This year, with a new GT coordinator, the students in the GT pullout in the elementary schools are being graded on their work. This is new to our district. The teacher says it gives the students motivation to work hard and be accountable. But I wonder if it, instead, keeps the students from enjoying and maybe even challenging themselves in the enrichment activities, and whether it just encourages perfectionism. Also, I'm not sure if the grades will show up on report cards or not (and it's not like there is a GPA in elementary school), but if so, is it fair to grade the students on extra material when they are still required to complete all the regular work?
Just curious what other people think. Instinctively I don't like it at all and my DS finds it disappointing to get wrapped up in a fun project and do all kinds of work on his own, just to find that he was graded and that his teacher found fault with his efforts.
I get that students should get graded on their work in general and they should learn to deal with disappointment on occasion. But I wonder if it's necessary in a class specifically designed to encourage and enrich the educational experience.
