Are establishing deadlines worth the panic attacks?
Who benefits from deadlines? Do they really represent the real world?
A recent article in my daily stack of stuff asks a simple but powerful question, “will flexibility around due dates deliver a reprieve for stressed-out students—or ruin them for real-world work?” Take a moment and think about it. Did deadlines trigger stress, panic attacks, and a lack of “proper” executive function?
“For many educators, strict adherence to deadlines is just one of many important skills they expect students to master before entering college and the world of work. “There is a camp that believes that setting deadlines and meeting deadlines is a life skill, and if we don’t hold kids accountable in K–12, then they won’t know how to perform in jobs …”
But …
“In the much-cited “real world,” however, when a challenge to an anticipated timeline arises, colleagues often meet to discuss how to work with it, whether more people will need to join the task, or which due dates need to be revised. (Plus, few adult workers have as many as eight people they must report to, with separate policies, as students do with their teachers.) …” - ed: emphasis mine.
You know, they’re right. Managing a full schedule, with eight bosses, is a bit much for those under 18, especially if they’re autistic. Sure they might have a IEP, but that doesn’t help establish equity in grading and assignment due dates.
Check out the article for yourself. Let me know what you think in the comments below.