Dear Parents and Students,
I've just finished calculating the grades for the second
semester. Please remember that I am a
‘tutor,” and these are suggested grades
for you as homeschooling families to consider.
Some students handed in assignments on the last day of
class. If those change the score and
grade, I will send adjusted grades next week.
(I’m currently on vacation in Florida!)
Before I send them, let me again share my thoughts on
grades. As I homeschooled, I didn't give my children grades. I felt
that grades were far too subjective. I taught my own children for
mastery and diligence. We didn't proceed with a topic until they were ready no matter
how long that took.
Letter grades are a funny thing. For some students, it
becomes the only motivation for doing well. For some, it becomes a
measure of their worth as a person or as an academic learner. I
personally don't like these "side effects" of the grading
system. On the other hand, grades can be a valid reward for working hard,
being diligent, and understanding the materials. Incentives and consequences are a part of
life; God uses them, too.
When teaching students to be good writers, I give a lot of
consideration for growth and improvement. Each student has a starting place;
over time I look for him or her to learn the mechanics of grammar, good writing
techniques, and analytical thinking skills.
For this class, I gave points for attendance,
participation, short assignments and longer papers. I tend to
be an "easy grader" and like to see my students encouraged to do
their best. Becoming a good writer is
hard work, and too often students are discouraged before they’ve given
themselves a chance to succeed.
Each student (and parents) will get an e-mail
with percentages and suggested grades for this semester.
Blessings,
Tammy Prichard
No comments:
Post a Comment