Entrance Slip (Oct 19) - Math Class Doesn't Work. Here's the Solution.

When I think about assigning percentages or letter grades for assessment I realize from a student perspective it can be discouraging and as the article discusses it can make students feel like they are on a hamster wheel designed for performance and they can't escape assessment and this judgement associated with letter grades. Grades can also become a ceiling limit for students making them feel that perhaps a B is all they are worth and all they can achieve. While for teachers, assessment in the form of letter grades could be necessary to gauge where students are and what their level of understanding is. However, unfortunately there is a stigma associated with certain letter grades or percentages which can create a discouraging environment for students. I think the idea that letter grades and percentages are a way of keeping track of progress and learning has become lost in the notion of competition and the stigma associated with each letter. I think having a less than favourable letter grade or percentage could be positive or negative. Although it may have the negative effects of discouraging students, conversely it could be a motivator for students to strive towards a better letter grade and ultimately mastery or better understanding/learning. Instead of viewing a lower grade as a negative or a "failure", students could use this as motivation to work harder. That is what grades and percentages were for me in high school. I do admit competition played a big role in achievement for me, but this competition motivated me to work harder in my own studies and achieve higher for myself.

I do understand that some unintended side effects of grading could be development of performance anxiety or discouragement. I remember for myself test anxiety was a huge thing in high school. Often before tests, groups of my classmates would gather outside the classroom and study furiously trying to cram in every last detail. We were sweating, nervous, highly anxious and uncomfortable in anticipation for our exam. I think this type of stress over grades is extremely unhealthy. I remember people telling me relax, don't worry its not a big deal, just stop worrying its not good for you. Of course I knew it was unhealthy and not beneficial for me, nor would stressing and getting anxious do anything to remedy my situation, but it was impossible for me to shake this nervousness. Unfortunately, I think this anxiety was developed by the competition and performance based culture of school, so without the elimination of such standards it was impossible for me to similarly eliminate my anxiety. I do think grading changed the way the classroom operated as well. Students were always in competition with one another, sometimes to the point that they didn't want to share knowledge with one another in order to prevent their classmates from getting ahead of them in examinations or assignments. A little competition can be a good thing, but when it inhibits learning and the sharing of knowledge I feel it is more of a detriment than a benefit because it stops the flow and sharing of information and ultimately the growth of our peoples as a whole.

I think it would be possible to teach math and science without giving grades, but it might be less intuitive than it would be for a subject such as English. I think it would be more acceptable for a subject such as science, since many of the ideals of science are already based around inquiry and exploration. Much of this content could be explored without grading and instead using pure comment based feedback, but I struggle with considering the same for mathematics. Mathematics itself is based off of numbers, and many of the questions have a right or wrong answer, so by the nature of this I can only really imagine giving numbered scores as part of assessment. It is difficult to give comment based feedback on such a structured, linear, black and white subject. I guess commentary could be made on the way which solutions were arrived at and the creativity used when solving problems, however I still feel it could not be used in isolation to assess student learning. I do feel that teachers could still continue to grade, but shift the focus away from grades towards learning by creating encouraging environments with less pressure and more collaborative learning. I remember in one of our previous classes Erika mentioned an interesting way her math teacher approached assessment while still using grades. She explained how her teacher did partnered exams where each student would work on the exam individually for a portion of the time and then would pair up with an assigned (similar ability) test buddy to complete the exam. She mentioned how this took a great deal of stress and anxiety off students when writing exams, so I would find it interesting to try an assessment method such as this and see how it affected students' morale and perspectives on letter grades. I think collaborative learning is definitely a way to take the focus off competition and letter grades and instead place the focus on learning, understanding and sharing of knowledge.