Self-Knowledge Is A Dangerous Thing

It's that time of year again, when I sadistically ask my fourth graders to write a persuasive letter to convince me to pass them on to the fifth grade. I say "sadistically" because I have already completed their report cards, and while I have several who are in need of the intervention of summer school, I won't be holding any of them back.
But they don't know that. Not yet.
I find it most interesting to see who takes their time, and who really states their case. There are always one or two that go above and beyond, and others that skip directly to begging. I was pleased to see that at least one of them even mentioned going on "to get a college education so I can get a good job." The fact that he also wrote, "that is why I should pass the forth grade," didn't keep me from being impressed.
I'm not going to hold anyone back because they misspelled something in the heat of their passion to persuade me how smart they are. Do I wish they would have been more "respectfull"? Yes. Do I wish they would have "lissened" more? You bet. And if they couldn't write a "sumary" or a "sentens", I could still find it in my heart to move them along, if I knew that they were doing the best they could.
Some of them know that. One girl in particular found it necessary to write not just a persuasive letter, but one of apology as well: "I know when I say I hate you, you know I don't mean it, and when I say I hate this school I don't. I just do it to show off to my friends. I say that because I'm mad."
If self-knowledge were a fourth grade standard, she would most surely be promoted. And since she will be, then I guess it is.