Chapter Ten: Conditions for Redoing Work for Full Credit

Chapter ten of Fair Isn't Always Equal tackles the difficult issue of redoing assignments. The chapter explains many things an educator can do in order to make redoing work more manageable. The first method is requiring the redone work to be completed at the teacher's discretion. Reserving the right to rescind a retake brings up the opportunity to discuss the problem with the student and make sure that they get back on track. If a retake is necessary, then the teacher should allow the student to do so. However, teachers should have the parents of the child sign the original work, in order to ensure that the families are involved in their child's academic careers, as well as hold the students accountable for their work. The second method suggests that teachers need to keep in mind that the students want to be treated like adults. I remember that when I was a student, I disliked when teachers always treated us like little kids. They never made us take responsibility and when we tried to, they would sometimes put us down for not passing in the assignment on time due to us trying to complete the work correctly. In the "real world", adults are given more time and second chances all the time, as long as it is not a chronic incident. The third method is for teachers to change the format for redone work and assessments. By changing the task, students will be more responsible for thier learning- there is a greater chance of deep-seeded learning. Above all, teachers must always communicate with their students. I found this to be very valuable because I want to help my students figure out what they can do to catch up without making them feel that they have to learn at a certain pace.