Dangers of Focusing Solely on Grading
I discovered an interesting perspective from WJPS Blazer: Voice of the Students discussing the dangers of focusing solely on grading. More and more, educators are questioning the overwhelming emphasis placed on grading. Some are wondering how to allocate grading between the actual product and the process it took to complete the finished product. And others are thinking about the tremendous stress that grading continues to put on students (including our youngest). As you read this piece, think about where your school might be in the conversation. tlb
by Markella Giannakopoulos, staff reporter
Focusing on grades has become a big part of students lives influencing their education as well as mental health. “I probably focus way too much on my grades. It is worth getting the good grades, but it’s very stressful,” sophomore said. Photo by Amada Guapisaca.
With report cards already out, students are either really happy with the grades they got, or nervous about what their parents would say. Students look at the letter on the paper and they wonder if this is good enough for them. But many don’t think about the actual learning it took to get that A or B. In fact, most students will forget about what they learned a few weeks after it’s taught.
There has been an apparent emphasis on good grades that cause students massive stress as well as a decrease in actual learning. This priority of getting the…
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My district is looking at grading this year, specifically using Ken O’Connor’s book Repair Kit for Grading. I’ve been reading it and it’s definitely interesting and so far I’m convinced that these are changes that need to be made to make grading more accurate. I think it helps that it separates grades for knowledge from behavior.
Thank you for your comment, kedavis99. I’ve just recently heard about Ken O’Connor’s book so it is very helpful to get feedback about it. Hope you come back to principalaim very soon. Sincerely, tlb
I’ll keep checking in. I’ve been reading the book getting ready to start blogging about it becauseit’s caused so much controversy amongst parents in our district some of whom are friends and acquaintances of mine.
Thank you and good luck, kedavis99. I hope the book gives you some insights that will help you with your parent body. Sincerely, tlb