schoolyard subversion

2001-02-13 [< * >]

Every Student Deserves an A

We got a paper back this week. In my opinion, the entire project was nonsensical. I was asked to analyze a book I didn't like too much, and find meaning in it that wasn't there. This is not the kind of assignment I relished.

Nonetheless, I did the work. I turned it in and soon got it back. When it came back, there was no grade. Good, I thought. Perhaps she has given up on grading. Of course, my optimisim was unfounded. So time went on.

I was happy with the (relatively poor) grade I got. I've learned not to care about such meaningless marks that unfairly divide our school into a caste system. Yet, the other students have not -- and rightfully so -- most (if not all) of the class is on a racetrack to college, and low grades are an obstacle in that course. Worse, there is pressure from many of their parents to perform well in this odd parody of life.

However, the complaints over the grades made me realize one way to improve the system. It's simple: every student deserves an A. The idea may sound radical at first, but give it a chance to sink in.

The lessons being taught by the current system are all wrong: You only have one chance. You're either a winner or a loser. The teacher gets the final say.

This isn't how things work in the real world. What editor returns a book marked "No Good" and doesn't give you another chance.? No, in the real world the author and editor are a team, both working not for themselves but for the betterment of the finished product. (Or at least, that's how we like to think of it.)

So next time, instead of handing that paper back marked "Success" or "Failure", let every student have a chance to get an A. Show them their mistakes and let them fix it, and try again. Most writing teachers insist that writing is a process, but they don't allow that process to take shape.

If a writing teacher wants to teach the students writing, they should not give up until their job is done. And that means they cannot hand back a paper until every student gets an A. Anything less would be cheating.

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