The Great Grade Debate

I put this post on Facebook and Instagram right before Winter Break.

The flood of responses I got was insane.  I probably got over thirty DMs about this very issue.  Just like this one:

“This happened to me…” my DMs rang out!

“This happened to my daughter…”  (niece, nephew, brother, best friend…)

I also got SO many responses from teachers who vowed to always give grace to kids.  Teachers like, Jessica Laverty, who said, “I go through my grades each quarter to see who needs an extra bump from a 79 to an 80, or an 89 to a 90.”  In my experience, the teachers who do right by kids far outweigh the others.

It still begs the question though.  Should grades be punitive?  So many of the grades given are subjective.  Think of an English essay or a history, short answer quiz.  How does the teacher feel that day?  Does he like the kid?  Was the teacher just dressed down by his principal or did he have a bad day? Was he just screamed at by an irate parent?  As much as we don’t want these types of situations to affect grades, we are merely human after all.

What is a grade?  Mastery of the content?  If your school district still uses traditional grading practices, i.e. As, Bs, Cs, Ds, Fs, do our new teachers understand that statistically a child is more likely to be set up to fail from day one?

A- 100-90   (ten points)

B-89-80   (ten points)

C- 79-70   (ten points)

D- 69-60   (ten points)

F-59-0   (SIXTY points)

Hello!  The math isn’t mathing for me.  I much prefer standards-based grades, but most districts aren’t set up that way especially in secondary.  We show up every day to do what is relentlessly right for kids.  Our bodies are exhausted, our minds are on the fritz because of the number of split-second decisions we must make from minute to minute in a classroom full of hormonal kids.  We plan fun, exciting, engaging lessons wrapped around curriculum that represents our students while teaching to a high stakes test, while helping them to become better people, so they can succeed in life.  Whew!

I decided a long time ago that grades would never be a hill I would die on.  I’m in this profession to help kids succeed, to change lives and alter paths of children who might be on the wrong one, to have some fun while learning and affect change in hearts, minds, and soul.  So, why would I ever want a kid to fail?  A kid who is willing to put in the leg work when they’ve messed something up, is a kid I’m willing to go the extra mile for as well.

1. There are due dates, but I will always take an assignment, essay, project late, and always for full credit.  I want them to learn, and they can’t get out of work that I’ve assigned that easy.  I will always give full credit.  Full Stop.
2. Did poorly on a test/quiz/essay?  I want you to come in and redo it.  What is the goal? Learning?  Let’s show some grit, kids, and come in during an elective, lunch, before school, after school, and let’s fix it!  That is a way better life lesson than, “You get nothing, a zero, forever, kid.”  Nope.  Never going to happen in my room.
3. You have a 79 percent at Winter Break, you have worked hard all semester, and you come to me begging for a one percent bump.  I might make you write me a letter, do a small extra credit assignment that helps to build character, but you are getting that bump.

I don’t know about you, but I want to operate in grace as much as humanly possible, and I’m hopeful everyone else feels the same.  Just let Ted explain it.

Teach and Lead On, Beautiful Warriors!

I’m rooting for you!  Come see me if you happen to be at any of the following events.  Come say hello, come get a hug, come debate me on your grading philosophy, come get some fake teal glasses, come get a word of encouragement, come tell me about an amazing lesson or breakthrough with one of your kids.  We are in this together.

-Katie