As a freshman here at Bowie I found it interesting how teachers grade here, especially the math department. 

The algebra one team here at Bowie grades by levels and offers no extra credit; just tutoring and the ability to retake tests. I think this negatively impacts students. 

With a heavy workload from all of the academic classes, and the pressure of scoring good on these tests, We weren’t prepared for this kind of work after sitting in our beds for a year doing school from home. 

Every two or three weeks all of the algebra one students have a test over a new topic and for kids that struggle with math it’s not a good thing. 

These tests are five questions and are graded on how you solve the problem and not by answers. You could get the right number answer but solve it a different way than your teacher would like you to, and it is counted wrong. 

Giving students wa five question quiz over something they just learned and making it count as 75% of their grade is going to impact a lot of students, especially athletes that aren’t amazing at math or just aren’t good test takers.

 Giving students a five question quiz isn’t a good demonstration of the students ability to solve the problems and do the math they were just taught. If you only get two right you will only have a 70 which  greatly drags down your average. 

While all of us were expecting high school to have more work and for it to require more responsibility, I don’t think anyone thought that algebra one would be as bad as it is. 

Most of the people I know are bombing their tests and failing their math class until the last minute and are having to constantly do corrections .

I think the way that the algebra one teachers are teaching isn’t effective and is actually harming their students’ grades and making the class miserable for them. 

If it isn’t effective, especially considering how we were all working from home last year, why do it? Why not change and find a better teaching strategy?

 Give your students the help and support they need to succeed. 

Just because something has been a certain way for a long period of time doesn’t mean it’s effective and working, it just means it’s been used and in place for a period of time. 

I think educators need to grow and change as their students grow and change. Every year students are going to be different than the year before, and teachers should be able to morph the way they teach to reflect the needs of their students and help them be able to pass. Even with an odd grading policy like this one.

I think we all need to adapt to the fact that none of us were ready for the workload this school year and grading in the algebra one department makes it harder for students who are already struggling to get the support they need and good grades.