Science- I went to school every year during freshman year, worried that I'd miss something important.
- That turned into me having perfect attendance for all four years of high school.
I went to school every day during freshman year because I was afraid I'd miss something important. Then after earning perfect attendance that first year, I did the same sophomore and junior years. At some point, I felt I had to finish all four years with perfect attendance. By senior year, I thought, "Surely, people will be impressed." They weren't.
I attended school no matter what, including when I broke my foot playing basketball in my driveway on a Sunday night. I went to school on Monday, hobbling around, even before I had seen the doctor or had X-rays. After school, I saw the doctor and got a cast and crutches. I still went to school the next day and every day after. My parents told me I could've stayed home, yet I chose to go.
It seems foolish now, but at the time, it felt important to go to school under all circumstances.
In the end, it wasn't worth it
The prize for having perfect attendance for four years was $75. But in my graduation class, another classmate and I had perfect attendance for all four years. So that meant we had to split the prize. I guess even the school didn't expect more than one student to have perfect attendance for four years straight. I got $37.50 and I can't even remember how I spent it.
The all-or-nothing approach was flawed. Sure, I attended every session of every class, even ones I didn't like, but I know now that missing a few lessons or a day or two of school would have been OK. It wouldn't have set me back the whole semester or year as I feared.
I didn't have perfect attendance in years prior. But when I was sick and stayed out of school, I only missed a few days. My mother was a nurse, and I couldn't fake sickness for her.
Schools should encourage attendance without aiming for perfection
It's true that good attendance is linked to better performance at school. But I'm not talking about chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of the school year. I'm talking about missing a day or two, as needed.
Schools want students to attend so they can better their education and the schools can get funding. But I think schools should encourage "great" or "excellent" attendance, not perfect attendance. Too much attention is placed on perfection.
The pandemic showed us why going to school when you're sick is a bad idea. And anyone who has ever gone to school or work while not feeling well — whether that's a headache or a cold or something else — knows just showing up can be extra draining. Rest is good. It can help kids (and adults) learn better and be more productive.
I have two kids in school now, and while I encourage them to have excellent attendance, I also know that sometimes they need time off. Besides, what lesson am I showing my kids if I advise them never to take days off? They need to learn to find balance in the real world. We don't need overworked, burned-out kids or adults.
Incentivizing perfect attendance may seem like a good idea to encourage kids to show up daily, but it can be misguided. Instead, we should reward kids for good or excellent attendance and applaud them for recognizing that we all have limits and need a break, physically or mentally, once in a while.
Looking back, I wouldn't have perfect attendance again. If I had to do it over, I would stay home when I needed the rest. Besides, it didn't mean anything. Nowadays, my perfect attendance is just a fun fact or an icebreaker.