The Importance Of Self-Value In Education

Education is a long-term investment. We, as students, work hard to acquire knowledge and to hone our skills so that we may use them one day. The effort we put into a single assignment should be considered as both for that specific assignment and for our rounding as complete, educated individuals. And with this mindset, students should be motivated even more to put more effort and hard work into academics, with the goal of bettering themselves for the future and advancing their prospects as individuals. And with this hard work and effort will come progress, and this progress should be reflected in the grading—not necessarily on individual assignments, but on the student’s education as a

Whether we realize it or not, test scores play a vital role in many people’s self esteem. A person who frequently scores high will be confident that they are very intelligent and will expect others to see them that way. Asimov attested to this when he stated, “All my life I’ve been registering scores like that, so that I have the complacent feeling that I’m highly intelligent, and I expect other people to think that too.” (Asimov, 536). On the other hand, those who score low on tests often write themselves off to be unintelligent. Emphasis on the importance of the ACT or SAT test scores can lead an adolescent to conclude that he or she is not capable of succeeding in college and lead them to not pursue higher education. The tragedy is that we may pass on opportunities because we have labelled ourselves unintelligent based on a test score which is not a true refelection of our

Additionally, Albert Einstein once said, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” There are different forms of intelligence that go beyond what our school system measures. Students are not a unit to be measured, and students cannot be assigned a numerical value to identify their intelligence. Students are diverse—they learn at different speeds, and they learn in different ways. Focusing solely on test scores is hurting our students and deviating away from building our society on success and excellence. Critics are slowly realizing the problems associated with standardized tests—they create anxiety, they are extremely biased, and they do not measure the ability to think deeply.

Alfie Kohn discussed multiple fabulous points in his article, “Degrading to De-Grading”. The author suggests more effective ways to assess students’ progress other than numerical or letter grades. Kohn goes into detail about why our current grading system is flawed. Grades can cause students to lose interest in learning which causes them to stop taking challenges. If students are not engaged and interested than they are not retaining the information they are being taught. The grading system can also cause students to develop unhealthy competition with one another for instance, “I got a better grade than you!”. Indeed, grades are a wonderful concept, but they tend to be more hurtful than helpful. In some cases, grades can have positive effects on students. For example, setting goals for various assignments, or receiving help where they are struggling. Though, there are alternatives that could make positive changes in the system.

Historically, letter grades have served as a tool to rate educational intelligence. By looking at the progression of a student’s grades over time, people are able to determine whether or not the students are developing skills in certain areas. Using a one letter grade to determine progress has received many critiques as a common system used in America’s education. Critics claim letter grades cause students motivation and creativity to decrease because grades shift students focus from learning the material to obtaining a good grade.

❖ Perhaps the last thing that should be mentioned when relating to how pupils learn and develop self-esteem is. “The question is, not how intelligent is the child, but in what ways is the child intelligent?”

While many believe that the grading system has a concrete standing in the success of education, other’s believe that it actually can inhibit or at least lessen the effectiveness of learning. In “A Young Person’s Guide to the Grading System,” Jerry Farber states that for the longest time, many have dismissed the fact that grades could be harmful to the learning process. He argues that grades lack the ability to bring about self-discipline within the students learning the content. While the educational system has rendered changes throughout the years, the grading system maintains its virginity and has been fairly untouched. He insists that many educators are in strong belief that grades are the only way to ensure that learning is to take place within the classroom. Most of society would dictate that the system has been fairly effective in getting individuals through their schooling. But as Farber points out, students tend to focus more upon the grades they are receiving and less upon the content itself. Throughout his writing, Faber uses many forms of rhetoric to persuade the reader to believe the fact that the grading system is corrupted and should be changed, and offers a solution which is referred to as the Credit System. With this being said, it can be stated that Farber effectively conveys his argument through his appeal to a younger

Kurt Wiesenfeld's article, "Making the Grade," presents the social issue of grades. The author explores the extent of this problem by examining the social environment in which these students were raised. Wiesenfeld also addresses the changing attitude towards what a grade represents and the true value of a grade. The author effectively uses several writing strategies to engage the reader, influence the audience and illustrate how much thought he has given this issue. The essay is organized by a logical progression from thesis to individual claims and the author provides real-world examples for the issues. With those real-world examples, Wiesenfeld explains how serious the problem can become and demonstrates why the issue should be addressed.

