I've been thinking about how every single piece of work we do, gets turned in, and gets some kind of grade like 8 out of 8... or for half the class its usually something like 4 out of 8. When you consistently get 50%, what is motivating about that? Additionally, what about the fact that a part of truly learning something, is making mistakes and then figuring out how to fix them?
I'm not sure, that by putting some kind of number on all their work, the students fundamentally have any clue that making mistakes is a part of the processes of learning. Because we are required to give grades at the end of trimester, the teacher needs to keep some kind of running record of progress, but I don't know that the student needs to be reminded over and over again of their mistakes in the way that grades make the reminder. Grades don't encourage careful reconsideration as a clue to what is right, for me personally, a bad grade makes me want to forget the whole experience as quickly as possible. Which consequently, makes me dread the subject when it comes back up. If it isn't a "summative test", somebody please tell me what the point is?
-hux
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I just assisted in completing report cards for the winter trimester and I totally agree. We are learning and part of learning is making mistakes as we are not perfect so why do we need to be penalize for our past mistakes in a progress report. Would it not be nice to be glowing about progress? If there are "problems," they should be dealt with quickly and not be a part of the end of the term summation.
ReplyDeleteWhat grade? I am struggling with the opposite problem. I am teaching in second grade, and my teacher grades nothing. She records no grades. She looks it over, she may have them correct one or two things on their papers, but she doesn't actually grade anything, records nothing, just sends it home with them. I asked her how she gives grades on report cards and she says she has been doing it so long, she just knows.
ReplyDeleteWhat do I do -- since I don't " just know"
So I was thinking, if grades are a necessity, what if we graded and recorded ourselves, but just "stamped" the page with some type of comment that actually meant something to the student?
ReplyDeleteI think our own record keeping could be good then you could see if the child is improving, declining or staying the same additionally, if you have a parent who protests your decision making on the trimester grades, you have something solid to point to and justify your reasoning.
i just have a problem with returning every single piece of work with some form of grade. i feel like i'm in the position of a judge...
After three weeks of grading writing, comprehension, and math worksheets and homework, I noticed my third graders don't event look at their papers - they just "shove" the papers in their backpacks to take them home. I am not even sure parents look at them. I sent a introduction letter home and have not heard a word. I am started to think . . . what does that say about me?
ReplyDeleteI don't think it says anything about you. I think more appropriately it says that the school does a lousy job of communicating with parents. If parents aren't invested in what is coming home to them, then there is something missing and looking at my school, I would claim that link to be a personal connection between the home and the school. Why be invested in the plethora of sheets of paper that come to you as a parent, if you don't really feel invested in the school or you don't feel the school is invested in you?
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