Since We Have A Few Educators in GC

[AKAtude]

***Of course, everyone is free to respond***

I thought it would be interesting to get your take on the case being argued before the Supreme Court about students grading papers then announcing the grades aloud for the teacher to record? I remember doing the same thing as far back as elementary school. We passed our papers to the person in front or behind us and graded the papers while the teacher called out the correct answer. Sometimes we would call out the grades, too.

[CrimsonTide4]

Originally posted by AKAtude
***Of course, everyone is free to respond***

I thought it would be interesting to get your take on the case being argued before the Supreme Court about students grading papers then announcing the grades aloud for the teacher to record? I remember doing the same thing as far back as elementary school. We passed our papers to the person in front or behind us and graded the papers while the teacher called out the correct answer. Sometimes we would call out the grades, too.

My personal belief is that people SUE too much and over some of the most inane things. I want to sue all the parents who send their kids to school dressed better than their reading ability.

Anywho, I remember the same thing. Since I have been teaching, I have not had my students exchange papers and grade them because I know how scandalous they can be. However, for three years I have had 2 former students be my student helpers who would grade any objective tests and quizzes for me but with this freaking court case, our principal ruled out teacher helpers which BITES!!

Did the Middle Child come up with this topic? Good one, I got to vent

[pretty3grl]

What I've found is that we spend a lot of time keeping information confidential that the kids tell everyone anyway. I used to call kids up to my desk to give them their average, and the ones who failed would scream out the grade in a confused voice, thus telling everyone that their average was a 52 or whatever. Last year my school had a total of 2 kids fail a particular portion of the state test. If I were them, I'd be so embarresed (It's had to blame it on the test being hard when everyone else in the entire school passed) I wouldn't tell anyone but my parents, but both of them told all of their friends before the day even let out. One of them came back to see me (I am now a counselor), crying because her friends got mad at her and teased her for failing. I was like "Well, why did you tell them????"

[darling1]

This is a really good topic!! I think that schools have a responsibility along with the parents to help shape the minds of our youth. With the many problems that they outside of school, sometimes it is the school, the teachers and their peers that give many kids good lessons in self-esteem, sharing and pride. Being that kids are so vulnerable, I think it would be a hinderance to read off students grades. I think that also kids can be cruel and reading grades out loud may be detrimental to the average and below average student. School should be an enriching experience not a lesson in competitiveness. It should also be a place where learning the material and understanding it is just as important as achieving high marks. Almost anybody can read, study and regurgitate information to get a good grade, but in the long run it means nothing, and teaches you nothing.

[loviest95]

Well Sorors, as a middle school teacher-- I try to keep their grades in confidence
But they do scream out bad grades to their friends and laugh (ie the young man that currently has a 18 average in my class thinks that it is funny)


When we were in school there was the shame factor-- We were ashamed to have bad grades-- these kids don't care-- I would have never shown anyone or talked about making a 30 on test......

Like C. Powell said "America's greatest lost--is it's loss of shame"

Maybe if they cared a little more about grades then their parents wouldn't be suing over such silly things--- or coming to my classroom ready to fight because their child has 5 zeros...

[CrimsonTide4]

Originally posted by loviest95
Well Sorors, as a middle school teacher-- I try to keep their grades in confidence
But they do scream out bad grades to their friends and laugh (ie the young man that currently has a 18 average in my class thinks that it is funny)


When we were in school there was the shame factor-- We were ashamed to have bad grades-- these kids don't care-- I would have never shown anyone or talked about making a 30 on test......

Like C. Powell said "America's greatest lost--is it's loss of shame"

Maybe if they cared a little more about grades then their parents wouldn't be suing over such silly things--- or coming to my classroom ready to fight because their child has 5 zeros...

I totally agree.
I give my students grade reports and they share them.
Last year I had a boy with a 2% F in my class and used to brag and sing, "HOW LOW CAN U GO!?!?

Some kids seek attention any way they can get it, even the bad kind.

[toocute]

Originally posted by CrimsonTide4
Last year I had a boy with a 2% F in my class and used to brag and sing, "HOW LOW CAN U GO!?!?

This child had a 2% grade average?????

[AKA2D '91]

Originally posted by loviest95

Like C. Powell said "America's greatest lost--is it's loss of shame"

NOW ISN'T THAT THE TRUTH?

[ClassyLady]

Well, the Supreme Court dismissed the case saying that the issue was trivial. The mother who sued is going to be on the View tomorrow.

