“Excuse me, sir?” Joe timidly questioned the teacher just following his heated, hateful, and dishonoring rampage, humiliating all students that miss school because of extra-curricular activities. “Yes, Joe?” Questioned the teacher. “Well, you see, I’m going to miss school tomorrow for FFA. Are there any papers or anything I’m going to miss that I need to complete?” Just like Joe, having to deal with a teacher hating on extra-curricular activities, many have a very defined position on whether extra-curricular activities are helpful or harmful to a student’s attitude, personality, and education. Extra-curricular activities can be both helpful to a student’s personality by giving them opportunities to portray responsibility, and harmful by lessening their class and learning time.
Extra-curricular activities, including sports, UIL academics, and band, can increase one’s responsibility level and work ethic by giving him opportunities to take the lead and succeed. For example, when the young JV team missed two consecutive days of school, it was laid solely on their own shoulders to make up any classwork and homework missed. When do-or-die situations like these occur, one has the opportunity, if taken advantage of, to increase in responsibility and strengthen in work ethic. In addition, Bob, being the star FFA genius, misses about thirty days of school every year because of FFA competitions, workshops, and practices. In order to maintain his prestigious position, Bob has to strenuously, day-after-day, live, eat, breath, and sleep FFA, enhancing his maturity, responsibility level, and work ethic. Thus, as a result of making-up classwork and deciphering homework, responsibility is obtained by students “stepping-up-to-the-plate” regarding both grades and maturity.
However, when extra-curricular activities take away time from classes and lectures, students are commonly prone to decline academically or even fail, from absences for UIL purposes. For example, because Frank is a part of the state-champion-defending band, he has missed more than twenty-five school-days this year because of concerts and competitions. As a result of extra-curricular activities conflicting with school-days, many students stumble and struggle through many classes, especially core classes. In addition, Billy’s Ag. teacher frowns greatly upon students that miss school for any reason other than FFA. Thus, when Billy tells his Ag. teacher he’s missing Wednesday for a band trip, “Mr. Ag. teacher” gets mad. Because many students know or have at least one unapproving-of-extra-curricular-activities teacher, the student’s confidence level is immediately lowered. Therefore, by missing class time and having to endure negativity from some teachers, extra-curricular activities can hurt students’ education, decrease their work ethic, and lower their confidence level.
Just as Joe had to deal with the “disapproving-of-extra-curricular-activities” teacher, today’s students involved in extra-curricular activities need to know the reasons why they are, the pros and cons, and how to defend their position.