Elements of
Grading
Grading or
should I use the modern term assessment, is a very powerful tool for teachers
to use. When we deal with power we have
to be very careful how we use this in our profession. Power can destroy as well as build an
individual student.
My grading
practices have changed throughout my teaching career. Traditional grading was what I experienced in
my education, so I applied it in my beginning practices. Traditional grading seemed to be sufficient
assessment then. Students did the work,
received the grade, accepted the grade and moved on. Today we seem to have a variety of
assessments, but the student still looks at the grade as a traditional point or
letter assigned to their task. To move
to a true assessment of a student’s ability will be a challenge, but I do
believe one that is needed. Now I do not
believe we should throw out the old and implement a total new grading system,
which we tend to do in education, but try a mixture of old and new. As educators we need to understand the power
of that assessment and what we want to assess; knowledge or behavior.
Currently I
feel my grading has moved to a more subjective and flexible assessment using
Rubrics or Essential Questions based on concepts covered. This is hard trying to find out what do I
want them to know and assess in basically 5 questions, it’s not so black and
white as traditional grading. Social
studies common core has a broad range of content to assess, so I try to use
application of skills with events in social studies. I also try to make the student become
accountable for their work. They need to
show me that they understand the curriculum taught.
If a student
does not do the work I currently use the “M” indicating missing assignment, but
the student tends not get too concerned until a “zero” is entered. Some students will accept a zero and hope to
bring up their grade later in the grading period. Recently I have not accepted
zeroes, the student needs to come in and complete the assignment. Once
they realize that they still have to be accountable for completing that
assignment and they just can’t take a zero, I feel this may change their
outlook. My hope is they will do the
work the first time since it effects their personal time to come in and make
good that assessment. Does this work for
all students all the time? No, but I
feel it makes them more accountable than just giving a “zero” and hope for
recovery. I do find not accepting zeroes
and making the student accountable is a task that is very demanding. I find myself looking for the time and a
system that works to make a true assessment of these students that I’m making
accountable. I see that the easy way out
is to give a zero so I’m challenging myself to stick with this difficult task
of “No zero grading.”
