Do we need to mark students? I think I'm going to let that question hang in the air for a few moments, partially to let you think about it, more so because I think I still need to think about it.
I have had some internal struggles lately surrounding my role in my classroom and the purpose of education in general. These struggles have come about as I continue to learn from, and talk with others. I use Twitter as a professional learning tool and follow a couple blogs. I participate in a Community of Practice and a Div 4 ELA cohort group. I participate in discussions. I post comments. I receive feedback. I question my own practices and beliefs.
I recently spoke with one teacher about a technique she was using to help students improve their writing. She would grade a student's work, but would not divulge the grade until the student took her feedback, went and found their mistakes, and made corrections. I liked this idea. So, I tweaked it a little and tried it out with my English 20 and 30 students for their most recent essay. I evaluated the essay based on a rubric that students have had since the beginning of the year, but I refused to give the students their marks until they completed two more tasks. First, I required the student to take back a copy of her/his essay, and a blank rubric, and asked that they give the essay a mark in every category. The second task was to come and discuss the essay and personal grading with me.
I can assure you that students were not happy. They wanted their marks.
Over the last few months I've begun noticing the reliance students have on being marked, to receiving a grade. I'm not happy about it. I've suspected that students look at their marks on an essay, for example, perhaps read the comments, then either smile, shrug their shoulders, storm off, or, on rare occasions, cry. Then the work is tossed into a binder, locker, or nearest trash bin and completely ignored. All they want is the mark. This reliance on marks irritates me. Is this my role as teacher? Am I here to teach something and then mark something and then smile, shrug my shoulders, get angry, or cry based upon how well my students do, then toss the whole unit into the nearest metaphorical trash bin and move on? I know, it sounds a little harsh, and I don't think that I've abandoned my students over the last several years of teaching or that I've been a terrible teacher. But I no longer like the power that marks have over our students, teachers, parents, and society. Is school about marks? Do we need to mark students?
I was hesitant as students walked out of class with their essays and marking guides in hand. I thought for sure I'd get a couple phone calls from parents, or a visit from my principal. But I didn't. What I got was several students coming to me today, in class, at lunch, and after school, to discuss their essays with me. I began the conversation by asking students what they thought they could improve in the first category on the rubric. They shared their reflections with me, including what they felt they did well. They showed me some examples from their essay, and I pointed some out to them. Then we calculated their mark for that section of the marking guide. Next, I showed them the comments I made and the mark I gave them for that category. We discussed inconsistencies in their evaluations, debated some points, and talked about their work. In many cases the student and I agreed on their marks within a category. In many cases they used some of the same words to describe their work as I used in their comments (which they hadn't yet seen). In many cases they identified the same examples from their work that I had made a note of. Yes, in some cases there were discrepancies, but in all cases the student walked away feeling confident that they could improve.
I want to make a comment here at this point about marking students. By not giving students a mark up front, and by asking them what they felt could be improved, no student was able to say, "Well my mark is a 90% so there's not much I can improve." I discussed with students that even if they scored 100% that doesn't mean they can't improve. If a grade 11 student scores 100% on a grade 11 learning outcome, does that mean they've reached the pinnacle of what they can learn? No! It means they begin working on learning how to score 100% at a grade 12 level, then a first year university level, then . . . .
Is school about marks or is it about learning? I say it's about learning! What is a mark, really? All the students really needed were the descriptors for a poor, limited, satisfactory, proficient, and excellent essay. They didn't even need those headings, let alone a mark in order for them to know how well their essay writing skills were or how they continue the learning process. I had a couple students who did rather poorly on this essay. After we finished our conversation I asked these students how they felt about their work. Every single student was hopeful and confident that their next essay would show improvement. They all left with a positive attitude. They all said they appreciated this approach of evaluation (I specifically asked). And those whose marks were on the lower end all admitted that had I just given them back their essays with the comments and marks they would have been "upset" "angry" "sad" (dependent on the student) and they would have set them aside and simply hoped they would somehow magically do better on the next one.
Marks can devastate a child, or they can make a child complacent. I don't see how they will motivate a student, at least not as much as a good conversation with a caring teacher. I certainly feel that marks don't inspire a student to continue learning. I honestly felt like a monster when I revealed the student's mark at the end of the conversation. It felt like a giant step backwards. I was encouraged by my students, however, many of whom literally voiced their thankfulness for taking the time to remind them that school isn't about marks, it's about learning.
