Grading Freshmen

We shouldn't obsess over these grades; they actually have a positive impact on a child's psyche. In elementary school, subjects like social studies often end up with high marks—usually 4s or 5s—by the end of the term. It isn't healthy to reject lower grades entirely. If a teacher gives specific instructions, students need to learn how to think critically and follow directions. That’s why a kid might walk away with a C in art class, for example.

Furthermore, you're just putting unnecessary pressure on your child by demanding straight As.

Of course, we have to acknowledge the possibility of a teacher acting out of pure bias or temper, but those instances are far rarer than parents tend to claim.

Also,

I don't see an issue with a student receiving a lower grade occasionally. Not everyone is cut out to be a straight-A student, regardless of what a parent might envision for their child.

shadowcrane91 said:Update on the grading situation:
The technique was fine, but since the nest looked a bit smaller than what they were looking for, she gave me a 3.
The teacher was expecting this massive nest on the chimney, but mine ended up being way under the expected size (she even told me herself it looked small)....
Anyway, I didn't get any real explanation out of her....
Now I’m starting to think it wasn't actually a big enough deal to warrant a C....
But whatever....

Sent from my iPad using Reddit

God, this is just so ridiculous and honestly kind of hilarious🤣

I totally hear you, but I’ve reached a point where I’ve stopped letting stuff like this get under my skin—mostly because I realized that stressing out is just a massive drain on my own energy.
We had a similar situation where my little guy got a B in art class. That grade didn't bother me at all—I consider a B a perfectly solid grade—but I was genuinely curious why he didn't pull an A, especially since I know how talented he is and everyone always raves about his drawings. So, I head into the school for parent-teacher conferences, and while I'm waiting my turn, I actually get complimented by several other parents specifically about my son's drawing—the one that's hanging on the wall alongside the rest of the class. Finally, I get called in, we're scrolling through the roster, and when we hit art, I ask the teacher why he landed a B. She tells me, "Oh, your child is such a wonderful artist and truly the best in the class at art, but you know, Mom, I just had a feeling he didn't give it his all this time, so this B is meant to be encouraging."🤣🤣 🤣.
And I’m left sitting there not knowing whether to laugh or cry 😬—an "encouraging" B... 😒what a joke.

shadowcrane91 said:It’s not actually that small, haha...
But whatever... it is what it is at this point.
I pointed out that if they're basing the grade on rod dimensions alone, it doesn't seem particularly fair to me...
She didn't even say anything back.

Personally, I feel like kids who get Cs in art class are basically being discouraged right out of the subject entirely. Grading things based on raw talent should probably just be switched over to descriptive feedback instead.

jadetinker85 said:Personally, I feel like kids who get Cs in art class are basically being discouraged right out of the subject entirely. Grading things based on raw talent should probably just be switched over to descriptive feedback instead.

Looking at what first graders actually do in art class, you don't really need "talent" yet.
What they actually need are fine motor skills—which are the foundation for writing (and what gets tested during kindergarten enrollment)—along with things like focus, following directions, and staying on task.

In my opinion, everything in those early elementary grades should be graded descriptively.
The thing is, even though teachers are supposed to include a brief comment alongside a grade, most don't bother.
So, we're left with these letter grades that people then use to draw all sorts of random conclusions.
It’s not the "C" itself that's the problem; it's how everyone interprets it.🙂

On a side note, I actually think it's healthy for kids in the lower grades to occasionally get a D or a C. Since those grades don't really serve any purpose other than for parents to brag on Facebook or for kids to collect As like they're Pokémon cards, it's a good chance for them to learn how to deal with failure. They can learn from not studying, not doing their homework, or struggling with a task. It helps them build work habits through their own mistakes now, rather than later when every single grade becomes high-stakes for high school admissions.

Susan James said:Looking at what first graders actually do in art class, you don't really need "talent" yet.
What they actually need are fine motor skills—which are the foundation for writing (and what gets tested during kindergarten enrollment)—along with things like focus, following directions, and staying on task.

In my opinion, everything in those early elementary grades should be graded descriptively.
The thing is, even though teachers are supposed to include a brief comment alongside a grade, most don't bother.
So, we're left with these letter grades that people then use to draw all sorts of random conclusions.
It’s not the "C" itself that's the problem; it's how everyone interprets it.🙂

On a side note, I actually think it's healthy for kids in the lower grades to occasionally get a D or a C. Since those grades don't really serve any purpose other than for parents to brag on Facebook or for kids to collect As like they're Pokémon cards, it's a good chance for them to learn how to deal with failure. They can learn from not studying, not doing their homework, or struggling with a task. It helps them build work habits through their own mistakes now, rather than later when every single grade becomes high-stakes for high school admissions.

