Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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/ 1/ Al GRADE BY ROGER BOWERSOCK, PH. D. Counseling Bureau Food, water, protection, love - these are the things we all valued as infants and even into early childhood. But somehwere along the line we are taught that there are other things in life which have value and consequently are worth seeking. Money, praise, education, and grades are but a few. Mone3 of course has no value in itself, but is valuable in that it may be ex changed for a variety of things. But what about grades? Why do we value and strive for them? Some students will say they "don't give a damn" about grades and wish that grades didn't exist. Many other students however feel grades are important and they strive to obtain a high scholastic average. This type of student is often characterized as being "highly motivated" or "ambitious." There is a strong possibility though that even this latter type student doesn't desire the grade as much as he thinks he does. When a student says he wants 'A's and B's and a high scholastic average maybe what he really means is that he must avoid C's and NC's and a low scholastic average. Although the reasons for this are varied in nature it is a general principle that we avoid those things we fear. Some students feel they are intrinsically worthless and useless if they are not high achievers but this is really irrational thinking since intrinsic worth Is not a function of a grade. Those who feel AMDUGCO.WL LME t.AN .PRoPoS. . . A 1 -- OLISH GRADES? MY STOCK IN1 A4P DRUG CO. WILL PLUMMET! :S......Avoiding we cross the stree inadequate socially (Believe fear of) getting I they're losers and inferior; often instance works tc attempt to compensate because in a very i academically (become a winner a life - and - deat and superior). Any person in this stituation. Acader situation is fearful of course, and fear probably again they are trying to avoid a disadvantage. Of very unpleasant feeling. The fear is the most c compensation in turn rarely works Fear leads to because it is an attempt to use ception called academics to solve a non-academic where the indiv problem. functionally blia: Naturally there are other proportion of the possible negative consequenges to ceptual field. It t< be avoided. Some students are thinking that is very fearful about not living up to scope, and rigid other peoples expectations of them students experien and consequently strive to avoid form of apprehens criticism from these significant uncertainity, in others. And what about job op- person has a feelir portunities? Everyone knows impending disaste competition is keen and only those spare us physiologi with the best academic records rather causes dii will get the choice jobs, which is sympathetic nerv4 another reason to avoid those low upsetting our horn grades. Similarly only excellent This imbalance in 1 scholastic records may be ex- emotional probi changed for an entrance pass into depression, neu graduate school. Fear of being moodiness, et cete denied such entrance is simply one In one sense more reason for avoiding low perceive themselv< grades. teacher. The t4 So what can we conclude from munition is the gra this? First of all it is important to deadly because ii realize that not all students are ceived as psych operating out of fear. But for those social death. who are, perhaps we have a new And the solution' definition of a grade: "a reflection that we should of a student's ability to avoid the grades does not so things he fears." since this has been Is it bad to operate out of fear? and nothing has be Perhaps we should simply ask nor does it appeai whether it works to our advantage will be done aboul or disadvantage. We look before future. (FACLLTYL 7Z 'HE GREEN the things we fear t to avoid (or for it. Fear in this In the meantime maybe some of our advantage the following meaasures might real sense this is possibly be of benefit: a environmental 1. Minimizing the experience of riically speaking fear. The student is exposed to a works to our teacher who refrains from reliance all the emotions upon terror as a method of getting onstricting. him to study. The teacher believes a form of per. and communicates to the student tunnel vision", that fear is noxious and not to be Idual becomes involved except under emergency i to a large conditions. potential per- 2. The teacher makes restitution ends to produce for fear. If the teacher has low, narrow in willingly or unknowingly in form. Most frightened the student he genuinely ce fear in the communicates to the student that ion, uneasiness, this was not his intention. security. The 3. Tolerance for fear per se is g of danger and taught. Ideally of course this r. Fear does not should be done long before the cally either, but student reaches college. However icharge of the it is not too late in college to teach is system thus the student not to be overwhelmed ostatic balance. by the experience, to accept it as urn may lead to part of the external environment, ems such as and to master it. This of course rotic anxiety, presupposes a teacher who is ra. somewhat at home with his own students may fears. as at war with a 4. Counteraction against the hacher's am- source of fear is taught. The de and it can be student is desensitized to both the may be per- experience and source of fear )logical and-or through cognitive restructuring. Perhaps only specialized Simply saying psychological help will be effective do away with here for some students. yve the problem 5. Genuine concern that the proposed before student not become chronically en done about it anxious (fearful). The teacher, that anything upon detecting such signs, refers it i the near the student for help before his