When I was going through my teaching training years ago, I noticed this stubborn wish to get the best grades in class. And I also succumbed to the same yearning. But later, I realized that this was merely a run for a number or letter. The fact that we were there to acquire useful knowledge and to let ourselves be inspired in order to produce new ideas was secondary.
I've always witnessed many classmates holding too much pressure even after they performed well. This pressure sometimes became so unbearable that some students fell on depression when they saw their grades were not good.
And now, nothing has changed. Students prime objective in school is the acquisition of grades. That's why we hear that old phrase that students only study for a test. There's little hunger for learning, not to mention the quest for revolutionary ideas. All is a compound of monotonous phases where students have to comply with some numerical standards.
Does a number or letter define you?
We all must dismiss the concept that a plain figure tells us how good we are. Most of the time this is beyond reality. There are many factors at play that deceive the eye of any evaluation scale. So, it is fair to say that you can give more and excel in those fields where you were previously scored badly.
There are a lot of misinterpretations when a student gets a high score. And teachers can know that when they interact with the student. But they can do nothing because educational systems label him according the number or letter he gets. So if any student is not well-prepared, but for some reason he passed a series of tests, he won't know what he is capable of until his abilities are tested in real situations.
Why do students only think about grades?
Since a child begins the formal process of education, he or she is programed to look for the highest number (the best grades). Unknowingly, the mind absorb the idea that a certain number will identify his or her worth. This is the usual way of thinking that sadly makes learning less didactic and boring.
Normally, some parents check on their children's grades. They are often waiting for the report card. Rarely is the case when they ask their children about what they learn in school. Few go to school sessions and deepen on the intellectual progress of their children. But the majority is pleased to know only about the grades. And if they're good, they don't ask further.
Competition also becomes a major concern. Some parents, in order to push their children, compare their performances with others. They also highlight the fact good grades will open the door to endless possibilities. And although this premise can be true, it won't guarantee success. In addition, they will plant the idea that the rest of the students are adversaries.
And There's nothing wrong about competition. But it must be done against oneself. I mean, students must challenge themselves to never be satisfied. They should consider that there's always something else to learn. Life is a process and education is the channel toward development. I believe - and I think we all agree on this - that education is more about nurturing our hidden potential we're born with in order to put it out at the service of societies.
Teacher's actions
Teachers also place so much emphasis on grades because they need to hand out grades at the end of the semester or period. They're ordered most of the time due to educational programs to include a certain amount of evaluations. Even the strategies are made of, thinking on evaluation scales as their primary pillar.
I'm not saying that evaluation should not be done. But observation is more imperative than general assessment simply because of the fact that every student is different. Sometimes, an evaluation can draw results that doesn't pertain to the real capacity of a particular student.
The ideal approach
In a perfect education system, grades would mean nothing. There has to be an ideology that strives for pure learning since a teacher knows when a student dominates a lesson or is ready to move forward. So, the focus will solely be in the learning process.
Nothing would matter most than the acquisition of knowledge. There are some schools that are based on this premise. This eliminates the pressure the students feel, and most importantly, it will create an environment where they look for enlightenment.
Motivation will not be required because the students will already be motivated. It's like seeing a kid these days sitting alone in front of a computer, trying to find his own way around. He's discovering the knowledge, immersing in the learning process; and sometimes he doesn't even aware of it. Because what's important for him is not how well he's performing at the moment. He's just eager to learn something that competition and evaluation ends up being pushed into the background.
By @edave
This is another entry in the teaching series from a teacher's angle. Check out below my previous posts in this category.
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