Grading Freshmen

Whatever, I’m heading to the info session tomorrow anyway since I already signed up.
Honestly, I’m not even sweating my grades; they aren't my top priority by a long shot.
But I don't know why, this C just really rubbed me the wrong way. Like, personally.
Maybe it’s because it’s Art—it feels weirdly rare to get a C in a class like that (at least it was back when I was in school), but it still stung way more than getting a C in any other subject (especially when the grade book is full of A's through F's). This one actually got under my skin. Me. I get that there are grading rubrics and all that, but for Art, they aren't presented nearly as clearly as they are for other subjects, so you almost don't expect it to happen.

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frozenrider15 said:Maybe the teacher *did* tell her. Maybe the kid just forgot or didn't relay the message to Mom. We could sit here debating the mechanics of a C grade until tomorrow for all we care. To me, the real tragedy is seeing first graders shedding tears over grades already. It feels like it’s often the parents doing more crying than the children are actually experiencing any real heartbreak.

I don't know, maybe...
In my experience with the school system here, the teachers are pretty thorough with their explanations, so you can usually tell just by listening to a kid vent when they walk through the door exactly where things went sideways.

If grades didn't exist—if so many life milestones didn't hinge on them—I bet nobody would be shedding tears over them... especially not in first grade.
And the fact that a grade might actually stress a parent out more than the kid isn't even surprising,
because, let's face it, parents are way more aware of the cutthroat reality of the society we live in than little kids are.

As a parent, it honestly drives me crazy when I hear about a teacher or professor trying to convince first graders that a C is actually "great." Then, when those kids actually start believing that a C is perfectly fine, people turn around and complain that the kids aren't working hard enough or studying enough... it's such a loop.

shadowcrane91 said:Whatever, I’m heading to the info session tomorrow anyway since I already signed up.
Honestly, I’m not even sweating my grades; they aren't my top priority by a long shot.
But I don't know why, this C just really rubbed me the wrong way. Like, personally.
Maybe it’s because it’s Art—it feels weirdly rare to get a C in a class like that (at least it was back when I was in school), but it still stung way more than getting a C in any other subject (especially when the grade book is full of A's through F's). This one actually got under my skin. Me. I get that there are grading rubrics and all that, but for Art, they aren't presented nearly as clearly as they are for other subjects, so you almost don't expect it to happen.

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Back in my day, we didn't just get Cs in Art; we got Fs. You forgot your supplies? That was an automatic zero. These days, there is virtually no chance a kid gets anything lower than a C in Art—and let's face it, nobody is celebrating a C—let alone an F. I truly cannot recall ever seeing a kid in middle school pull an F. Even if they show up without their gear (which is rare since most schools keep supply kits in the classrooms anyway), the teachers try to help them scrape by or borrow from a classmate.
The core issue here is highlighted in bold. It’s the C that bothered the parent. You. Not the child. The kid might have been a little bummed, sure, but a mediocre grade isn't going to leave a scar on their soul or ruin their entire week. We are the ones—the parents—who end up feeling insulted by a gradebook because we believe our kids are smarter or deserve more than what those letters reflect.

I feel like that trio of art teachers is being way too harsh on this subject. I can't see how they justify it unless the kid is just completely lacking any shred of talent whatsoever...

Actually, maybe I was totally tripping when I called those art instructors a trio

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shadowcrane91, I totally get where you're coming from.
I went through something pretty similar with my oldest daughter recently—though hers was more about physical performance...
She ended up getting a C in PE because she couldn't master the jump rope—she could barely get past three jumps before tripping—and then there was the whole awkward situation where she felt like she was being mocked by the teacher because she was the only kid in the class who couldn't keep up...👎

Lawrence Torres56 said:I don't know, maybe...
In my experience with the school system here, the teachers are pretty thorough with their explanations, so you can usually tell just by listening to a kid vent when they walk through the door exactly where things went sideways.

