#grading

[dozydawn]

[incognitopolls]

We ask your questions anonymously so you don’t have to! Submissions are open on the 1st and 15th of the month.

[killowave]

[beary-good-finds]

✏️ Vintage Garfield stickers ✏️

[dozydawn]

[inspired-lesson-plans]

In regards to the "don't let your self worth get involved in grades", I did want to mention that as a student it always felt really dismissive when someone implied I was concerned about grades out of ego. While I was proud of them, 90% of my anxiety about getting a bad grade was terror about my future. I always heard teachers and administration tell me that my future, my livelihood, my chances of living a *good life* required I do well in school. A bad grade felt like a threat to my life, not an insult.

I acknowledge this is a wildly unhealthy view as well, but I mention it because at that point in my life, a poster boiling down that terror to being prideful would probably have wrecked any respect I had for the teacher that put it up. Getting too emotionally involved in your work isn't good to do, obviously, but there are a lot more reasons a student might panic over low marks.

(I really hope this doesn't come across as disrespectful at all, your work is amazing! I just immediately felt a very old fear when I put myself in the scenario you suggested)

Grading is one of the most fucked parts of school, at least in 21st century America. There is no real consistency between the grades given out by any two teachers, regardless of grade or subject for school. A good teacher will at least to give you a sense of how they grade to their students, but most teachers will just do whatever they want.

There are a lot of reasons behind this. If anyone is interested enough, then I can go into detail about as many of the reasons. I have observed and read a lot about grading. It quickly became a special interest of mine once I started teaching. Probably, it tapped into the game design wolf inside me.

For now, suffice it to say that grading is much more subjective than objective. Imagine two students write a constructed response of more-or-less equivalent quality. One comes from a student who sits up front and pays attention and stays present in your class. The other comes from a student who always seems half asleep (when they're not totally asleep). You as a teacher will naturally be inclined to give more credit to the former, because you believe that they did a better job. It takes conscious effort to grade fairly and equally. But even then, sometimes you should be grading equitably instead, because you recognize that a kid whose family is going through a lot (maybe their father died, maybe they have 6 siblings and have a lot of care-giving responsibilities for a 13 year old), you give a higher grade for lower-quality work, so long as they demonstrate understanding and you don't want to be discouraging.

So.

To properly respond to your ask.

If I were still teaching, and I had all of my other responsibilities figured out, then I would make an effort to get to know what kind of learner you are, what you want out of school. And I would be sure to grade you fairly because I would want to challenge you. You need earnest, honest feedback. Some students want Candy Land and others want Dark Souls. I would respect you.

But I would also make sure you kept your perspectives straight. Grades are just numbers. So is weight. And income. It's bad to let that become part of your soul.

PS: I saw your ask on Friday, but by then I had already written all of this up. Don't worry, I read this more as candid than rude or impolite. And I appreciate that you feel you can be candid with me.

[dozydawn]

[dozydawn]

[pratchettquotes]

"Just a minute," said Lobsang. "Who are you? Time has stopped, the world is given over to...fairy tales and monsters, and there's a schoolteacher running around?"

"Best kind of person to have," said Susan. "We don't like silliness. Anyway, I told you...I've inherited certain talents."

"Like living outside time?"

"That's one of them."

"It's a weird talent for a schoolteacher!"

"Good for grading papers, though," said Susan, calmly.

Terry Pratchett, Thief of Time