The arbitrary "A"
Life with Lindsey
Lindsey Pruitt
Issue date: 2/25/09 Section: Lifestyles
Do you ever feel like the letter "A" is arbitrary, intimidating and possibly useless?
I mean, what is a letter grade anyway? Think of it this way: if you get an 89 percent in a class and the kid next to you gets a 90 percent, that student is an "A" student, top of the top, 4.0! And, you, oh lowly you, only one point away, are deemed average.
There is little difference between you and that pompous jerk next to you, but nobody knows because you are labeled as a B student.
I once had a professor who told me to get an "A" in his class I had to reach a 95 percent. Struck by this obvious unfairness, I felt disrespected and upset. I knew that a 95 percent was not out of reach, but the fact that I could have a 94 percent and still be deemed average really freaked me out.
I confronted this professor, whom I really like and respect and asked him why that was his policy. He replied, "All of you are too hung up on letter grades; just do good work and show me that you care and you will be fine."
This got the good old wheels turning and I began to think about what he said. I have to admit, I am one of those kids who likes the label. I want "A's," and most of the time I will do whatever I need to get them, but what is the point? Do letter grades really reflect a student's intelligence?
What about all of those kids who never go to class, cram for a test and luckily end up making a 95 percent? Of course, they forget all of that information a day later, courtesy of cramming, compliments of Red Bull and Airheads, but the point is, they got an "A."
Meanwhile, the kids who attend all classes, have absorbed all of the lectures and experience, and are well versed in the material make the same "A." However, they are held at the same level of intelligence on the transcript as the Red Bull kid. This seems unfair to me.
Shouldn't our teachers respect those students who attend class, are interested in the material, and go the extra mile to speak up and participate? Shouldn't they get a little something extra? I think so.
Throughout history, some of our favorite scientists weren't exactly "A" students. Einstein's grammar school teacher is quoted as saying, "never will he get anywhere," and Isaac Newton once pulled a horse's bridle for miles before he realized there was no horse in it. These are two of the most influential scientists and they don't fit the "A" student mold, so why should we follow it?
I suppose we have to have some system of ranking for grading students and, obviously, the letter grade system has been around for a long time. But should tradition stomp modern versatility?
I think it is more than possible for students to be evaluated in a different manner. While exams and papers can be a good reflection of the knowledge learned in class, there are always cheaters and crammers. If teachers reflected a good 50 percent or more of our grade on attendance and participation, I think the educational environment would be much more fulfilling and stimulating.
Students need to attend class. On every list of "Ways to succeed in college," "go to class" is number one. Those who participate are learning more because they are obviously listening and if a professor realizes that the student is working hard, attending office hours, wants to improve, etc. then that student's participation portion of the grade will raise or be sustained. Those who choose to sleep, drink and party their way through college will definitely be burned by this system, and rightly so.
Come on people, we are here to learn, right?
Lindsey Pruitt is the assistant Lifestyles editor of The Arkansas Traveler. Her column appears every other Wednesday.
I mean, what is a letter grade anyway? Think of it this way: if you get an 89 percent in a class and the kid next to you gets a 90 percent, that student is an "A" student, top of the top, 4.0! And, you, oh lowly you, only one point away, are deemed average.
There is little difference between you and that pompous jerk next to you, but nobody knows because you are labeled as a B student.
I once had a professor who told me to get an "A" in his class I had to reach a 95 percent. Struck by this obvious unfairness, I felt disrespected and upset. I knew that a 95 percent was not out of reach, but the fact that I could have a 94 percent and still be deemed average really freaked me out.
I confronted this professor, whom I really like and respect and asked him why that was his policy. He replied, "All of you are too hung up on letter grades; just do good work and show me that you care and you will be fine."
This got the good old wheels turning and I began to think about what he said. I have to admit, I am one of those kids who likes the label. I want "A's," and most of the time I will do whatever I need to get them, but what is the point? Do letter grades really reflect a student's intelligence?
What about all of those kids who never go to class, cram for a test and luckily end up making a 95 percent? Of course, they forget all of that information a day later, courtesy of cramming, compliments of Red Bull and Airheads, but the point is, they got an "A."
Meanwhile, the kids who attend all classes, have absorbed all of the lectures and experience, and are well versed in the material make the same "A." However, they are held at the same level of intelligence on the transcript as the Red Bull kid. This seems unfair to me.
Shouldn't our teachers respect those students who attend class, are interested in the material, and go the extra mile to speak up and participate? Shouldn't they get a little something extra? I think so.
Throughout history, some of our favorite scientists weren't exactly "A" students. Einstein's grammar school teacher is quoted as saying, "never will he get anywhere," and Isaac Newton once pulled a horse's bridle for miles before he realized there was no horse in it. These are two of the most influential scientists and they don't fit the "A" student mold, so why should we follow it?
I suppose we have to have some system of ranking for grading students and, obviously, the letter grade system has been around for a long time. But should tradition stomp modern versatility?
I think it is more than possible for students to be evaluated in a different manner. While exams and papers can be a good reflection of the knowledge learned in class, there are always cheaters and crammers. If teachers reflected a good 50 percent or more of our grade on attendance and participation, I think the educational environment would be much more fulfilling and stimulating.
Students need to attend class. On every list of "Ways to succeed in college," "go to class" is number one. Those who participate are learning more because they are obviously listening and if a professor realizes that the student is working hard, attending office hours, wants to improve, etc. then that student's participation portion of the grade will raise or be sustained. Those who choose to sleep, drink and party their way through college will definitely be burned by this system, and rightly so.
Come on people, we are here to learn, right?
Lindsey Pruitt is the assistant Lifestyles editor of The Arkansas Traveler. Her column appears every other Wednesday.
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