Don't get me wrong, it's not because of laziness or because I don't like looking at student work. In fact, I find the process of assessing student work, conferencing with a student about their work, providing feedback, and so much more to be incredibly valuable. It's in that process that so much learning can happen.
No, my problems with grading lie elsewhere.
- It feeds into the factory model of schooling. During conferences with a parent they asked where their child was in relation to the rest of the class. This bothered me. It's the wrong question. The questions ought to be, "Is my child growing and learning more than yesterday? Are they living up to their potential?"
- To quote one of my students this past week, "We don't come to school to be judged." There's a harshness to grading that I find offensive. Too many of our students have their self-worth wrapped up in grades, especially those who excel in school.
- It's too final. Learning should be a constant process. The minute you put a grade on it, students stop.
That's all I've got for now, if I think of more I'll come back here and edit some more.
In the meantime, I've got some current events assignments that need to be graded.........
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