If grades didn't exist—if so many life milestones didn't hinge on them—I bet nobody would be shedding tears over them... especially not in first grade.
And the fact that a grade might actually stress a parent out more than the kid isn't even surprising,
because, let's face it, parents are way more aware of the cutthroat reality of the society we live in than little kids are.

As a parent, it honestly drives me crazy when I hear about a teacher or professor trying to convince first graders that a C is actually "great." Then, when those kids actually start believing that a C is perfectly fine, people turn around and complain that the kids aren't working hard enough or studying enough... it's such a loop.

Look, a C is a passing grade. That’s literally what it represents. There's a massive difference between being content with "good" and actually striving for "great" or "excellent." A C means you grasped the material. Period. In first grade, a C tells you the kid missed the mark—maybe they didn't follow directions, lost focus, rushed through the work, or left a trail of errors in their wake. It means they need more practice. They need to sharpen their reading comprehension and drill the basics. A C doesn't mean a child is dim-witted or has hit a ceiling. Speaking as a parent, my take is this: those Cs teach a child the value of effort. It shows them they need to buckle down, do the homework, double-check their work before turning it in, stop fooling around during class, and actually listen to instructions.
Sure, some kids might get complacent with Cs and stop pushing themselves. But an attitude toward learning is built over time. I highly doubt a kid who gets a C in first grade is going to throw in the towel by seventh grade just because of that one grade. If you explain the *why* behind a C, they learn to pivot and try harder, especially while they're still young.

Carol Smith13 said:shadowcrane91, I totally get where you're coming from.
I went through something pretty similar with my oldest daughter recently—though hers was more about physical performance...
She ended up getting a C in PE because she couldn't master the jump rope—she could barely get past three jumps before tripping—and then there was the whole awkward situation where she felt like she was being mocked by the teacher because she was the only kid in the class who couldn't keep up...👎

That is terrible teaching—frankly, it’s worse than that. But honestly? A C in gym class sounds about right given the circumstances.

I'm totally signing off on this. Especially when you have a student who hasn't made a single ounce of progress on an element from the very first day they started working on it all the way up to the final grade.
(I’m not a department head or anything—just someone who spends way too much time hanging out with them 😉 )

shadowcrane91 said:I feel like that trio of art teachers is being way too harsh on this subject. I can't see how they justify it unless the kid is just completely lacking any shred of talent whatsoever...

Actually, maybe I was totally tripping when I called those art instructors a trio

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Look, let’s be real for a second—that whole "three" thing has absolutely nothing to do with actual talent, okay? Just trust me on that one. I remember back in the day when she was just a kid, she’d sketch something that looked way more like some tiny little sparrow than an actual stork, you know? Maybe she just got so lost in her own little world while drawing that she completely missed the memo that storks are actually supposed to have those long, spindly legs... just kidding! Or am I?
So, I’ve got this friend who is, like, insanely talented at drawing—I mean, the kid’s got serious skills—but man, he really needs to stop wasting his time obsessing over these tiny, trivial details that don't actually matter. He spends forever perfecting some random little thing he thinks is deep or essential, when the actual assignment is asking for something completely different. Honestly? He should probably just stick to buying those pre-made art kits from Target or Michaels for his third and fourth-grade projects instead of burning all that energy. Why go through all that stress when you're missing the entire point of the prompt anyway?

