Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Surprising Revelation

My daughter's public-schooled friend mentioned today that she sometimes helps in the 1st grade classroom; she's in third grade. I don't have a problem with this at all. When I was in fourth grade, I spent my lunches, tutoring first graders or reading them a story. What surprised me was what she does when she is helping in the 1st grade class...she grades their spelling tests and math papers!

What do you think? Is it right for 3rd graders to grade tests and homework for the 1st grade teacher? Are they mature enough to handle this reponsibility? Are they mature enough not to come to negative judgements about the kids they are grading? Or the graded kids' race? Are they mature enough not to let their feelings about a particular kid influence how they mark the papers? Are there any other potential problems you can see with using young kids to grade tests and other papers?


Stumble Upon Toolbar

3 Comments:

Anonymous said...

I guess it's ok. I think it depends on the maturity of the child. I remember older dc grading our papers in school but I think they were a few more grades above us.

Anonymous said...

I don't really see a problem with it, after all the girl is two grades older than the other children.
I know that when I was in elementary school, I really only knew the kids in my class, forget knowing kids two grades below myself.

I'm sure the teacher also goes over the grades to make sure they're correct, and in first grade, graded papers don't really matter too much.

--Rachael

PS Happy Spring!

Michelle Olsen Sasak said...

I'm a little uneasy about it. Not necessarily that the kids might display bias, but that it truly is the teacher's responsibility. If third graders were reading with first graders, or tutoring them in math or something, that would be one thing. Grading tests a teacher is responsible for grading though...I don't like it too much.