Those Darn Skipping Seniors

So it would seem that today has been chosen (at my school at least) to exercise that timeless right of high school passage known as "Senior Skip Day."

Let me be brief and to the point: if you are one of those teachers who, when senior skip day arrives, finds yourself bent out of shape, lecturing on "student responsibility," giving impromptu pop-quizzes, and calling for mandatory suspension of all those hooligan skippers; you take yourself far too seriously. My advice to you is simple: take a deep breath, loosen the girdle, un-wad the undergarments, relax, and remember that we teach teenagers who (if all goes well) are only going to be high school seniors once.

The senior year of high school, as it should, comes with certain perks. Grad night, lock-ins, prom, and sunrise/sunset celebrations are among such perks. Teachers have no problem with any of these, so why the big deal about senior skip day? Is it because students are missing a day of school? So what? One day is not going to make or break a semester; and if it does, then you need to seriously re-evaluate your grading system. Besides, for teachers of seniors, this day should be like a holiday. It presents the perfect time to catch up on much needed grading, lesson planning, and general classroom upkeep; or better yet, set up a few desks in a circle and take the day to have some meaningful, small group discussions with the six or so students who show up. It's like an easy to manage mini-seminar.

The bottom line is that making it to the senior year of high school is a milestone in a student's life. It is an accomplishment which should be rewarded. Senior skip day is one day out of an entire school year... lighten up and let the students have fun and enjoy being seniors. The year will pass quickly, and once it's over it's over forever.