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Navigating Student Privacy Within FERPA
David Tuttle
Not long ago, a CollegiateParent teammate with two children in college shared a great list: "Personal Qualities Not Measured by Tests or Grades." There are many such lists out there, some created by educators like this one — it's the kind of thing you print out and post to the fridge.
A few of us in the office who have kids in college (who we knew at that very moment were grinding for final exams) got a bit misted up, talking about how proud we were of our students and how we treasure them not for their accomplishments but for who they are as people.
It wasn't hard for us to come up with a list of qualities we admire in our kids. When we asked other friends with college students to contribute words for a CollegiateParent list, they quickly obliged.
In these last weeks and days of the academic term, we'll be taking every opportunity — during phone calls, in a text, or one last letter or card — to wish our kids luck on their final exams and also remind them that they are:
Younger co-workers confirmed how much words like these meant from their parents.
Kelsey: My parents instilled in me to never give up and to strive to be the best I can be at whatever I tackle. They would say I was the most determined individual they knew and that they were so proud of me. If I ever failed or was disappointed in myself for underperforming, they said I would always figure out a way to succeed the second time around.
Ben: My mom always used to tell me a couple of things that would relax me before a test. She would say if I tried my best, I should be proud no matter the outcome. She would also remind me that the most important thing was that I learned something, even if the test didn't go super well.
Felicia: Grades were important to my parents when I was in high school, but they always showed more praise when I excelled in a hobby over academics. They always told me they knew I was intelligent, but I shocked them when I picked up a new skill because I did that in my free time and when I wasn't being asked.