    It's June, and another graduating class is hoping, among other things, to achieve high grades. Of course, "high" is a subjective target. Originally a "C" meant average; today however, the expectations and pressures to give and receive "A's" and "B's" takes its toll on teachers and students alike. This nullifies the value of the traditional grading scale and creates a host of entirely new problems. The widespread occurrence of grade inflation seriously affects the credibility of secondary and post-secondary education in America.

“Our educational goal [is] the production of caring, competent, loving, lovable people” . The students found in the schools across the United State are the future of America. They are the doctors, teachers, business people, lawyers and many other roles, that will be out in the workforce in the years to come. What they learn in school will impact them immensely; it is the responsibility of a teacher to give students the best education in order to ensure the common good of the future. It is essential for students to not only learn content matter, but also the skills to enable them to participate in a democracy. Due to standardized testing, the emphasis of education has become on score and rankings rather than learning. A standardized test does not look at the whole student, the scores provided are on a very narrow aspect of education. In the classroom, there are countless ways for teachers to assess the student as a whole person not as just a score. Standardized tests scores should not be the sole criteria for determining a student’s academic achievement.

The Phrase 'Value Based Education', in wide use in present times comes closest in meaning to the Sanskrit word 'Vidya' as it was used by the Gurus or preceptors of ancient India. 'Vid - ya' means that which illumines. As such, it was identified with knowledge that illumines the mind and soul. Since the imparting of knowledge was the aim of education, over a period of time, education also came to be known as 'Vidya'. But, the highest goal of Vidya as visualized by the seers and seekers was to understand the Ultimate Truth or Reality. Adisankaracharya, one of the foremost spiritual teachers that India has known, expounded "Vidyahi - ka? Brahma Gathi Pradaya" - what is Vidya ? It is that which explains the Brahmatatva, the nature of the

Gaining education enhances a respectful life for an individual to live respectfully in the society. In this modern era, every individual needs to be educated. Education is one of the ways where people can know about the history of their country and also about the latest technologies. In the essay “Grades and self-Esteem”, the author Randy Moore, argues about self-esteem in students and their grades. He also claims that teachers should be genuine in giving grades to their students rather than focusing on their self-esteem. I agree with the author’s view regarding the grading system and disagree with the Moore, regarding building self-esteem in students.

In the second scenario, we are first year practicum students who are currently teaching a prep class. Sue, our teacher aide, invites her friends from the “Over 50s Club” to volunteer within the classroom. However, the Principal asks us to keep a register of all volunteers. This has us conflicted, as the volunteers do not have Blue Cards, and Sue has proposed we record each volunteer as the grandmother of a different child.

My entire identity and sense of self worth is constructed around how smart I am. My life revolves around grades, assessments, and tests.

Teaching personal and social responsibility (TPSR) is a lifelong journey. One can never fully achieve the ultimate goal of becoming personally and socially responsible as it's always expanding. TPSR is built upon the foundation of putting kids first, human decency, holistic self-development, and as Nick Forsberg said “a way of being” (19). It is important for a teacher to put aside personal goals and achievements to focus on the students. The students well being and personal growth must be the focal point. Along with these important core values TPSR is structured around a five level system. The first two level are considered a beginner level of TPSR and touch on respect and effort. Within the begining levels a student will begin to understand the role expectations placed upon him or her in the classroom. This includes peaceful and respectful participation in every activity with a maximum effort and a positive attitude. The third and fourth level to TPSR involve self-direction and helping. This involves going above and beyond the set lesson and setting goals for yourself while showing positive leadership within the community. It is important to identify at these level direct supervision is not necessary and varies with age. The final level involves taking your knowledge outside the gym. This is a culmination of all levels and a direct transfer to your everyday life. This is the stage in which one goes from being a follower to a leader and setting an example for everyone