"Grades are the currency of the teaching and learning process," begins an article from the University of Manitoba. They reflect achievement, abilities and often potential for future success. Although some students take grades very personally as signs of approval or disapproval, it would be difficult to give students a clear assessment of performance without them.
Grades are the motivating force behind learning. Let's face it: without grades few students would even read the assignments, much less try to absorb the concepts. I always give a test on my course syllabus on the second day of class. Not because I'm an evil witch (as has been rumored), but because it assures that everyone reads the syllabus with heightened interest.
Assessing performance seems better understood by students when it moves away from the classroom. My grandsons, for example, enjoy their Play Station games and seem to happily accept that only when they achieve certain maneuvers will they receive the password or code to proceed to the next game level.
There are certainly no rules or principles of grading upon we would all agree. How a teacher grades reflects a lot about the teacher's background, values, assumptions and philosophy. How a student reacts to grades reflects a lot about the student's background, values, assumptions and philosophy. But since they are an integral part of education, there are some steps students can take to insure that grades are fair, equitable and meaningful as possible.
1. Determine the role grades will play in a class. Some teachers give a variety of ungraded assignments prior to tests or essays that will be graded. Other teachers give quizzes to help you see your progress, but only count the big tests as part of your grade.
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