Preparing to Apologize to A Room Full of Teenagers

So, hey! There’s nothing like REAL LIFE to help us to practice our biblical peacemaking skills, right? Who needs a mediation to keep her conciliator skills sharp? Not I said the little red hen. Instead, I’ll just face my inadequacies (related to my, ahem, so-called teaching of a geography class) and prepare to make a thorough confession to a bunch of teenagers tomorrow.

Time to review the Seven A’s of Confession:

1. Address everyone involved (all those whom you affected): I’ll be apologizing first, in private, to a young man and his mother because my error is really most deeply wronging them. I will explain the situation and ask for their mercy. Then I’ll apologize to the entire class AND to the young man in front of the class. Then I’ll email the other moms and apologize too.

2. Avoid if, but, and maybe (do not try to excuse your wrongs): I’ll have to be careful on this one because I know that I am only partially responsible for what happened. (It has to do with me failing to communicate in such a way that I could not be misunderstood; and with me failing to be as diligent as I should have been with tracking all assignments and grades. But it also has to do with a few missteps by a few students too.)

3. Admit specifically (both attitudes and actions): This shouldn’t be a hard “A” for me because I believe that I know what I did wrong and I’m truly sorry about it. And no matter what, I can’t imagine any student or parent thinking that I intentionally hurt anyone. I may not know anything about geography, but I really love these young people and their families. And I am confident that they know that.

4. Acknowledge the hurt (express sorrow for hurting someone): Again, shouldn’t be a problem. I feel bummed about the whole situation.

5. Accept the consequences: The students and their families might find it harder to trust me this semester (so I’m going to have to work extra hard to be “on it” related to grades and to be super careful that we’re all on the same page). The one young man (who actually ACED every assignment and met every single goal) may have a hard time forgiving me because, basically, by extending mercy to the other students, his excellence is not being as highly “rewarded.” Still, I’m hoping we can work through this. After all, how high can a high A be? 😉

6. Alter your behavior: Got it. On it. Killer spreadsheet already made for this semester (and signed off on by engineer hubby because I skew verbal, not quant).

7. Ask for forgiveness. Yup. That’s how I’m starting my Tuesday. How about you?