In Response to Grading and Rubrics

I think the overall consensus is that we need to change something about the grading system in schools. However, just how we do that is the big scary question. Students need to be challenged and they need to be motivated to overcome those challenges, but how? We all have experienced the frustration of spending time grading and putting comments on a paper only to give the paper back to the student and he or she looks at the grade and ignores the comments.

One of the biggest problems is everything we do in our culture is by assessment and ultimately by grades. Dr. Jacque Leighty said it best, “To live is to assess.” Every waking moment of our day we are constantly assessing. I personally believe assessment is a good thing, without it we would end up with mediocre products that fall apart and have no value, we would be stuck with second rate when we could have better. Students should be assessed to see how much they have progressed, if they weren’t assessed there would be no point for them to be in school. Kids could be learning on their own at home or doing whatever they feel like, but because we are trained and have extra schooling we as teachers have the capability of assessing our students and helping them grow in their education. The big question still remains, what about grades? How do we assess without taking away the necessary work and effort that is needed from the student in order for him or her to feel like they have done something worth while?

I think rubrics are the answer. Because so many people think English is merely a subjective subject that relies on the whims and moods of the teacher, I would like to use rubrics as much as possible to make it more objective. The student should be able to give him or herself the same grade I give him or her based on the rubric.