On 3/07/08, Zhel wrote:
> "When I got an F on the first assignment in the new unit,
> I had to give up trying. I knew that future assignments
> and tests could only get more difficult."
>
> I basically think that it is not necessarily connected
> with the rest of the article, which is mostly about the
> teacher being aggressive toward kids and not setting a
> proper approach toward learning (yes, I had such teachers
> during my schooling).
>
> Many of my students who got an F at the beginning of the
> new unit very soon earned a much better grade (such as a B
> or an A) on the same material after they actually
> concentrated on studying - that F woke them up. In one
> case the school counselor started the intervention plan
> after the HS freshman got Fs as most of his grades in the
> first quarter.
>
> I don't think that the sole purpose of an F is to
> humiliate the student. If students did not know that their
> knowledge and skills were insufficient, they would always
> remain on that low level. We have the grading law that
> states that "insufficient" or F is one of the five
> possible grades. So basically if I give any grade but F to
> a student whose skills and knowledge are insufficient, I
> would be cheating.
Thank you for your comment. I appreciate your perspective,
and I am pleased to offer my thoughts in response.
Yes, the paragraph you disagree with is disconnected, unless
you see, as I did, the speaker as an already discouraged, at-
risk kid. Also, I agree that an F can be a wake-up call for
students at the beginning of a new unit, but only if the
students see themselves as capable. Students who don’t see
themselves as capable are easily discouraged, see the F as
being averaged in with the next grade, and see that learning
the new unit will become progressively more difficult.
Research shows that when “good students” get a low grade it
moves them to action, but when a low achieving student gets
a low grade or failing grade it is discouraging.
It is true that the purpose of an F is not to humiliate the
student, however that is exactly what it does to an insecure
student, who is struggling and sees him/herself as lacking
skills, knowledge, or ability.
And, you are right; you would be cheating if you gave any
grade but F to a student whose skills and knowledge are
insufficient. I would never suggest that or do that
myself. But I have found that: 1.) not grading the first
test or even the second or third test, but using them
instead to communicate the goal of the new unit, 2.)
using “a practice or review test“ that doesn’t count,used
for discussion, 3.) breaking tests into smaller units, 4.)
using pair-share studying and review for the test, 5.)
offering a retake test in lieu of the original, 6.) offering
an “Incomplete” while doing further study, 7.) using an
extra day of review prior to the test, or 8.)using the first
test for task-analysis instead of grading it, are some
practical ways to prevent causing students to start a unit
with an F grade.
I would suggest too, that your statement “Many of my
students who got an F at the beginning of the new unit…”
indicates that the class was not ready for the test and that
more time, teaching, discussion, and review might have been
advisable. Also, if most of them recovered with good grades,
they were probably pretty good students, not kids at-risk.
If the goal of evaluation is learning, we teachers need to
find ways to use grades to encourage students and find more
flexability in their use as motivators. If the goal is to
stick to a predetermined grading procedure, individual
differences in students will be penalized.
Most classroom testing and grading procedures are
unilateral, arbitrary, subjective, emotional, and
unnecessary. Unfortunately they are also traditional,
pervasive, pernicious, permanent, and unchallenged. Grades
are a part of everyone's schooling experience, and every
teacher unilatterally decides his/her own procedures, so we
can't expect to reach consensus on grading purposes or
practices.
By the way I have several unpublished articles on grading,
which I will be sharing in the Gazette. One grading article,
Improving Classroom Grading Procedures, is available in the
Teachers.net/Gazette, archives, go to:
and a book is
in the works, The Failure of Failure (As an Educational
Technique.)With joy in sharing, billpage@bellsouth.net
Posts on this thread, including this one
- I disagree with this paragraph, 3/07/08, by Zhel.
- Re: I disagree with this paragraph, 3/07/08, by Bill Page.
- Re: Here's the Improving Grading Procedures article by Bill Page, 3/07/08, by Kathleen.
- I learned a lot about what NOT to do from gr. 1 teacher!, 3/15/08, by I never wanted my students to feel the fear I felt that year.
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