A student stares down at the daunting red “F” stamped on her Algebra test. What’s the first thing to escape her mouth? “My math teacher can’t teach! This is so unfair!” Immediately, the girl proceeds to accuse every possible outlet that supposedly caused her recent failure. Her teacher is evil and writes exceedingly difficult tests to torture students. She couldn’t concentrate on studying because of her neighbor’s annoying trumpet practices that persist for a full twenty minutes every day. Of course the producers of her favorite TV show are also to blame. Why did they have to air such addicting episodes? How despicable. The most likely culprits, however, are definitely the inventors of Facebook. What were they thinking creating something that is so distracting? Didn’t they know her math grade was at stake here? Geez. The world is full of blameworthy, inconsiderate people. Unsurprisingly, the last person the girl thinks of finding fault in is herself.
    Yes, it is always easy to find a scapegoat; but while it may seem harmless and convenient at the time, in the end the only person who suffers is you. Many high school students resort to blaming their teachers for their less than satisfactory grades. They tend to avoid responsibility like the plague and refuse to acknowledge their own mistakes. Some advice: Accusing a math teacher of being “the worst teacher ever” is not going to motivate you to study harder, and it certainly will not salvage your grade in the class. On the other hand, if you just simply accept the blame yourself and recognize your shortcomings, a better report card is already within reach.
    It is very difficult for a teacher to cater to every student’s learning style, and it is true that some instructors may be better at explaining new concepts than others. However, if you know you do not understand the material, do something about it. Schedule a one-on-one tutoring session, seek help from fellow classmates, or actually use tutorial time for its intended purpose rather than wasting it on meaningless chatter. Most importantly, realize what you’re doing wrong and correct your approach.
    The excuse “my teacher can’t teach” is too often used by high school students to justify low scores and lackluster commitment. Regardless of how well an educator is able to teach the curriculum, it is ultimately up to you, as a student, to take responsibility for your grades and education.