Examine your beliefs about grading. State your belief, justify why you believe what you believe. At this point, how well aligned is your grading system with your beliefs, and what are your goals to more closely align them? What specific actions do you need take in order to make this happen?
Belief: I believe that grading is a necessary thing with regard to education. If students don't feel as if they are being graded, the quality of their work usually goes down, as does their effort, with exception given to the minority of students who want to learn for the sake of it. I think that there is a more altruistic and beneficial angle to learning for the sake of knowledge, but until we undergo a massive societal shift in thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs about and surrounding education, as well as improve the socioeconomic conditions that play a huge role in said circumstances, we as teachers aren't going to be able to exact that kind of change in the system that we all would like to see. I realize that grading is a subjective act that varies from person to person depending upon teaching style, student expectations, etc. Still, it is a perhaps unflattering reflection of how our society operates as a whole.
I try to vary my assessments with regard to rigor, quality, type, learning style, and presentation so that as many students as possible feel as if they got a fair shot at the grade they hope to attain. My goals to closely align them are simple: I want to craft the most accurate assignments possible with regard to expected learning outcomes and student achievement; I want the learning to be relevant, accurate, and unable to be manipulated by cheaters and / or technological access to knowledge / information that students don't themselves demonstrate or have; I want to make sure that students are invested in their own educations, and are working hard to achieve high grades and meet high standards; Etc.
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