Hello Beautiful People,
People. Baffle. My. Mind.
Truly.
Before I dive into this, let me rewind.
My parents, now retired, were public school teachers for over thirty years. My father, when he wasn’t teaching, was directing a show in a theater somewhere on Long Island and/or New York City (hey, it’s genetic). My mother taught AP Spanish, got home at around five, and still managed to cook a home cooked meal every night, be there for every dance recital and various athletic event, and she was even my Girl Scout Troupe leader! (Yes, I was a Girl Scout. Not for long, but still.)
Needless to say, they raised my brother and me with a tremendous work ethic. Work hard. Work honest. If you can, do what you love. Find your passion. Be kind. Be respectful. Treat others how you want to be treated. Make sure your work is genuine. Honest. Something you can be proud of. Did I mention honest?
Now, everyone who reads The Write Teacher(s) knows what I do. And if you don’t, well, you can peruse these pages and catch up. Because really, I’m here to talk about my brother. He’s the science guru of the family. He has an undergraduate degree in Biology. A Master’s degree in Pharmacology. And soon, he’ll be starting an M.D. program at Tulane University.
And, while I am most certainly the proudest big sister, make no mistake – he deserves every single bit of this success. Every. Single. Bit. It didn’t come right away, and it wasn’t an easy road, for nobody handed this to him, but it was a journey worth taking.
Now, while he waits for med school to begin, he’s working at a Pharmaceutical Lab. And while he’s not working at the lab, he tutors.
Which brings me to the point of this #AskATeach installment.
He recently had an inquiry about his tutoring services.
The student was a young parent, taking biology, and not within commuting distance from our home. My brother assured said student that he conducted other tutoring sessions with students via Skype, and it works quite nicely.
This student clarified – he/she did not need my brother to TUTOR them, but rather, take the tests, participate in online discussions, and write papers for him/her.
I’m sorry…WHAT?!
Perhaps this was just a fluke. People couldn’t be this…unethical, right? RIGHT?
…wrong.
The next day, my brother received another inquiry. From a different student.
“I’m studying organic chemistry, and I just don’t have the time to put into the class. Can you take the test for me? The professor won’t be there. It’ll be a sub. I’ll pay you well.”
Again, WHAT?!
Appalled. I am…appalled.
I don’t even know where to begin.
What is WRONG WITH THIS SITUATION? What ever happened to ethics? Morals? How do you expect to stand on your own two feet if you can’t even be responsible to take your own exam? How do you dare expect to have the rights and privileges and honor of working in the medical field without putting in the time and effort it takes to achieve such accolades?
Shame. On. You.
I’m reminded of a student I had a couple of years ago, who, post graduation, just wanted a job that would start at $80,000 a year. But she didn’t wan to go to school. And she didn’t want to study. And she didn’t want to go to college. Or graduate school.
She just wanted the $80,000.
OH. GEE. WHY DIDN’T I THINK OF THAT!
Children of the world, teenagers of the world, young adults coming up the ranks – listen up. I don’t know who told you there is such a thing as easy money. There isn’t. I don’t know who told you that cheating your way through college is acceptable – it isn’t. And it will catch up with you, that much I promise. I don’t know who told you that reading or writing wasn’t something to be valued – I could write a novel about the ills of that statement.
I don’t know who told you hard work is not something to be scoffed at, for nothing could be further from the truth; it’s something to be admired. Respected. Honored.
You’d rather pay someone than take a test yourself and earn your own grade?
Here’s a tip.
Step away from Facebook. Put down your iPhone. Stop playing Candy Crush.
Go to the library, and open a book – you might actually learn something.
Live, Love, Learn,