Eric and Fred's ideas on grading

[Lynne Belcher <lrbelcher@saumag.edu>]

I'm not sure I think getting rid of grades really changes the power 
structure in a classroom.  With or without grades the mentor/student 
relationship still exists, and I think it should exist.  I find grading 
to be difficult in that it forces me to to make hard decisions, 
decisions I don't always like to make.  And though I think teaching 
might be easier for me without grades, I'm not sure students feel the 
same way.  If there are no grades, how are those hard decisions made 
about who is really to move on and who isn't?

If peer tutors can be good tutors without being great writers, why 
can't writing teachers be good teachers without being great writers?

Lynne Belcher
Southern Arkansas University