For many of us, the kind of grades we get, speak of the kind of students we are.
Often, we consider the students as smart and intelligent if they get good grades. But what about those who get low grades, especially those who really can’t make it to the passing grade? How do we call them?
According to psychologist Jan Hunt, poor grades can be due to many factors beyond the child’s control. Children know when they are doing well, and when they are struggling, and there’s no need for grades. Low grades should not be used to measure the child’s action alone, neither taking credit when he performs well or blame him.
I agree with Hunt’s belief because students with low grades are actually not slow, considering the multiple intelligences of each individual.
If everything a child does has an equivalent grade, he’ll be frustrated and not motivated anymore to improve himself on a particular aspect where he is not good.
Grading a child would mean that his performance in that particular time will be carried throughout his existence. For instance, the failing grade a child gets in Math during his first grade will be reflected in his school records throughout college, although he could do better in Math in the succeeding years.
There could be many factors involved why a child doesn’t perform well in that particular aspect in a particular time. So grades should not be used as a measure whether how good or bad a child is on certain things.
Besides, a sad truth is, grades can always be manipulated. So all the more it shouldn’t be used to measure the ability of a student.
I have noted that most students do their best for the sake of getting good grades, without realizing the importance of doing their best in their lives.
Certain grades could be given as a reward or as punishment for students; good grades as a reward for doing well, and failing grades as a punishment for not doing good enough.
This can be considered a bad practice since it won’t teach students to be internally motivated to do their best, and it, in fact, discourages students from improving.
Failing grades deprive students from exploring more, and improving themselves on something.
Giving them grades can also teach students to become selfish in teaching and sharing information with one another, especially those running for honors. At least in my experience, I have observed how smart students with close ranks often don’t interact with one another, for fear that if they shared information, the other could get higher grades.
What complicates the matter is how some parents get hysterical when it comes to the grades of their children. Apparently for them, the kind of grades their child gets matters a great deal.
Of course, parents are always proud if their child gets good grades. If their child gets low or failing grades, or if their child gets grades lower than expected, however, they start questioning the teacher, demand to go over the records of the pupil, or question the way the teacher gives a rating to a particular component of the grade.
Sometimes the teachers are even accused of playing favorites in class, in cases where there is a change of ranks among the honor students.
With all the disadvantages of giving grades, I would agree with suggestions that schools should stop the practice of giving grades to students.
Instead, we can focus on the skills the child actually learns, the output of every task given, and the behavior each child shows. If these are the ways to measure the ability of each student, not being pressured with grades, then the “slow students” will be given the opportunity to improve, and the fast learners, the chance to explore deeper and further.
Fe V. Consolacion
Foundation University Grade School