Carol Smith13 said:shadowcrane91, I totally get where you're coming from.
I went through something pretty similar with my oldest daughter recently—though hers was more about physical performance...
She ended up getting a C in PE because she couldn't master the jump rope—she could barely get past three jumps before tripping—and then there was the whole awkward situation where she felt like she was being mocked by the teacher because she was the only kid in the class who couldn't keep up...👎

Tell the little one she needs to tell her teacher that even jumping rope takes serious practice, okay? Like, honestly, if she managed to nail three jumps on her first try, isn't that actually a much bigger win than some kid who can jump ten times after practicing a thousand times already? It’s all about that initial momentum, right?😁

shadowcrane91 said:See? In our case, she told us during the meeting that for Art, Music, and PE, the most important thing is just putting in the effort. She didn't even give us a specific grading rubric, other than saying if you try hard, you'll land a B or an A...
That's why I'm feeling more bummed out than actually angry...
I mean, even if that "bird" she drew looked absolutely nothing like a bird (even though she claims that's what it is), she should've given her a B just for trying, if not an A for some other reason.
I didn't even ask about the grade specifically; we talk about what they did in class every single day, so she just mentioned it while talking about my kid's work (even though I already knew what the grade was)....
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In our case, they went into way more detail about everything—like, the actual rubric and what they look for. Like, exactly what you need to be able to do or make to hit a certain grade. Honestly, I totally assumed my kids would get straight As in those three subjects—music, art, and PE 🥳—but boy, was I wrong. They've got Bs in PE (and there isn't anything they can't do, or so I thought!), but hey, at least the teacher wrote a nice note next to the grade explaining why it was a B instead of an A.

frozenrider15 said:Look, a C is a passing grade. That’s literally what it represents. There's a massive difference between being content with "good" and actually striving for "great" or "excellent." A C means you grasped the material. Period. In first grade, a C tells you the kid missed the mark—maybe they didn't follow directions, lost focus, rushed through the work, or left a trail of errors in their wake. It means they need more practice. They need to sharpen their reading comprehension and drill the basics. A C doesn't mean a child is dim-witted or has hit a ceiling. Speaking as a parent, my take is this: those Cs teach a child the value of effort. It shows them they need to buckle down, do the homework, double-check their work before turning it in, stop fooling around during class, and actually listen to instructions.
Sure, some kids might get complacent with Cs and stop pushing themselves. But an attitude toward learning is built over time. I highly doubt a kid who gets a C in first grade is going to throw in the towel by seventh grade just because of that one grade. If you explain the *why* behind a C, they learn to pivot and try harder, especially while they're still young.

It’s not even about being satisfied; it's about the message you're sending... and honestly, I think that bolded part should be explained to the kids directly, rather than telling them how a C is actually a great grade...

Look, I don't know how likely it is that a kid getting Cs in first grade will bail on school in seventh, but I see it all the time—kids who are fed this line end up not studying at all because they genuinely start thinking a C is top-tier. So, I wouldn't be surprised at all if they do end up checking out by seventh grade when things actually get serious and they really need to crack the books.

Joseph Martinez4 said:In our case, they went into way more detail about everything—like, the actual rubric and what they look for. Like, exactly what you need to be able to do or make to hit a certain grade. Honestly, I totally assumed my kids would get straight As in those three subjects—music, art, and PE 🥳—but boy, was I wrong. They've got Bs in PE (and there isn't anything they can't do, or so I thought!), but hey, at least the teacher wrote a nice note next to the grade explaining why it was a B instead of an A.

Which basically means that nowadays, you have to help kids practice and work at home for everything—not just the old-school subjects like English, math, or science, but even PE, art, and music too.😁

Look, even in art class, they give you an explanation when you get a grade. I have no clue why it wasn't mentioned here. But seriously, it just wasn't there.
My little guy got a B. And nope, still no explanation for him either. 🤔

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Alright, you guys actually managed to bring me back down to earth a bit (even if I still can't wrap my head around how someone manages to cram math and art into the same conversation)....
🙂

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Lawrence Torres56 said:It’s not even about being satisfied; it's about the message you're sending... and honestly, I think that bolded part should be explained to the kids directly, rather than telling them how a C is actually a great grade...

Look, I don't know how likely it is that a kid getting Cs in first grade will bail on school in seventh, but I see it all the time—kids who are fed this line end up not studying at all because they genuinely start thinking a C is top-tier. So, I wouldn't be surprised at all if they do end up checking out by seventh grade when things actually get serious and they really need to crack the books.

