Benefit of doubt.

“Aaina, please correct these French 1 tests,” Madame Sigg said in fourth period today. I am her TA (Teacher’s Assistant) during fourth period. I grade tests for her, correct homework and all that kind of stuff. So, when I finally sat down correcting those french 1 tests, I couldn’t decide whether I should take half a point off for each little spelling mistake or not.

“Madame, should I take points off for spelling mistakes?” I asked. “Spelling mistakes are not that big of a deal, it’s just french 1, just give them the benefit of doubt,” she said and continued writing on the board. After thinking about it, I wanted to ask her what “benefit of doubt” meant. But I didn’t. Since she said that spelling mistakes were not that big of a deal, I decided not to take points off, but what in the world did she mean when she said “give them the benefit of doubt”?

I came home and my dad, (stupendous) brother and I went to get the grocery in the evening. In the car, all of a sudden, I remembered the phrase and asked my brother what it meant. “It’s like if Sachin Tendulkar is going to be run-out and the cameras couldn’t quite catch it and they aren’t sure if he’s out or not, they will give him the benefit of doubt as in they will let him remain not out by giving him the benefit of the doubt that they had,” he explained sounding very intelligent and actually making sense.

I finally got what madame meant by saying that. She meant that if you have a doubt, don’t mark it down and give the students the benefit of doubt. I started explaining to myself and was satisfied with my explaination. It felt nice to learn something new that’s so basic. I mean, it’s simple english, I don’t know why I couldn’t understand what it meant.

Oh well, all’s well that ends well! I was glad to learn something new, even if it was something this basic.

Au revoir…
~Aaina.