Assignment 4

Grades is not good for everyone and cannot ever become a fair confirmation on what you really can.

My grades were never very good. I wasn’t a hard working student. I know I could have got higher grades if I had put my mind up to it, but I never made the effort. But it wasn’t until I got older I realized that.

I remember when we got our first grades, and I opened them in the school’s toilet. When I saw that I got the grade 2 in sport class, I got really upset. I played soccer in the summer and (outdoor-) bandy in the winter, and I thought that that would give me a higher grade. I never missed a class either (unless I was sick). I always attended the super boring lessons where we played volleyball (I really hated volleyball. The ball always hurt my arms, and I was always injured after the class) or had strength training (I hated that too). He wasn’t so versatile, our dear teacher! Anyway, I really thought that my skills in sports would give me some benefits, but no! The teacher only saw me in class (and didn’t bother notice what I did in my spare time) and, since I hated the two things he made us do, he thought that I should have that grade.

For many pupils it doesn’t even depend on their effort, when it comes to different subjects in school. Many pupils have a hard time in school and if we should grade them, on top of their already low self esteem, and give them a paper where it’s written “you are no good”! it could make them give up.

As a teacher you should give the children tools. Tools so you can cope, on your own! The grades are usual a measuring on some tests that you’ve taken. You have been studied hard and learnt what you are supposed to, and then you forget about it. Already after a few days there is only a little amount of what you read and taught that is still left. There’s so much more than the actual test. You have to learn for life, and how do you grade that??

A teacher gets to know their pupils, of course. I think it must be very hard to grade someone you know. You have the work that the student have done, but how do you grade a student you really like and have gotten to know, but he /she have done a terrible work? On the other hand how do you grade an unpleasant person who has done a terrific job? I don’t say that every teacher lets their own feelings in the grading, but I think it would be easy to do so. Even if we are professionals, we are also humans!

An argument for grades in the earlier classes is that many children need them to make some attempts. I can understand this argument, but I still think that you lose more than you gain. The children who have an easy time in school and get through school without too much trouble, will do so, with or without grades. The children who have a hard time in school could be damaged for life if they are graded in early years. They need cheers and optimism instead of grades. We can see the small steps they take, and we have to make them realize that they will manage but it will take time, and that it doesn’t matter. The small steps that they make are ok because they get forward. The main thing is that they make small successes every day and that they will be alright. Grades is not for these children, wouldn’t you agree with me??