Which basically means that nowadays, you have to help kids practice and work at home for everything—not just the old-school subjects like English, math, or science, but even PE, art, and music too.😁

Look, I'll say it—if your kid is basically glued to the couch all day, then you’ve got two choices: either get them moving and actually deal with PE, or just stop stressing about those mediocre gym grades. It's really not that deep.
It’s honestly nothing groundbreaking—just one of those things. You know how it is... I was sitting there thinking about what I actually needed help with, looking for some actual guidance or instructions, and can you believe which subject it turned out to be? It was freaking PE. And we're talking from twenty-five years ago, too. Just... life, I guess.
Other kids were probably sitting there memorizing their multiplication tables or—I don't know—learning about vowel shifts and chemical elements in middle school, while I was wasting hours upon hours on things like the shot put, the star jump, the two-step, the three-step, and the long jump... all just trying to scrape together enough points to hit a passing grade in PE.

frozenrider15 said:Maybe the teacher *did* tell her. Maybe the kid just forgot or didn't relay the message to Mom. We could sit here debating the mechanics of a C grade until tomorrow for all we care. To me, the real tragedy is seeing first graders shedding tears over grades already. It feels like it’s often the parents doing more crying than the children are actually experiencing any real heartbreak.

That’s spot on. It’s almost always the parents who turn it into a tragedy.
Though, to be fair, kids do feel the weight because they know how much their parents will react to a bad grade.

shadowcrane91 said:Whatever, I’m heading to the info session tomorrow anyway since I already signed up.
Honestly, I’m not even sweating my grades; they aren't my top priority by a long shot.
But I don't know why, this C just really rubbed me the wrong way. Like, personally.
Maybe it’s because it’s Art—it feels weirdly rare to get a C in a class like that (at least it was back when I was in school), but it still stung way more than getting a C in any other subject (especially when the grade book is full of A's through F's). This one actually got under my skin. Me. I get that there are grading rubrics and all that, but for Art, they aren't presented nearly as clearly as they are for other subjects, so you almost don't expect it to happen.

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I completely understand that feeling, but for the sake of the child, it’s probably best to just hide the grade from them, tell them they'll do better next time, and leave it at that.

I was one of those students who desperately needed to pass PE. I’ve always been clumsy; things like jump rope or even just basic coordination were never my forte.

I absolutely hated art class because creativity just isn't my thing. If my kid ends up being the same way and pulls a C in that subject, I'm perfectly fine with it. It feels like art, music, and PE are mostly there just to pad everyone's GPA so they can get an A. Honestly, these "elective" subjects should probably just be graded on participation rather than forcing a B or an A.

shadowcrane91, I’ve been following your updates since the start. I'm curious to hear what the teacher actually says today regarding why she received a C. From what I gathered, you're heading to the parent-teacher conference this afternoon.🙂

Sarah Hall53 said:Look, I'll say it—if your kid is basically glued to the couch all day, then you’ve got two choices: either get them moving and actually deal with PE, or just stop stressing about those mediocre gym grades. It's really not that deep.
It’s honestly nothing groundbreaking—just one of those things. You know how it is... I was sitting there thinking about what I actually needed help with, looking for some actual guidance or instructions, and can you believe which subject it turned out to be? It was freaking PE. And we're talking from twenty-five years ago, too. Just... life, I guess.
Other kids were probably sitting there memorizing their multiplication tables or—I don't know—learning about vowel shifts and chemical elements in middle school, while I was wasting hours upon hours on things like the shot put, the star jump, the two-step, the three-step, and the long jump... all just trying to scrape together enough points to hit a passing grade in PE.

But really, being a couch potato doesn't even have anything to do with doing PE homework at home,
I mean, personally, I don't know a single parent who's actually going to let their kid bounce a ball against the wall inside the house, or who has neighbors chill enough to not start screaming at kids for tossing a ball around on the street like we used to... 😁
Plus, kids today are absolutely swamped with way more activities and responsibilities than we ever dealt with, so they don't even have the chance to learn or practice stuff like dribbling a basketball, throwing a ball against a wall, or jumping rope...

