What’s in a Grade?
Assess your Students using a System that both You and They Know
So much of our time goes into correcting our students' work and planning lessons. But what about grades? How to give them? Here are a few pointers to keep in mind.
One of the busiest times of a school year is in between semesters when report cards are issued. This is a time for students to see if their hard work has paid off. For teachers, it’s a time to objectively look at a student's work and give him or her a grade. But there are important issues to first keep in mind.
What is the breakdown of the grade? Depending on the structure of your curriculum, a grade usually is based on tests, quizzes, classwork, projects, homework, and presentations. This criteria obviously has implications for the subject you teach. Both parents and students should know in advance the components of the grade including the weight of each component. Depending on how a teacher feels with the assessment process, she or he could decide on the weight and components together with the students. For a first year teacher however, this is not recommended. A new teacher needs the time to learn what is expected of him or her and to get to know the school, the curriculum and the students.
In some schools, student effort is part of the cumulative grade. What is your school policy on student effort and responsibility? In some cases, this can make a world of difference in a student’s self-esteem and the final grade.
In some schools, students and teachers decide on a grade together. Again, this is not recommended in the very early years but it can promote positive relations between a teacher and a student over time. With any method you decide to choose to give grades, good luck preparing your grades!
