School and Grades

I was at a friend’s house, and her six-year-old daughter proudly showed me her work from school. “I got an A!” she exclaimed, followed by a scrunched-up embarrassed face “…I got a D last week.” …excuse me?! My brain was spinning. 

This is a six-year-old. 

Grade one. 

Just went through a pandemic. 

It’s her first year fully in school. 

Month two of the school year. 

The point of school at six is to LEARN, not be evaluated…BECAUSE THEY DIDN’T LEARN YET!  

Did I mention she’s SIX?!

I was reeling. What is going on? How is this ok. How is the teacher ok to look at this tiny little face so innocent and eager to face each day, with creativity and willingness to take more risks than most adults and scribble “D” on her work? 

It’s moments like these that I can’t bear how the school system evaluates. I know not all teachers, I do. And I know that one teacher can positively change the trajectory of a child’s life – but one teacher can also do the opposite. 

Teachers are in a position of power, and due to the school structure and grading, young people are looking to them for approval. 

Am I right? 

Am I good? 

Am I smart? 

Teachers should hold this position so delicately. They have the opportunity to see the good, comment on the positive, and celebrate the wins. Instead of a “D” or 6/20, why not just put “6!! Way to Go! Let’s try to get seven next time.” Imagine flipping the approach, showing young people what they did right and where their strengths are, and celebrating those strengths, which in turn pushes them to better themselves—allowing them the opportunity to learn without judgment. We all need to learn without judgment. All of us. We are evaluated at work as adults, but rarely with letter grades. Instead, our superiors take us aside, ask us about our goals and what we see for ourselves moving forward, and help us make a growth plan. 

So how is it ok for young people to be graded – what is this acceptance that grading our children’s brains is ok. 

This is why compulsory school, curriculums, and standardized learning is challenged at Passages. We see strengths, and interests, and we help young people see their potential and work with them to create a plan for their own learning, which they drive. 

There’s no room in education for grades - maybe school thinks there is, but as Mark Twain says, “Don’t let school interfere with your education.”