Back in my day, subjects like PE, Art, and Music were places where you could pretty much pass just by showing up, putting in some effort, and having your supplies ready. If you wanted an A, you couldn't skip the hurdles, but you didn't get docked points just because you missed a step... and music textbooks were basically nonexistent... etcetera...
But nowadays, while we're constantly hearing all this talk about "reducing the workload" for students, you're still expected to sit there with your kid practicing drills for PE, singing for Music, and sketching for Art at the kitchen table. 😁

Lawrence Torres56 said:It’s not even about being satisfied; it's about the message you're sending... and honestly, I think that bolded part should be explained to the kids directly, rather than telling them how a C is actually a great grade...

Look, I don't know how likely it is that a kid getting Cs in first grade will bail on school in seventh, but I see it all the time—kids who are fed this line end up not studying at all because they genuinely start thinking a C is top-tier. So, I wouldn't be surprised at all if they do end up checking out by seventh grade when things actually get serious and they really need to crack the books.

Which basically means that nowadays, you have to help kids practice and work at home for everything—not just the old-school subjects like English, math, or science, but even PE, art, and music too.😁

It’s not "great," it’s just passing. If an average kid puts in average effort, they get a C.
What kind of logic is that? You give an A to the kid who followed every single instruction, then give a B to the kid who forgot to draw the chimney, the kid who used the wrong technique, and the kid who held the paper sideways and drew a sparrow in flight instead of a stork on the roof. You either penalize the kid with the B because they're getting the same grade as someone who was rushing and sloppy, or you bump the kid with the missing chimney to an A, which isn't fair to the student who was actually top-tier.

Lawrence Torres56 said:It’s not even about being satisfied; it's about the message you're sending... and honestly, I think that bolded part should be explained to the kids directly, rather than telling them how a C is actually a great grade...

Look, I don't know how likely it is that a kid getting Cs in first grade will bail on school in seventh, but I see it all the time—kids who are fed this line end up not studying at all because they genuinely start thinking a C is top-tier. So, I wouldn't be surprised at all if they do end up checking out by seventh grade when things actually get serious and they really need to crack the books.

Which basically means that nowadays, you have to help kids practice and work at home for everything—not just the old-school subjects like English, math, or science, but even PE, art, and music too.😁

That mindset starts at home. If nobody tells a kid that mediocre grades mean they'll likely end up in a low-tier high school and eventually settle for a dead-end job, they'll never learn.

We used to have actual textbooks for music class. We covered everything—notes, scales, identifying classical pieces, even folk traditions. I found out from a friend today that teachers can basically choose their own curriculum now. It feels like music class is being watered down to just singing and playing some instruments.
It gets on my nerves when certain things just become excuses to pad an average. It’s nonsense. You can't skip the reps. That's just how it works. You'd expect people who aren't exactly math geniuses to at least put in the work instead of being handed an easy A.

You couldn't even skip the goat—you took a hit right on the chin. (How do I know ☕? Well, I didn't exactly have a little goat or a springboard lying around at home to practice with all through summer break. Unlike those tricky rhythmic additions—my dad actually taped a target to my bedroom wall just so I could practice! But after we finished playing volleyball, he repainted the whole wall and that was that.) Plus, I was out there jumping rope in front of the house, and I even had footstep markers laid out in the hallway to practice my two-step...
And you didn't bother memorizing the lyrics or doing any solfège for music class, man. Not to mention those listening exams—where you have to identify the piece or the composer—except we didn't have a CD coming with the textbook or YouTube to actually practice recognizing stuff at home.

And honestly, piling a mountain of chores on kids or just letting them rot in front of screens isn't really a valid excuse for any of this. 🤷