April 2, 2008

Triangulation: The Inept Teacher's Best Friend

Posted by Aaron Tang at 4:31PM

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Triangulation. It is a practice that I never realized took place in schools, at least not to the degree that it happens in my school.

The best way to explain it is to start with why it happens. It happens because incompetent teachers often have a moral compass, despite their lack of interest in enriching the minds of their students. This moral compass manifests itself roughly four times a year, right around the time when grades are due for report cards.

The moral compass cries out to a teacher if the only lessons they have imparted to their 8th grade science class this quarter involve coloring sheets and word searches. It cries out in a panic, 'How do I know what grade to give this student!?! I don't want to fail a student who is actually a good worker, and I don't want to reward a student who is actually a slacker. But how can I tell, if I've never given homework, graded in-class work, or asked my students to take a test?' Without any real concept of a student's academic ability, work ethic, or improvement, the inept teacher turns to his colleagues and pulls out a saving tool: triangulation.

Because a teacher at my school can see what grades a student is earning in their other classes, I am sad to report that many of the teachers base their grades solely on the grades that students are earning in other classes. In other words, they "triangulate" and come up with a safe average. If student X is earning an A in social studies, a D in math, and a B in reading, then it would be a safe bet to give them a B- or C+ in science. In this way, a teacher shelters themselves from risk in two directions: students will not complain about their grades if they get the average of what they've received in other classes, and administrators will not be able to question outlying grades.

And the benefits do not stop there! When a teacher chooses to "triangulate" his or her grades, there is no need for grading papers, no need for giving out assignments, no real need to even design a lesson plan. Effort becomes unnecessary, and the entire school year can pass by with minimal stress (and minimal learning). These are, all too often, the kinds of teachers we have in our lowest-performing inner-city schools. I know, because I work with several of them.