This issue can be resolved if students take responsibility for their education and recognize that grades should not be the primary motive for attending school. The purpose of going to school is to acquire knowledge and comprehend the subjects being taught. Primary school teachers should instruct students to prioritize understanding the material rather than fixating on grades. Grades ought to solely reflect a student’s comprehension and capabilities, rather than measuring unrelated factors such as bladder control or amount of printer paper brought to school. Teachers must refrain from granting extra credit unless it directly pertains to the curriculum.
During my third grade year, my teacher provided us with small orange construction paper squares as restroom tokens. These tokens had our names written on them. At the end of the school year, any unused tokens were collected and placed in a jar. The teacher then randomly selected tokens from the jar to award extra credit. A few weeks before the year ended, I discovered some orange construction paper in a cabinet in our classroom that housed school supplies. I took two entire sheets of this paper home and cut them into the same size as the original tokens. I ended up with around 20 additional tokens, and I wrote my name on each of them.
The teacher called my name multiple times. These teachers, who are officials of education hired by the government to teach children, are giving out extra credit like this? I believe they are responsible for grade inflation, but this can be avoided if students focus on the material and strive to fully comprehend it. Students should make complete understanding of the learning material their main goal, regardless of grade inflation.
When students prioritize their understanding of the material over their grade, they may not achieve a perfect score. However, if students are wise enough to recognize that it is the comprehension of the material that matters, they can potentially appeal for a perfect score based on their understanding. This appeal is justified because they have truly grasped the material. Occasionally, teachers may assess students according to their personal opinions.
In my high school senior English class, my friend was respectful to our teacher and more. Despite being consistently late and not completing every assignment, my friend still managed to receive an “A”. I believe this grade is justified because it is not directly related to her understanding of the material. It is common for students in all grades except elementary to struggle with the concept that grades do not define everything.
Teachers in lower level grades should indicate to their students that grades are not the primary motivation for their efforts in class and completing homework. If the concept that grades are not everything is embraced, it will lead to a broader comprehension of numerous subjects among students and individuals in the future. I have a hope that the intelligence of the average human being will rise, rather than decline or increase at a slower pace. To summarize, I think it is crucial for grade school teachers to teach their students that academic performance is not solely determined by grades.
