FIAE: Chapter 7

Grading practices are a big concern for teachers and schools but it is often ignored. Even though teachers and administrators do not really want to talk about them, there should be discussions about grades. There are so many different interpretations of what a certain grade stands for, yet it would take a lot of energy to sit down and agree on one meaning. How can a student, a parent, or a fellow teacher tell if a student understands what they should about the subjects taught that quarter when all they get to see is one letter grade? They can’t. Grades mean too much, and yet are not explained enough. Everyone needs to remember that grades are not always a clear message of understanding. A student can do all the work required, but still not understanding the material. Every teacher grades differently. We are different people, so the fact that our grades will be based on whom we are will never change. The concept of a C being average is long gone. Many parents who expect their children to go to college after high school would not be pleased to see a C on their child’s report card. In most cases C equals something bad, not an average score to be content with. Do not say that everyone has an A and then they lose points as the quarter goes on. That is not a good way to encourage students; it just makes them sad to see the number going down. Do not use unhappy faces on papers, it doesn’t do anything good for the student, it just makes them feel bad. Grades do not always motivate students. Many students need something more worth while than a report card to learn. There is no one set way to grade. Teachers should find a way that works for them, their class, and most importantly their students.

We believe that it is important that students should not be compared to other students. Students should be provided with good rubrics, so that they understand what is expected but to also help teacher’s grade effectively. There should be no unhappy faces on assignments. Teachers should focus on the positive things a student accomplishes. They should define the grades a student earns, because parents and students alike want to know what a grade actually stands for. The DNA essay question made most of us think. We had to stop and think about how we would grade it. Then to think of the paper in the mind frame of the different situations was difficult at times. Thinking about that made a very good point in how we grade students. We all know that it is challenging to define what grades are, yet that does not stop us from trying. The grade should not be the number one priority, but how can we say that, when at times, grades were important to us and probably still our. Some people felt that is was hard to grade or judge someone’s work. They wanted to be sure they were fair in their grades and were fair to all the students. The biggest surprise was that C’s would be thought of as average, because many of us did not feel that way in school. Many of us felt that a C was just getting by, not actually excelling. Many of us were expected to earn at least B’s in our classes. Yet in the end, many of us felt that this chapter was actually useful.