Why do less when you could do more?
Some classes at Grace have a reputation among students as particularly challenging. Here are the benefits of these classes.
Pictured Mr.Klebnikov’s Decline in Democracy and Rise of Authoritarian Populism class with a guest speaker. Media provided by Brian Reilly.
“Why would I voluntarily take a class that assigns so much work?” I’ve heard this sentiment echo throughout my time in high school. With all the pressure to get good grades and do well in extracurriculars, and eventually, make it into college, it’s understandable why most students shy away from the courses that have a reputation for being particularly rigorous. Why do more when you could do less, and still maintain a high GPA?
After surveying some seniors, it became clear that Michael Klebnikov’s history class is regarded as especially challenging because of its rigor. I interviewed both him and a few seniors who have taken his class to learn more about his philosophy and how students feel they have grown and benefited from opting into his courses.
From the jump, Mr. Klebnikov emphasized that one of his top priorities is to make his course as interesting and engaging to students as possible: “Students tend to work harder for teachers that they want to work for,” he said. “And so I mix in a lot of humor, I mix in stories, I tell a lot of stories, personal and otherwise.”
By focusing his energy towards fostering an engaging environment, he makes the workload feel much more manageable because his students are much more likely to feel inclined to put their time and effort into it.
Mr. Klebnikov also values building his students’ confidence. “As a teenager, I didn’t have a lot of confidence in myself and my abilities,” he said. “And I suspect that that’s something that a lot of students experience…I make my courses challenging because I want my students to gain the confidence that they’ve succeeded in doing something.”
This pedagogy goes against the stereotype that students value grades over being challenged. However, success doesn’t only come in the form of grades. Mr. Klebnikov believes that success comes from tackling a difficult challenge and, as a result, gaining confidence in yourself as a student and as a person.
Current seniors at Grace reaffirmed this sentiment. Jack C. ‘26 said that he felt like he became a much better critical thinker and writer in Mr. Klebnikov’s class, saying specifically that he now understands not only new ways to argue both sides of an argument, but also how to think more deeply about what’s behind the question that’s being asked. He also said that he is now able to read his books much more efficiently and effectively, grasping the important parts with the methods that he learned from Mr. Klebnikov.
Adrian K. ‘26 said that he felt that his time in Mr. Klebnikov’s class is one of the main reasons for his growth as a writer at Grace.
The lesson is this: take that risk and take that course that you’ve heard is hard. Your skills and your confidence will be better for it. In short, why do less when you could do more?
Ben A. ‘26 is a staff writer for The Grace Gazette.