I WANT an A!

"She's always gotten A's," seems to be the standard line I hear as a 4th grade teacher when meeting parents for the first time. Since when does a year of 3rd grade, where grades first begin, constitute a pattern of straight A's?

I wish I could have used that line throughout my entire educational career - 'Well, I don't know what that science professor was thinking by giving me a B in biology. Doesn't he realize I got an A in 3rd grade science , which covered all the science disciplines, not just one?'

The pressure to achieve is always a bit of a puzzle for me. Not that the pressure is there, but more from the standpoint of where the pressure comes from (student, parents, or peers). Sometimes I have students that experience all three. They have the parents who talk constantly about 'A's or failure', followed by their own pressure to maintain an A or feel like a failure, increased by friends who also strive for the A.

As the teacher, I've always found that students who prepare, focus on their studies, put in their best effort, and follow through on their assignments, tend to do rather well. Yet, it's the students who have the A's already that come in and request / demand the extra credit work to ensure their chances of not only the A, but possibly the A++.

To my demise / fault I try and let these students know that it's okay to let the grade handle itself and they can focus on learning. What a concept! We actually put aside the goal of a grade and learn something. The problem with my attempt is that most parents view this as my interfering with the grand plan of the aforementioned straight A plan. After all, no matter how many times I say it, some believe that colleges do look at elementary records for entry.

Let me set something straight,... I like grades. I like the goal setting, I like the attempt to attain, and I even like showing kids how close they are to making their goals with bi-monthly reports. I think it's life when we get to see where we sometimes fall short, sometimes where we can relax and breathe easy, and other times where we are right on track. Grades give that gauge to students. Heck, whenever one of my kids come home after bombing an assignment or test, it usually sends up a flare that there's something we need to review and work on. It signifies that learning was neglected and more effort must be put forth. It does not indicate that the world has stopped spinning, that the college application stack needs to be reduced, or that life as we know it has suddenly and drastically taken a turn for the worse.

So how do you get this point across when a child walks in and says, "My mom wants to know if you can give me extra credit so I can get the highest grade in class." Most of the time, I don't. It's heart breaking to see a child put under this kind of pressure, but this kid is my student, not my own child. It's really important to put on a smile and reassure that student that know matter what, I appreciate their effort,... and we don't do extra credit to make goals,... that's what daily work is for.

I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.
- Edison

I would love to hear how other teachers feel about this topic.