As a result of the eagerness surrounding semester grades, some students are pushing for teachers to submit grades by the end of winter break rather than the current deadline, Jan. 16. Despite students’ fervor to receive grades as soon as possible, the current deadline for grades is reasonable as it allows teachers to enjoy a work-free Winter Break. While it would be convenient for students to receive grades as fast as possible, it is not feasible or fair to teachers.
Oftentimes, a teacher’s hard work is taken for granted. They slave over preparing lessons and grade assignments extremely quickly. The proposition of having to grade over Winter Break is unreasonable, as it gives teachers even less time off. Teachers who spend their break out of town may not be able to finish grading or putting grades into Infinite Campus.
Not only does this further limit teachers’ breaks, but it could also lead to rushed grading. If teachers are faced with an earlier deadline for grades, they could slack on in-depth grading in order to enjoy their break. This especially affects teachers who include an essay aspect into a final exam, consequently having to grade multiple classes worth of essays in little to no time, especially for those teachers who administer tests during the last period of finals. The current deadline stops teachers from facing a time crunch, which thus encourages fair, comprehensive grading.
Having the deadline earlier would also make it harder for students to communicate with teachers about their grades. As a result, students would not be able to clarify discrepancies. With this system, students are given two weeks to speak with teachers before the final deadline. For students with borderline grades, this is important as it can be the difference between two letter grades.
Junior Charles Yu agrees with this sentiment.
“Teachers would be overloaded with grading responsibilities and would not be able to enjoy their Winter Break,” Yu said. “Students with borderline grades might not be able to ‘argue their way’ up to the grade they want.”
Receiving grades earlier would provide students closure and help them prepare for the next semester by notifying them what they should improve on. However, it does not outweigh the grading discrepancies that come as a result of teachers not having a break.
Although it would be nice if teachers could have grades finalized and posted during Winter Break, it simply isn’t feasible. The system currently in place, with the deadline on Jan. 16, should not be changed because it allows teachers an enjoyable winter break and ultimately benefits the students themselves by providing them with fair grading and allowing time to discuss their grades with teachers.
