Real talk...
Some here may know that I teach our local electrical apprenticeship and have been doing it since 2010.
3 years ago, we had a change at training director for a man 10 years my senior to one 11 years younger then me (he was 26 at the time). Ultimately, the doesn't completely matter, but I do feel there is a stark difference in teaching approach and philosophy that he brought with him.
I'll come right out and say that for the most part, our curriculum is pretty straight forward and I feel that with effort, most people can pass my class. Over the years, I've only had a few failing students and every one of them failed because they refused to put in the effort. The former training director was stern with these guys. With well over 400 applicants to the program yearly, and only 5 positions available, we don't take it lightly when an apprentice refuses to do the work. Program policy is that an apprentice is on probation for the duration of their first year, break a couple of specific rules and you're out of the program, no exceptions.
This is how it was, this is how it has always been, this is what I went through when I was first in.
2014 I had two horrible apprentices that simply refused to do the work, after months of effort on my part to bring them in line, I flunked them both. Before the new training director's hiring, this would have been met with the immediate dismissal of the two of them. This time around however, there was a tribunal where the two got to go speak in their defense...I was not invited. Without so much as a single question to me concerning their homework, tests grades, personal statements, and overall attitude towards the program, it was decided the fault fell on me as an instructor and that I had failed the two students.
After it was all said and done, I was informed of this decision and told that I would have to take the two of them on for a summer session to tutor them and give them failed tests until they could pass them. It took nearly two months of my summer to do this. Both treated me like a complete asshole the entire time.
Being blamed for their failure hit me hard. I have taught, and passed many people over my years, both in the classroom and in the field. Having my name drug through the mud by those two students, and the new training director allowing it, really got to me. (Ironically, both of them were "starved out" by trade contractors before they could graduate. I had no hand in it, they were both deemed to be the scumbags I knew they were.)
I'll say that I'm not the only one to receive this either, there are 8 other instructors and in the years since, they too have gone through the same thing. Failed students whining and being allowed to blame it on the teacher.
I'll admit that I haven't failed a student since...and I'm to the point now where I feel so ashamed about it that this may be my last year teaching. I want to help those to learn and succeed, but on the other hand I need the ability to allow failure for those that deserve it. If I cannot do this, I don't think I want to be a part of it anymore.
I recently caught wind that a person who I highly respect had abruptly quit his position as a professor at a local college. I happened to run into him last weekend and he very passionately told me that his reason for leaving was the very same thing that I went through. After decades of teaching, he was having his name, and reputation drug through the mud when he would fail a deserving student. He told me that time and time again, the blame for the student's failing would be placed on him, and the student would be brought to a passing grade. He told me that he finally had enough and walked away from the job.
So...I said I had a question for educators, and here it is: Are you seeing this? Is this happening to you? If so, how have you been dealing with it?
I'm very frustrated about this and although I'd like to keep teaching, I'm not sure how to proceed.
