Over the next few weeks, most American children will return to some kind of school.

For many, there will be a return to the misery of this past spring, when solitary worksheets replaced meaningful connection and challenge.

For others, however, misery has always been endemic to the school experience, pandemic or no. An assignment isn’t going to get done unless mom or dad are sitting there, managing the process like they’re trying to pull a pickup truck out of a ditch (with all of the exertion and feelings of frustration and inadequacy that implies).

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My niece, a fifth-grader, recently asked me what my students call me. She was surprised when I said that I have them call me by my first name and asked me why.

I did work in a traditional public district for a year, early in my career. I was the music teacher at two public schools, kindergarten through fourth grade. There, I went by Miss McCann, which is my maiden name. The previous teacher was Mrs. Caccavo, so for many of the little kids, my name was Mrs. McCavo. I felt like I had a separate identity — like Clark Kent turning into Superman, Casey turned into Mrs. McSomething.

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What goes into a grade?

Grades seem straightforward. The teacher gives the assignments and administers the test, and the results are up to the student. Success and failure are measurable and quantifiable.

A letter grade on a given assignment, test, or course implies that the onus is on the student to achieve a successful outcome. However, there are two problems with this: Success is defined narrowly as the attainment of a certain numerical score, and the teacher is never required to reflect on the student’s progress — only the score.

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A teacher reached out to colleagues to ask for help with her African-American males.

That’s what she said: “my African-American males.” Not male students — just “males.”

I applaud this teacher, who happens to be white, for asking for help in order to learn more about the experience of her students and how she can mentor them more effectively. Step one is to stop using the word “males” to identify them.

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Some people do “bits” every time they encounter a kid in a social situation.

You know: The whole “got your nose!” thing, or asking their favorite animal.

Maybe these people consider themselves to be “good with kids.” Others don’t, and avoid encountering a kid in a social situation.

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