Middle School Grading Controversies
I'm going to clear this up right out of the gate: I don't have the "right" answers to all the questions swirling around about grading these days. I'm right there in that boat with you.
When I was a kid, grades seemed so straightforward - or were they? 🤔
When I forgot to turn in my work, I got a zero. Did that mean I hadn't learned anything in class? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. It for sure meant I hadn't learned to keep track of my assignments - or even to remember what day it was. 😆
It also meant I didn't give my teacher any way to measure what I had learned, which is what I think we're all hoping to do when we give out grades in our classes.
I took a deep dive this week into the topic of grading, and what I found might take some of the stress out of it for you. Let's take a look:
📝 Grade less, assess more: First, let me just say - you're probably grading too much. Students don't need a stream of official grades to tell them if they're getting the concept. They just need a little feedback!
You can pick and choose which assignments really demonstrate learning - or even which parts of the assignments you're going to grade.
Also, you might be making things harder on yourself if you're including behavior in with your academic scores.
If you've ever watched a home-improvement show, you know that there can be all sorts of problems hiding under a coat of paint, while shabby-looking houses can still have great "bones."
That's how behavior scores can affect your grading. Giving points for great behavior could be covering up grades that reflect real learning struggles, and students with poor behavior grades might be learning more than their grades reflect.
If you want to (or are required to) include behavior in your grading, experts say it's a great idea to keep the scores separate so you - and parents - can always see the purely academic scores easily.
📝 Do zeroes go in the gradebook?: This is a tricky one. On one hand, zeroes are almost shorthand for "hey, parent, your kid forgot their assignment again." 😆Once the assignments get turned in, the score adjusts to reflect the real learning. No problem, right?
On the other hand... do teachers really have to keep grading late work right up to the end of the term to save students from their zeroes? Do most students have involved parents to notice the zeroes?
Also, we all understand how averages work - the weight of a zero averaged against other decent grades is going to have an outsized effect. Does that really reflect the student's understanding of the topic? It's such a tough position.
I think, if your school hasn't made the call for you, you'll just have to decide what gives you the best outcome for your students. Almost any method can work if you can connect it straight to student learning, communicate it clearly, and stick to it consistently!
📝 Dealing with the grade hawks: Ah, the dreaded question: "How can I get <this better grade that doesn't reflect my understanding of the material>?" 😣😡😫
Maybe you can tell I feel pretty strongly about this one. 😆
Whatever your answer is, I'm just begging you - make it related to their actual learning. Maybe that means they turn in missing assignments, or they redo an assignment with reflections to show what they learned.
Please don't undermine your own authority by "finding" points for pushy parents and begging students. You're a professional, and you put a lot of work into your grading. If they want a different outcome, they can do the work! 😁