Thoughts on grades

Dear British Literature Parents and Students,

I’m in the process of calculating the grades for second semester’s British Literature class.  Please remember that I am a ‘tutor,” and  these are suggested grades for you as homeschooling families to consider.  I will send out comments and letter grades next week.  

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 readers and 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 develop analytical thinking skills and to be able to express the artistry of a piece of literature in the context of literary terms.

This class had few written assignments because we were reading some pretty “hefty” pieces of literature.  Class discussions were important. Through these discussions I could ascertain whether the student had read the assigned portion.  Also, as we discussed the pieces of literature, I paid attention to how deeply each student was willing to dig into a book, drama, or poem.  

Each student (and parents) will get an e-mail with suggested grades for this semester. 

Blessings,

Tammy Prichard