Entrance slip for October 21: Marks, grades and their effects in schooling

Pre-Reading Comment:

 I chose to read about marks because I am very curious about how I as a teacher can work to eliminate marks or at least teach students to distance themselves and their learning from marks. I am really a bit lost on how to do this prior to doing the reading.

During Reading Notes:

Pros of Grades	Cons of Grades
Can be used as a motivator (not effective)	Encourage competition
	Can negatively impact participation
	learning for the test
	Constant focus on punishment - focus off of learning and onto grades
	Cause significant stress for students

Post Reading Reflection:

My student bird relates to everything that was said about grades creating stress for students. As a student I so closely tied my self-worth to my grades, they controlled my life, prevented meaningful learning, stopped me from reflecting, and even contributed to shame or embarrassment at times. I would say that my attachment to getting high grades was equivalent to an addiction. It was almost like I needed a fix. I would get emotionally down until I got my 95+ score on a math or physics test then I would get a small burst of happiness. This is extremely damaging for a student, in my experience. 

In my view as a teacher, some quotes stood out to me from the article. For starters, one of the topics in the Physics classroom that they focused on when they were testing a non-grade centered was air resistance. I have had numerous length discussions about this topic on my physics board. I believe that the way we teach it is highly flawed. I think we often teach students to consider cases without air resistance and expect them to find these cases simpler when they compete with everything we have built intuition for our entire lives. I definitely think removing grades we can have more meaningful conversations about topics and I would love to incorporate this approach as a teacher. Next, I was thinking about how to motivate students, I listed motivation as a potential 'pro' of grades but it might not be this way. The study listed factors other than grades as motivators for doing well in school such as career goals and wanting a good life. I also noted carefully how the article prescribes that the teacher transition away from grades in the class:

• deemphasize tests and grades as a means of alleviating stress
• realize how student learning is hindered by the threat of grades
• recognize the danger in grades as a substitute for self-motivated learning
• use student personal interest as a motivator for learning

In many ways, the inadequate or lazy teacher needs to rely on grades. If one cannot connect with their students in a way that makes them want to participate in class it is then that they must rely on threats like grades. A good teacher does not need grades.

"I would say that my attachment to getting high grades was equivalent to an addiction"

A related note... I found this news article about how students are often driven to use drugs in order to get better grades. This should really be a wake-up call to classrooms, schools, and districts about the grade culture in their schools.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/feb/15/students-smart-drugs-higher-grades-adderall-modafinil