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Report card woes
@thinkingoutloud (6127)
Canada
February 5, 2007 4:43pm CST
Well, it's end of term and that means report cards are here again. My younger daughter came home with an amazing report card and an overall average of 89% for the term. Yet, she's disappointed. Why? I wondered too! Then, I saw her grades. She had over 90% in a strong majority of her individual subjects but the kicker? A 71% in Phys Ed. This managed to pull down her whole term average.
My older daughter is a lot more physically able than her sister. The younger is good at certain activities but not so coordinated at others - and they are tested on everything. She tries her hardest but there are just some things she can't do. She gets full marks from her teacher for participation and his written comment said she is "a very positive contribution to the class." But she still feels let down.
I've told her how proud I am of her. She's in the first year of what is called a "Challenge Program" at her school, for academically motivated students (her sister went through this same program a few years ago... it runs from Grade 7 to Grade 9). She excels in academics in a program where students must obtain at least 75% in the core subjects (Math, English, French, etc.) JUST to stay. She's done that (and more) yet I'm still trying to bolster her spirits due to a Phys Ed grade!
I know how important it is to get our kids physically active. There is far too much of an obesity problem among today's youth and they need to have as much Phys Ed as their school system can afford. I'm wondering if you all have thoughts or opinions, though, as to whether Phys Ed should be graded exactly the same as the other academic subjects. I mean, sometimes there just ISN'T a level playing field if a child isn't adept at gymnastics (she's not!) or can't hit a softball (this she CAN do LOL). I'll be grateful for any and all perspectives :)
1 person likes this
3 responses
@villageanne (8553)
• United States
6 Feb 07
I hated gym class. I was never over weight but I just was not good at gymnestics. I hated it and it was never fair because the popular kids such as cheerleaders or BALL players always gave the rest of us a hard time. I always made A's but I was humilated for them.
@blueskies (1186)
• United States
5 Feb 07
I really feel for your daughter. I am fantastically uncoordinated, but always received decent marks in phys. ed simply because my teachers only graded on being prepared and participating, not on skill level. I think it's a terrible thing to grade them on skill in gym class. It is especially detrimental to "bookish" kids (like I was), as it brings down their overall average in academics (as in your daughter's case). I'm all for having well-rounded and physically active children, but not at the expense of their academic performance records.
@thinkingoutloud (6127)
• Canada
6 Feb 07
Thanks for this, blueskies :) I've been trying to keep an open mind and see both sides... but it's hard when I see the disappointment on her face. And, honestly, she can't do any better than she's doing in her subjects other than phys ed so I can't give her the usual motivational talks about "applying herself" ... frustrating, at best.
@msmonkeyfeet (789)
• United States
5 Feb 07
I think it all depends on what kind of program a school is running for phys. ed. I know that when I was in 7th/8th grade we were merely graded on whether or not we showed up and participated, we didn't need to hit home runs, or make it to the top of the climbing rope, we just need to do the best we could. When it came to High School it was basically the same thing, which was a good thing because at that point class consisted of grades 9-12. If they had graded based on ability, someone like me (a little 5ft girl) would have had some serious issues going up against the 6ft+ senior football players that I was teamed against! I also think that grading kids based on their athletic abilities instead of their effort could be a good reason why some of them might get discouraged and not want to try at all.
1 person likes this
@thinkingoutloud (6127)
• Canada
5 Feb 07
My husband was just explaining to me this very thing, msmonkeyfeet! He said that all he had to do in high school was show up and participate. In my daughter's class, they are actually tested and they must show improvement every time they are tested or their grade drops in proportion. Sometimes, they are asked to do written exams on the rules and regulations of various sports and she does just fine on those... but she doesn't do "well enough" when tested on how many sit-ups, push-ups and such she can do in one minute (just as an example). When they play a sport, there are "levels" of competence that they are expected to meet.
You're right on the money when you say it's discouraging. One of my daughter's classmates is an experienced figure skater and weighs maybe 85 pounds soaking wet... and, in spite of her strong physical condition, she does poorly in phys ed. Seems a shame to me :(




