Everybody gets an A unless...
I have often said on the first day of class that everybody has already gotten an A. It is because they have made a conscious decision to better themselves. And that the key was not to convince the instructor to give them a grade less than that. So if they simply abide what was in the syllabus then the grade was theirs to keep. I always say that I only write down the grade they have earned for themselves.
Is this the right approach to embark on?
I do find some students more worried about their grade than what they learn. I have had students stop coming to class because they know they will not get a A and would rather take the class over.
I try to stress the grade isn't as important as what they know.
Everyone gets an A assumes that the students are motivated by grades. Grades, for some, are extrinsic whereas their motivator is intrinsic. Eight it twelve percent of the students i teach are not motivated by grades. However, they do want to pass - Perhaps I should start with everyone passes.
Hi Gene,
Try using a rubric for grading. Rubrics can save you a lot of explaining/commenting. Students fully understand most of the time why they received a particular grade when rubrics are used.
Patricia
I will actually discuss the reasons for the grade that a student earns, listening to their comments and commenting/interacting with the student regarding the reasons why they've earned that particular grade.
Hi Gerard,
It is a motivating piece to embark on and in actuality it is the truth. Everyone starts off with an A on Day 1, it is what they do throughout that determines if they will keep that A.
Patricia
Hi Andrea,
I concur! Mastering what needs to be learned and being proficient in the area is more important than just the grade itself.
Patricia
I agree that students have to earn their grade, but I try to instill in my students that a grade is not as important as what they learn. They are here to learn a skill and they learn more from mistakes than they do from doing things correctly. They are better off to make mistakes at school than in the industry. I've had students with A's who haven't learned as much as students with B's.
Hi Terry,
We issue the grade that has been earned by the student.
Patricia
Instructors don't "give" grades...students earn them. At the end of each quarter, I ask my students what grade have they earned? Generally, they are harder on themselves that I am but 99.9% of the time we agree on the grade. I have only changed a grade one time and that was based on an error on my part for student reliability.
