Yes, I teach and I am proud of it. I talk to my students, listen to them, engage them (some less, some more), inspire some of them, annoy the others... I rejoice and worry with them. Most of all, I care. And they can feel it. I know I cannot reach every student despite my efforts. My students' language competence varies so much that lesson planning takes up most of my time off. Creating activities that will be challenging enough, yet achievable for all of them, sometimes seems an impossible mission. The reasons can be various: the lack of time, resources, technical equipment and support. These factors will not stop me from trying, though. There is one thing that compensates for them all, and that is my determination to help each student reach their potential. Where does the grading system, as it is, fit in? Some teachers might say grading is the easiest part of our job. There are set objectives and outcomes, students know the requirements - end of story. But is it?
Let us just look at its impact on motivation. We all know that nothing succeeds like success. So, when some students enter secondary school with the basic knowledge of English and see some of their peers excel at it, they become instantly aware that, no matter how hard they try, they will not be able to reach that level of proficiency soon enough to get a high grade. Acquiring a foreign language is a long continuing process; it takes time and entails commitment and persistence. And let us be honest, these have never been the main traits of adolescents. Furthermore, I teach English in a vocational school. They admit that understanding and speaking English is simply a must nowadays. But, is it worth all the time and trouble? What makes the situation with grading even more troubling for me is that most of them are motivated only by grades. So, when their language proficiency is poor, they settle with the passing grade and put in as much or less effort as they need in order to meet the basic requirements. They give up at the very start. Thus the grading system based on reaching the set objectives and outcomes becomes demoralizing and demotivating factor. I keep reassuring them that I will take into account any, even the slightest improvement they make. It is effective for a time, but not for long.
Let us just look at its impact on motivation. We all know that nothing succeeds like success. So, when some students enter secondary school with the basic knowledge of English and see some of their peers excel at it, they become instantly aware that, no matter how hard they try, they will not be able to reach that level of proficiency soon enough to get a high grade. Acquiring a foreign language is a long continuing process; it takes time and entails commitment and persistence. And let us be honest, these have never been the main traits of adolescents. Furthermore, I teach English in a vocational school. They admit that understanding and speaking English is simply a must nowadays. But, is it worth all the time and trouble? What makes the situation with grading even more troubling for me is that most of them are motivated only by grades. So, when their language proficiency is poor, they settle with the passing grade and put in as much or less effort as they need in order to meet the basic requirements. They give up at the very start. Thus the grading system based on reaching the set objectives and outcomes becomes demoralizing and demotivating factor. I keep reassuring them that I will take into account any, even the slightest improvement they make. It is effective for a time, but not for long.
What is my professional goal then? It is to enable them to communicate in English, even the weakest ones among them. So I tell them to disregard grades, to view them as a necessary evil imposed on us all. The educational systems and states need standards, measurements, and labelling. In my opinion, learning is a matter of personal development and growth. It is a means to enrich your life and become your better self. It has little to do with grades. It has all to do with self-empowering. Providing a meaningful feedback when assessing makes much more sense to me than marking their achievement with one out of five numbers.So does the encouraging them to learn the language for their own benefit. I try to make them realise that good grades do not guarantee success in after-school life. In a situation where they do not have the same starting point, I think it is the only way to keep them motivated and support their progress. It works with some of them. I keep on trying...