School Certificate - a piece of paper with side effects

This week is again report card day. A date that immediately evokes old feelings in many. We still remember it well: the wait, the first look at the sheet of paper, the pride or the feeling of nausea in the stomach. Some came home confidently, others with the quiet hope that no one would look too closely. Testimonies are not easily forgotten.

Today, many of us are on the other side. As parents, grandparents or counsellors, we want children to get through life well. That they fulfil their possibilities, that doors are open to them. And of course performance plays a role in this. At the same time, the question remains: How do we actually deal well with grades – with praise, with disappointment, with expectations?

I remember a theatre bet at "Wetten, dass..?" Many years ago in Mainz. We were looking for teachers who themselves had a five in their report card in exactly the subject they teach today. There weren't insanely many – but more than I would have expected. A cheerful moment that continues to this day. Because he showed: school grades tell a story. But never the whole thing.

Certificates measure performance at a certain time. They say nothing about creativity, perseverance, courage or about where a person will develop. And they say nothing about the value of a person.

Perhaps this thought will help a little these days – when looking at the certificates, when talking about it, when taking a deep breath. Because not every five decides about the future. And neither does an A. Both are snapshots. Life usually writes much longer and more surprising stories.

Author: Pastor Martina Klein