God, this whole "posting for Facebook" obsession is pure insanity.🤣🤣🤣—I mean, seriously: "Bravo, a 4.0 GPA!" followed by a photo of the entire report card.🙂

Susan James said:Looking at what first graders actually do in art class, you don't really need "talent" yet.
What they actually need are fine motor skills—which are the foundation for writing (and what gets tested during kindergarten enrollment)—along with things like focus, following directions, and staying on task.

In my opinion, everything in those early elementary grades should be graded descriptively.
The thing is, even though teachers are supposed to include a brief comment alongside a grade, most don't bother.
So, we're left with these letter grades that people then use to draw all sorts of random conclusions.
It’s not the "C" itself that's the problem; it's how everyone interprets it.🙂

On a side note, I actually think it's healthy for kids in the lower grades to occasionally get a D or a C. Since those grades don't really serve any purpose other than for parents to brag on Facebook or for kids to collect As like they're Pokémon cards, it's a good chance for them to learn how to deal with failure. They can learn from not studying, not doing their homework, or struggling with a task. It helps them build work habits through their own mistakes now, rather than later when every single grade becomes high-stakes for high school admissions.

Could be. Maybe you have a point. Though, personally, I feel like learning to handle failure through sports might be a better way to go.
I'm actually a little worried, though. My little guy really struggles with losing. He's been pushed to be number one since he was a toddler, and if things don't go his way, he tends to make quite a scene. 🙂

jadetinker85 said:Could be. Maybe you have a point. Though, personally, I feel like learning to handle failure through sports might be a better way to go.
I'm actually a little worried, though. My little guy really struggles with losing. He's been pushed to be number one since he was a toddler, and if things don't go his way, he tends to make quite a scene. 🙂

Given how you're going to react this Thursday, I have to admit I'm wondering how he's ever going to learn to deal with setbacks.
🤔

Sports are one option, but you can just quit them whenever you want (I know plenty of kids who drop out of soccer or baseball just because they aren't winning). You can't just "quit" school like that. You stay there, and you have to navigate all the quirks of the system—things like personal wins and losses, and the random elements of luck or unfairness.
Plus, the resilience you build during your school years stays with you for life, whether it's in your career or your relationships...
Parents definitely play a huge role here. Their attitude toward grades and their own definition of what counts as success or failure really shapes how they pass those values down to their children.

It’s just not accurate how parents react to grades and then pass that anxiety down to their kids..
By first grade, children are already little individuals with their own distinct personalities and temperaments.. some handle a bad grade without blinking, while others struggle.. It’s actually on the teacher to frame lower marks in a way that’s constructive and easy for them to digest... In that first year, kids listen to their teachers far more than they do their parents..

I have two kids in school right now—one in 4th grade and one in 1st—and they couldn't be more different when it comes to grades and the whole idea of "success"..
My 4th grader has never cared about her report card; it was completely irrelevant to her, and her philosophy was that she didn't mind if a grade was lower.. her grades were always all over the place.
Meanwhile, my 1st grader just got her first B, and it was a total meltdown.. She was crying at school, then came home looking absolutely devastated—even though I’ve never pushed for straight As, and she’s seen her older sister handle mediocre grades just fine..

Kate Morgan14 said:It’s just not accurate how parents react to grades and then pass that anxiety down to their kids..
By first grade, children are already little individuals with their own distinct personalities and temperaments.. some handle a bad grade without blinking, while others struggle.. It’s actually on the teacher to frame lower marks in a way that’s constructive and easy for them to digest... In that first year, kids listen to their teachers far more than they do their parents..

I have two kids in school right now—one in 4th grade and one in 1st—and they couldn't be more different when it comes to grades and the whole idea of "success"..
My 4th grader has never cared about her report card; it was completely irrelevant to her, and her philosophy was that she didn't mind if a grade was lower.. her grades were always all over the place.
Meanwhile, my 1st grader just got her first B, and it was a total meltdown.. She was crying at school, then came home looking absolutely devastated—even though I’ve never pushed for straight As, and she’s seen her older sister handle mediocre grades just fine..

It's true that everyone reacts differently, and those reactions definitely shape how a child views grading.

Both teachers and parents play a massive role in shaping that attitude toward grades.
Pretty quickly, classmates start playing a role too (and their reactions matter), which is usually a byproduct of how the teacher interacts with the class and how other parents are handling things at home.
That's why I feel like formal grading is almost unnecessary during those very first years of school.

The way your daughter reacted is exactly how my sister reacted.
There's an eight-year age gap between us, and our parents never made a big thing out of grades or pressured us to be top of the class.

Something my dad still brings up from back in the day is how, until 4th grade, I didn't even have traditional grades. Instead, we had tons of detailed feedback from teachers. There was much more open communication and clear guidance on what I excelled at and where I needed to catch up. Fast forward eight years to my sister, and everything just boiled down to "A, B, A, B... maybe fix this little thing and you'll get an A next time."
And honestly, that's still how it works today.