WINTER 2016.
OAK HILL TIMES WINTER EDITION
OAK HILL RESPONDS TO GRADES By Amy X. and Erin A. Newton South Course of Study Book
Grades -Kids all over the world have to deal with grades at one point or another in their academic careers. To some, grades are a subject of terror, to others they?re merely a label to shrug off. At Oak Hill there seems to be a great deal of debate on the matter. While some give no thought to anything but the letters, many including teachers seem to think this is an unwise approach to your academic performance. As one searches around, it is clear that despite the care-free attitude the school presents, there is a silent pressure at work. It is nothing new that grades are stressful. Many a time, students want nothing else than ignore the constant nagging in the back of their heads about grades. Can the stress actually be having a negative effect on students and the school environment? The answer might very well be yes. As our story unfolded, we quickly found that teachers have very personal connections to grades and how grades are perceived and accepted at Oak Hill. 8th grade math teacher, Ms. Hsu, responded to our questions with helpful insight into the minds of teachers, and advice for struggling or stressed out students. When asked if she felt pressure to give good grades to stressed out students, she responded, ", "Of course I feel a little bit of pressure. Students here care a lot about grades, as do parents. And then again I feel that teachers here are very generous about how they grade. There are so many ways to get good grades, and there are always corrections and retakes. I don?t want my students to think their lives are over if they get a bad grade, they can always do better.? Assistant Principal Dr. Bercaw shared,?I think students stress out a lot about grades, I think they forget that this is middle school, it is a learning time. If you get a C or a D it?s ok, you can work it out with your teacher. School is about learning, you can improve. Going into high school it is good to have some experience with receiving bad grades, so if you get a B you don?t completely breakdown.? Throughout one's time in school, students are advised to calm down, that it?s only middle school, that they shouldn?t stress, and that there is plenty of time to learn from mistakes and get better. But is this positive out look really beneficial? Over all; yes, for Mrs. Hsu she seems to agree strongly with this principle and said the most important thing is to learn from mistakes and get ready for High School. You need to learn to be a good students, and teachers who support that are the teachers that will teach you the most.? When students were asked if they considered grades important, most responded that if they believed enough effort had been put into the subject, that grades were insignificant. But as we continued to interview more students, a clear trend had come to surface. With each step up in grade level, the amount of pressure linked to grades was steadily increasing. A few 6th graders, when asked if they considered grades to be important, responded, "You shouldn't stress about grades as long as you try your best, nobody really cares." With such a carefree optimistic response, it seems that Oak Hill is pretty relaxed concerning matters related to grades. Yet some 8th graders shared that the pressure is more stifling that we thought. One anonymous student claimed that they stay up late into the night studying and trying to perfect homework, only to go to bed lying awake in pondering the grades to follow. It goes to such an extreme that this person often would ?-shed like a cat.? But why the push? Some say it is the usual ?pressure from the parents?, however there is always the underlying sense of self betterment. For all, it can be certainly said that with each better grade there is a feeling of pride that follows along with it. And when asked if ?You are happier to receive a good grade after a test/project you stressed out about, or about one you thought you did well on ?-most students responded that the more work put into an assignment, the more satisfaction they felt to receive a better grade. But as always this positive mindset is only negatively enforced. By what you might ask? It appears that students regularly struggle with the expectations of former ?over-achievers?. But all in all at Oak Hill, even with the presence of harsh expectations, positive thinking still shines through. When it comes down to it, the importance of grades is really just opinion. If you think academics are important and are willing to sacrifice a great deal of your childhood for a successful future, do it; If you value interpersonal connection and delving in your hobbies, do it! Whatever the choice may be it can be said for certain that, grades hold a place in our life; be it good or bad.