When I post this entry, I will have done 11 out of 13 things on my list. This gives me a "B" for today, and I was always a straight "A" student. This is not a crisis. A "B", I have learned as a teacher, is REALLY a good grade. I'm just not used to getting them. I am especially not used to giving them to myself.
Maybe if I post my average everyday, I'll get more done. Then again, I did several things of importance today that were not on the list. If I were to add them to the calculation, then I would have an "A", right?
As a straight "A" student, I really did learn as a teacher that B's are good grades. I am thankful that I have learned this; I would have been much harder on some of my students and my own children (when I have some) if I hadn't figured out first-hand that everyone has different abilities.
I have also learned that it's really not about grades at all. School is about learning. Students sometimes master a concept, and yet still fail. Either they don't care about the grades and don't bother to do and/or turn in assignments or they have test anxiety.
This might lead you to say that grades are meaningless. And, to some extent, this is true. Grades can be meaningless, but they still serve an important purpose. While we, as teachers, might prefer a world where we didn't have to assign grades, feedback is of the utmost importance in education. The grade is quick, easy to understand feedback about student work. Without feedback, students and parents don't know how things are going at school.
So, I have a "B". Maybe I can bring my average up before the end of the term on accomplishing the task on my list. Let's just not start grading my weight-loss; that one I am definately failing!