Grades affect everybody’s lives. They are the gateway to success. Grades can influence the way we think, act, and go about our schooling, but they are not always helpful. The truth is that grades don’t accurately show what they are supposed to. Knowledge isn’t accurately represented because people can find ways around things, work ethic won’t accurately be displayed if people would rather work on things that actually matter, and teachers can grade work differently from each other. 

If kids think that grades will give them everything they need, then they will always find a way to get good grades. Kids cheat on tests, homework, and quizzes; if they want to cheat, they will find a way to do it. This is the primary reason why knowledge isn’t accurately represented through grades. If students believe that good grades are the end all be all, they will find ways to bend the rules.

Most kids who don’t have good grades might be putting their time and effort into a job or family. Kids like to focus on things that can help them become better equipped in the world. For the most part, kids should be getting actual experience instead of getting information shoved into their brains.

Timpview doesn’t have a set grading system. Teachers decide for the most part what and how things get graded. With this being the case, students have to change how they work and think for each class. When students have to do this for each class, they won’t know what is the best way to work and think. A lot of teachers’ grades are based on attendance so students just have to show up regardless of if they learn anything.

As you can see, grades will vary for many different reasons and not just for students not working. Students just need encouragement to get work done instead of being told to “get their grades up.” Hopefully, teachers can realize that what happens in school isn’t necessarily the best for all students, and we can be able to see a change in the future.