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.”