Grading Wars...

I was always a good, if unspectacular student, but most tests held little fear for me and I had a good relationship with teachers. So while I remember some occasions where I did not give my best, and got what I deserved, the experiences are mainly quite positive. But I clearly remember an occasion I was given back an Irish language essay one time to the line “now this is an example of how not to write an essay…”, exactly like a memory in the reading (Guskey, 2006). The fact that it is probably 25 years ago and I still remember the sinking feeling as the words that were read out were my own, does say something about the powerful effect we can have. It is a good lesson to learn, and a good experience to draw upon. As teachers we spend a large portion of the day speaking to impressionable students. Even a supposedly flippant remark, unfiltered, can be crushing. I definitely remember the embarrassment. And the rage.

I do not have a particular case when I had a great experience with grading or with a grade. One occasion that springs to mind was positive in a selfish way for me. I do not think the class liked it but I hope it was a learning moment for them. I gave a Math test in Ireland and the results were well below their capability. There had been no real excuse for it and the class admitted they had not been putting the work in. So we went over the material in detail in the class and they were told to take it down and to review it that evening as homework. I gave them the same test the next day. Most of the students improved by only a couple of percent, while a few did improve dramatically. They were very sheepish when they were given back the results from their repeat test and I think was able to impress upon them that we the whole system was working as it should apart from their own involvement. Much of the class were indeed less passive for the remainder of my time at the school.

Thanks

References

Guskey, T. R. (2006). "It Wasn't Fair!" Educators' Recollections of Their Experiences as Students with Grading. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco, CA.