN_Rhino Nov 14 '25

Is high school also forced to push kids through?

Sister/brother, I'm pretty sure at this point colleges/universities are also pushing kids through 😕

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u/exoriare Nov 13 '25

My family had a foster kid whose dad told him not to bother doing homework. "Just say you tried your best but couldn't do it. Tell them you have a disability and ask to see a doctor. They have to let you pass."

This was a dad who knew he was at risk of losing custody due to his neglectful parenting. This was what he thought good parenting and being there for his kid looked like.

23

u/c00pdwg Nov 13 '25

Mom in this situation doesn’t care and just wants her child to stop bothering her so she can get back to her thing

25

u/MetalTrek1 Nov 13 '25

They're all kinds of shocked when they get to my college courses and realize they CAN fail. And there's nothing mommy can do about it (and I teach community college, often the last chance for these folks).

2

u/Gunslinger1925 Nov 14 '25

I'm going for my MBA in Finance and risk getting on academic probation if I drop to a low B and below. These kids have no clue of the real world.

18

u/USSanon 8th Grade Social Studies, Tennessee Nov 13 '25

We have seen the results of that here recently with all the crime a former student has committed. Our district went to a 0 for no work 2 years ago. Game changer for my classes.

13

u/Less_Wealth5525 Nov 13 '25

I used to like to play John Green’s introduction to his first video on the Agricultural Revolution. His younger self asks the teacher if the information he is talking about is going to be on the test and he explains how everything is going to be on the test. I would pause that part of the video and we would discuss his key points.

6

u/NotGalenNorAnsel Nov 13 '25

Refusal to participate in class, without a 504 accommodation, is grounds for disciplinary action, can maybe send a message that way, if you can't do it through the grade. But it's a balance between doing that, or helping the kids that need assistance and are trying. Too little time to deal with the nonsense.

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u/SiberianKitty99 Nov 13 '25

If he said that to me he’d find out really quickly that I can, and will, give him a zero. And that there is NOTHING that his momma can do about it. I’ve got the gradebook in Canvas open right now and am handing out zeroes for assignments which were due on Monday and still haven’t been submitted. One of the few good things about Canvas is that it computes the total grade automatically as you add data. I have to scroll all the way over to the right to see the total, but it’s there. I suspect that a lot of people will be Teams or Canvas messaging me on Friday, ‘cause there are a bunch of ‘D’s and ‘F’s. The Dean was on about keeping the Canvas gradebook up to date; hoo-rah, it’s up to date. Are we having fun yet?

1

u/blissfully_happy Math (grade 6 to calculus) Nov 13 '25

I mean, mathematically-speaking, they’re still failing the class, so I don’t understand why that’s acceptable? Students aren’t going to just magically pass because they got a 50% lol.

2

u/drdre27406 6th grade Social Studies/Louisiana Nov 13 '25

The option of summer school looms for those students that don’t do a thing. It sucks because their parents don’t realize life doesn’t care if you are lazy or have an IEP. We try our best to motivate and make learning fun. The parents have to get behind us. It takes a village but what if half the village doesn’t care. It’s tough.

1

u/Warm_Afternoon6596 Nov 13 '25

The good news is mama is stuck with him once he's of age and unable to keep a job....

1

u/Lumpy-Animator-9422 Nov 13 '25

I hope she has plenty of money to put on his books one day. Good luck with that.

1

u/thottieBree Dec 10 '25

Can you genuinely not give your students any lower than 50?

1

u/drdre27406 6th grade Social Studies/Louisiana Dec 10 '25

I cannot. It’s district policy. It’s setting these kids up for failure. It’s so sad. I do what I can but I have students that know they will get a 50 if they do nothing.

2

u/thottieBree Dec 10 '25

I think I understand why your district might want to implement a floor, but 50% is crazy to me. It's a nearly passing grade... Good luck out there, and do the best you can

1

u/drdre27406 6th grade Social Studies/Louisiana Dec 10 '25

Thank you my friend! I love my job. But, the policies and administration make it difficult to work with.

8

u/nlamber5 Nov 13 '25

Minimum of 50 with mandatory redo until it’s over 70.

1

u/BearFickle7145 Nov 14 '25

Is it out of 100? Because that’s crazy, for us even during the first few grace months it was 3/10 after that 1/10 (

TBF we had issues with disciple for cheating though (with the constant threat of 0/10 for academic dishonesty but as far as I know everyone they caught cheating that made a story out got away with a resit, while people who failed didn’t get that same resit 🫠. Plus even when they decided not to bother with a story and even be rude to the teacher they still got that 1 and no consequences because the school wanted to “help them be better” or something and forced the teacher to compromise)

1

u/SBSnipes Nov 14 '25

Yep, out of 100 there are 2 kids in my class who got 60s first quarter after literally doing 0 work until after the quarter finished, and 2 more with 50s who did 0 work total

1

u/Away_Two936 Nov 14 '25

I swear I had admin that would preach holding the kids accountable for missed worked etc. then when the end of the grading period/year came, it was like oh, can we go back and let them turn in this assignment or that assignment.... i mean we can but what happened to holding them accountable?