It’s All About Choice
By Kara , 8th grade, speech given at the National Middle Schools Association Convention
November 2003
Hardly a week goes by at the River School when I do not hear the words, “It’s all about choice.” Whether they come from a teacher, one of the students, or Mrs. Inlay, the words are spoken. Now when the words come from a student or a teacher, they are usually teasing – we’ve heard the phrase so often from our principal that it has grown very familiar. But, however lightly it can be said, It continues to have a powerful meaning. The concept applies not only to our school’s discipline and grading system, but to life in general.
Yes, discipline and grading here at the River School are definitely different that those at other middle schools. However, they are not drastically different. It is the way we approach them and enforce them that set them apart from the other schools.
Our discipline system can also be called our “agreement system.” This system can be better understood by considering another phrase that is related with our school motto. It is “Behavior is a choice - choices have consequences.” Students and teachers come to “agreements” at the beginning of each year. These agreements are the rules at River School. The boundaries of discipline are clearly marked; it is entirely up to the student what he or she chooses to do. The choice, for example, to not do one’s homework might lead to poor grades, summer school, even retention, but the students are making the choice for themselves, not the teacher making it for them.
Choice also works for our method of grading and/or evaluation. If a student does not complete an assignment, that is the student’s choice. Students are respected enough to make choices for themselves. They are not given detention or kept in at recess for missing work. The importance of choice is again apparent here. The idea is that the student is given the choice what he or she wants to do, and then must deal with the consequences.
This philosophy, as I mentioned earlier, applies not only to our school life, but to the bigger picture: life in general. In school, kids will get the choice whether or not turn in their math homework. But later in life, they will be faced with bigger choices: should I try marijuana? should I drink this beer? should I ditch class today? And even later in life, when kids become adults, the choices will be bigger, and have even more life-impacting results: should I accept this job? should I marry this person? should I move to this place?
If kids learn about their own power, their power of decision now, when they are still young; it will prepare their minds when they are adults. If kids at the River School are clearly looking at their options when faced with a problem, they will do so when they are older. Today, I’m weighing my options and observing my consequences whether or not to chew gum during class. Tomorrow, I’m weighing my options and observing my consequences whether or not to smoke marijuana. If a person learns to look at their options clearly and intelligently, it will enable them to make better decisions, to make better choices, in the future.
That is why it is all about choice.