So, my feelings could only be described as mixed almost two weeks ago today when I was deflowered by my first single letter grade. The letter “B,” of all letters! In truth, I have no idea what it means.
I considered: B. A bilabial. Second in the alphabet. The letter has always struck me as being, well — fat. What does this say about my soul? To someone coming from a fuzzy and intensely personal environment, letter-grade feedback seems cold and institutional. Without the addition of extensive commentary and explanation, the letter grade is unintelligible to me.
In fact, I don’t know if I should be embarrassed about printing a B.
Grades and the grade deflation issue particularly surfaced countless times at freshman orientation events. It was troubling to me that Princeton made such a point of consoling students who receive their first Bs. I told myself that grades weren’t personal in an effort to comfort myself.
On further consideration, however, I came to the conclusion that grades ought to be personal, and it was the very fact that letter grades are one-dimensional that confuses us who have never been exposed to them. The most frightening aspect of grades is that everyone else seems to be able to fathom some meaning in the letter symbols scribbled on the top of their papers. A friend took pity on me and tried to explicate the meaning of “B.” She cited everything from poor topic sentences to character flaws as the traits of a B paper. Nevertheless, letter grades are as decipherable to me as Minoan Linear A.
The more serious question raised is whether grades truly drive students to be successful. The alternative methods at Saint Ann’s pose the questions: What is a more powerfully driving force, the desire to learn or the desire to get an A? Are they mutually exclusive?
In writing my next paper, responding to a B, I was more critical of my work, of making stronger arguments and better writing. This presented itself as some sort of success. But (horrible to behold!) I also found myself taking other variables into consideration. Would my professor think my point too outlandish? This factor could easily affect my grade, but am I willing to sacrifice the fun and learning in outlandishness for an A? If for political or even emotional reasons, a professor disagrees with my point, this too could factor into my grade.
Grades have made me timid.
The limitations imposed by grades may be beneficial in thesis papers, math quizzes and performance. Art, however, suffers the most in the absence of audacious creativity.
Let’s return for a moment to Saint Ann’s in Brooklyn. The school is especially strong in the arts. The art studios are a nirvana of sorts, with students scampering about in aprons with spackle or wire or tree branches or cardboard. Creativity at Saint Ann’s is prized above most anything else, perhaps even technique. The teachers are hands off, teaching technique sometimes at the beginning of class, or whenever demanded by the students. The assignments are open-ended so that the students are free to apply their own creative efforts and means.
The students produce inventive, thoughtful and beautiful art that earns many of them awards. Some continue on to careers in the fine arts. The reason for their success initially is the uninhibited creativity. Grades only stifle what should be an unquantifiable and subjective process. Michael Moore, not the filmmaker but an education specialist, wrote in an essay titled “Evaluating Creativity,” “I suggest teachers forgo grading creativity, for the ultimate goal is the individual emotional and creative growth of students.” This can apply to nearly every field and age. Perhaps, in academics and arts, grades can only objectively apply to technique.
Being the only objective variable, technique becomes quite important. I have been too blinded by gradelessness for grades and technique alone to motivate me to turn a mediocre paper into an excellent paper. Grades would be effective if in striving for an A, I master the technique that would permit me to deservingly express whatever seemingly outlandish ideas I’d like. Losing my grade virginity is very much worth this permission and freedom. The only question that remains is whether it is only technique that is (or should be) evaluated. As a trained Saint Ann’s student I’m compelled to say this isn’t the case with the B sitting at the top of my paper.
Having experienced the loss of my grade virginity on a University level, I’ve concluded that grades are in fact meaningless: not because they are beyond my virgin grade understanding, but because they in no way convey any constructive information. Because of this, they won’t actually contribute to my learning process.
Monica Greco is a freshman from Brooklyn, New York. She can be reached at mgreco@princeton.edu.
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