i hate grades

Some folks who have been reading my writing for a while may have already heard my thoughts on homework.. In a nutshell, I don't believe in it.

Let me also say that I hate letter/numerical grades.

My oldest child is not what you would call a motivated student. It's gotten much worse in the past two years and now he is barely scraping by in eighth grade.

It doesn't help that he dislikes his school and doesn't like most of his teachers, despite the fact that he is, in general, a pretty amiable person who likes and gets along with many adults. He feels that his teachers don't like or respect him and so he reciprocates (there are a few exceptions - teachers whom he likes). He's very bored at school and is absolutely not motivated by any competition or ranking (as in grades) system. Never has been.

He is motivated when people challenge him and get him thinking. But the only system his teachers seem to understand for working with students is the traditinal "work to earn grades" model. But this kid is an autodidact. And they have no idea how to use that to get him engaged. It's very frustrating. I am frustrated with him and with them and am very glad that he only has a few months left at his school because he is definitely ready for a big change (he's been there 8 years).

I hate it that grades are the central organizing factor of his daily life and by extension, mine. I wish I could send him to The Sudbury School or something because that's where he would really thrive.