I've heard that teachers are no longer allowed to grade students' papers using red pen because it lowers their self esteem. I'd like to know what 'psychologist' came up with that. These days, it seems like we are trying to make everyone happy all of the time, but we are forgetting the common phrase--"You can make some of the people happy some of the time, but you can't make all of the people happy all of the time"---(or something to that effect.) :)
I would think that no matter what color you use to grade a student's paper, if he got an "F," he's not going to be happy whether it's written in purple or aqua-marine. Instead of focusing on the color of pen we're using, the student needs to look at the grade and use it to see if he's learning the concepts or not. And we as teachers need to focus on the students' needs as far as giving them a good education is concerned.
No one likes a bad grade, and another color is not going to make it look more appealing. The color red is not going to ruin a child's self esteem in my opinion. Generations of people have lived through their teachers' usage of red pens, and they're just fine. Grading is a way to show what a student has/hasn't learned, his progress over time, and it also helps in self evaluation of success. Therefore, it's important to point out to children that the grade is a helpful evaluation tool for them and for teachers and the education system as a whole--it's not to torture them.
Red ink is our friend! :)
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2 comments:
I definitely agree - red is not intended to lower self esteem. A grade is a grade and a student must be aware of their grades. You're right, a different color is not going to disguise a bad grade or make a good grade seem better. Will you use red ink in your classroom?
I had not heard about not being able to use red ink! That is crazy! WOW... I agree with you, they aren't going to be happy with an "F" no matter what color the ink. I am sure teachers aren't like "Well today I am going to try and ruin Johnny's day, and self-esteem, by marking his paper in red ink." Geez.
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