In elementary school we used to grade each other's papers (and help out our friends sometimes ), but we never really called the grades out. I can see how some children will be embarassed and get picked on. But, I honestly don't think that it should be an issue. Kids will always find something to tease you about, that's why they're kids.

As far as this particular case, the child had a learning disability and was severely teased and bullied about his grades. In this case, I feel that the teacher should be compassionate and not do this with his class. I don't know what happened between the mother and the teacher. But, this should have gone to the prinicipal or the school board at the very farthest.

This type of thing should just be handled from class to class and not made into a legal issue.

[CrimsonTide4]

Originally posted by toocute



This child had a 2% grade average?????

Yup and this his stinky (literally) momma wanted to have a meeting to tell us how gifted her son was. . .the same son she sent to school on Halloween dressed like a woman


YES 2% like that nasty milk

[pretty3grl]

I've seen some of those 2% grades. When the last week of school gets here, the mom and son will come to you to find out if there is any way the child can pass.
I do think that as educators, we must display compassion, however we are not the sole owners of this responsibility. Parents forget about their kids feelings far more that teachers do. I had a parent come to my school to have lunch with her daughter, and she was telling me that her daughter was still totally unable to read and that this was hard for her since her brother began reading a 4 (mind you, I am a high school counselor). The students friends were sitting at the lunch table the entire time. The student just looked at me like she was about to cry. Could I, as the child's counselor sue the parent? No. I did talk to her in my office about the fact that the child may not want everyone in B lunch to know that she can't read, but I handled it individually, and did not make it a legal issue (this same parent would probably sue any educator for saying the same things that she said).

[Steeltrap]

Originally posted by CrimsonTide4


Yup and this his stinky (literally) momma wanted to have a meeting to tell us how gifted her son was. . .the same son she sent to school on Halloween dressed like a woman


YES 2% like that nasty milk

Dayum.
You need to write a book about this.
Your stories have me LMP&GAO.

[Serenity]

I never let my students grade eachother's work. They are way too slick. Even if that wasn't true I wouldn't do it. I have had so many problems with parents (of failing students) looking for any little excuse to question the grading system, grading methods, etc. that I grade everything myself. If they want to tell each other their grades, fine by me.

When I was growing up, my teachers let us trade papers and grade them. We loved that. I don't know if many people cheated for their friends. I remember we had to sign our names at the top so that if there was any discrepancy, the teacher would know who to go to. I don't know if my teachers ever went back and checked, but just the thought that they might kept me honest.

My students have no shame. I have a student who earned a 6% the first marking period. He was pretty proud about it and bragged non-stop. I'm one of those people who worried about my permanent record since I was in elementary school. I couldn't even imagine having a record of my earning a 6% on a test, nevermind having 6% on my report card. Even worse, in high school?

On the flip side, some of my "good" students pretend to do poorly to gain acceptance. They always hide their papers and pretend to get a failing grade. I don't have many students that do this, but it happens enough. The majority of the students that do exceedingly well are more than happy to tell their peers their grades.

Like C. Powell said "America's greatest lost--is it's loss of shame"

I see it everyday.

[kitten03]

Wellllllllll............

I just hope that the parent that is willing to sue is the same parent who comes to parent teacher conferences and helps their child with their homework. Otherwise, I don't want to hear it.

I'm a teacher in training so I haven't learned that patience yet. : :

[AKAtude]

Originally posted by Serenity
[B] I'm one of those people who worried about my permanent record since I was in elementary school. I couldn't even imagine having a record of my earning a 6% on a test, nevermind having 6% on my report card. Even worse, in high school? [B]

Me, too! I would get upset if I got a "B".

On the flip side, some of my "good" students pretend to do poorly to gain acceptance. They always hide their papers and pretend to get a failing grade. I don't have many students that do this, but it happens enough. The majority of the students that do exceedingly well are more than happy to tell their peers their grades.

I've seen that happen as well. There was one student I remember in particular that all the teachers knew was quite gifted, but he downplayed his intelligence for the sake of not appearing "smart". I knew him since kindergarten and he was always in a gifted and talented class.

Even in high school, teachers wanted him to take AP classes, but he wouldn't. He was without a doubt the smartest African-American male, if not black student, in our senior class. I remember overhearing a conversation between two of his teachers once. They were so disappointed in him. One time, I got so angry with him for not living up to his potential and came out and asked him "why?". I never got a straight answer.