My First Day at School

Not everything that we see, face or experienced can leave a lifelong print in our mind, unless some unusual situation or fearful first time facing characterized it. A first experience in the movie theater, a first flight, and a fearful car accident are the instances that leave some kind of permanent print in our memory. I do have such unforgettable experience, but my first day to school was the most powerful and deeply inscribed in my childhood mind with the fearful and stressful curiosity. It was Sunday morning that I was doing something different than my usual daily activities. By the time the morning sun come to the edge of the field, I would have been playing with my younger brother around there. Today I was caught by my mother into her tight hand in my wrist and started rubbing with cold water poured over my head that throughout my nude body. Academic grading is a part of the teaching and learning process in today’s world, which tis there to make an accurate evaluation of students’ achievements. The academic grading system, in the United States especially, takes on the form of letter grades which is divided into five different groups (from highest to lowest level) A (90%-100%), B (80%-89%), C (70%-79%), D (60%-69%), and F (59 below), where F stands for failing. “The traditional letter grading system remains the standard method of evaluating students in academic institutions” (Moreno).

However, this system becomes remarkably inefficient which tends to diminish students’ interest in learning and reduce the quality of students’ thinking. Perhaps, narrative report systems may be more efficient. Letter grades were first used in the United States in the last part of the 19th century. “Both college and high schools began replacing other forms of assessment with letter and percentage grades in the early 20th century. In the earlier ages, performance testing was the only type of testing used. “During the renaissance, formal education and testing was based on words rather than on physical performance” (Gibble). The oral examination seems to be more important in most parts of the world. The history of the present American grading system was first originated at Yale. In 1830 the first numerical scale was used at Harvard University. “In 1832 the mathematical and philosophical professor at Harvard reported a desire of the faculty to return to the 4.0 system, and apparently the institution did so.” “By 1867 they had adopted a P for passing, a C for conditioned, or A for absent” (Durm 2).