Where Are You Coming From?

At a teachers’ convention, a distinguished educator addressed the question of whether or not the “report card” system should be abandoned. She said,

As a student and as a teacher, I have looked at report cards from both sides. And I find that I must agree with many of the students who would like to do away with the system. In the first place, it is very hard, sometimes, to give an honest appraisal of a student’s work. As a teacher, I have worked until the wee hours of the morning trying to do just that, only to end up with feelings of deep frustration. I also know that it was difficult at times as a student to keep from working for the grade instead of the knowledge, and to keep from wasting time trying to figure out how to “beat the system.” Clearly, there are weaknesses in our present system. But, human nature being what it is, I am convinced that we must…