Thursday, January 26, 2017

STUDENTS ARE MORE THAN JUST A GRADE

By ALICIA ACEVEDO

Today's grading system is designed to determine what students have learned, but the question is, does it fully measure how much students have truly assimilated? Students in this day and age are beginning to wonder if grades are still relevant today. With information one click away, shouldn’t the measure of one’s knowledge be wider than just grades? 

When a student sees his or her grades, it can be a nerve wracking feeling whether it turns out to be a good grade or not.  All that person can think about is what he or she could have done differently:  I should have studied more. Is there anything else I could have done to get a better result?  Students think that these grades that they are unhappy with will ultimately determine their futures. Students may get a class on their schedule that, although they dedicate an enormous amount of time trying to understand the material, they still struggle on tests and quizzes.  Over time, this destroys a student's self esteem.  Things often go downhill from there.

ALICIA ACEVEDO FOR WIZARD WEEKLY
Rebecca Rivera, a senior at Washingtonville High School,  claimed, “Grades in high school are way too stressful! I’ve stayed up all night studying for a test just to fail because I do not understand the subject. It’s not like I don't study. I just get nervous. I feel like I shouldn't be judged based on my grades.” 

Other people feel that grades are still needed to measure one’s knowledge.  Some believe grades are needed to measure the progress of a student. The way this is done is by assigning grades based on the quality of work. There may not be any fairness to the process because every student is different and every student learns in a different way. At times, it may not help one’s self-esteem, but students need to be aware of the fact that they are going to be judged for the rest of their lives. 

Grades may not help all students learn, but they do help some people set goals and motivate students to keep going in order to reach their goals. Students need to have the mindset that grades are just numbers. Rather than abolishing grades, parents and teachers should stress the fact that grades do not mean everything. It is the effort that really counts.

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