Excerpt H: Many students feel that your grade defines you.
Tonight we discussed grading students in high school and also how we would be graded for
this class. People raised good points and things came up that I hadn’t considered before. I
feel that grading is a negative part of our educational environment, but it is so intricately wo-
ven into the “system” that I have trouble envisioning schools without grades. Someone in
class said that grading helps a teacher see who is doing well and who needs help to improve.
I said I think it is unfair to label students as doing “better” or “worse.” It seems like stereo-
typing people and tracking them in another way.
Alan introduced the idea of mastery learning. Instead of having students compete against
each other for grades, students have to demonstrate that they have achieved a mastery
level of material and skills. Success is measured by competence. This is an interesting idea
because it leaves open the possibility that everyone will do well and get a high grade. It also
fits in well with the ideas of cooperative learning. Students will have a cooperative class-
room environment because they are not competing for grades.
We also discussed another option for grading called portfolio assessment. In this system,
students present their work to a panel. I think this offers students a chance to really show
what they know. Marking is done by a panel so there will be greater objectivity. However, I
confess that the idea of going before a panel is very intimidating to me. I wonder what kind
of an effect it would have on certain students. Someone who is outspoken will feel comfort-
able and may even be able to disagree with the panel. But a student who has been brought
up to “toe-the-line” and respect and fear authority may not be able to breathe until later.
One thing that bothered me was Alan’s statement when we were talking about grades for
this class. He said, “A grade is just a grade. It measures performance on a task but it does not
say anything about your qualities as a human being.” Many of us, including myself, feel that
your grade defines who you are. For Alan’s statement to be correct, it needs to be incorpo-
rated into the philosophy of the school. It cannot just be rhetoric to make students feel
better at report card time.
***My Secondary Education General Methods
Reflective Practice Journal
By Maritza Perez
Excerpt A: My first day of class in ten years.
Today was my first day of class in ten years and I am doubting myself. I don’t know if I made
the right decision in going back to school. I don’t know if I really want to be a teacher or if I
would be a good one. I work in an art program for second to fifth grade children. An experi-
ence I had there explains why I am here now.
My second graders were designing patterns so they could make bracelets. As I was speak-
ing to the class, I noticed one little boy was not doing the project. I went to help him, but the
teacher said I should not waste my time because he never listens and is not smart. She felt
he should be put back into the first grade.
I got the class started on the project and I went to talk with him anyway. I asked him why
he wasn’t working, and another boy told me that he didn’t understand English, “He is Span-
ish.” I bent down and in Spanish I asked him if we could do the project together. While I ex-
plained things to him in Spanish, the other children were whispering to each other, “She
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