The Balance between Compassion and Integrity--A Paragraph a Day

What's the best thing for young people--a compassionate teacher who allows them to pass a class without doing any work, or a teacher who sticks to their guns and doesn't let them pass if they don't actually learn the material?  This is a question that I face pretty much every day in my job as a teacher, and I still don't have an answer.  I do what I do and I do the best I can at it, but I don't think I'll ever know what's actually best for everyone.  There's a part of me that wants to be compassionate with everyone and give them an out, a way to pass even if they don't "deserve" to pass, but there's also that part of me that knows that sometimes tough love is the best way to go--if they don't do the work, they don't pass the class.  My hunch is that the latter approach is the best long-term approach for the students, for it gives them a chance to learn the importance of doing your work to the best of your ability in a rather "safe" environment.  I've heard lots of people talk about the teacher who demanded a lot from students and didn't back down, and how that teacher had such a strong and long-lasting impact on people's lives.  I've never heard any stories about the teacher who simply hands out passing grades even when students have learned nothing at all.  I think we really do need to face possible failure as a true potential outcome if we're to learn how to persevere, how to get better at something, how to meet established criteria.  So while I do try to be compassionate, I also stick to my guns--I make my classes easy enough to pass for anyone who actually does the work, but I don't pass anyone who fails to do the work.  My goals are always to focus on long-term benefits rather than short-term good feelings.