What does ranking our children do to them mentally?
Speaking from a teacher’s perspective, ranking our children serves no purpose at all. In fact the only effects it will actually have are negative and they apply to every single child in the room.
Firstly, and more importantly we should be celebrating the individual victories, strengths and goals of each child as an individual, thus building self-esteem, confidence, independence, compassion and acceptance amongst the other children in the school.
Where one child might be capable of solving Pythagoras, another child in the same class may still be struggling to learn how to calculate a simple addition. Both children have goals and when they reach them, or progress towards them, we celebrate.
Ranking your class causes only anguish and isolation for everyone involved.
To start with, the top of the class doesn’t need telling he’s the smartest, it embarrasses him and isolates him. Then there’s the next three children in the pecking order who are questioning why they weren’t top?
The big group in the middle are stuck in no-mans land. Neither top, nor bottom. “If you work harder you may be as smart as Sarah, but if you don’t listen carefully you’ll be at the bottom like our next victims of ranking.
Then we get to bottom of the class. The bottom 5. Well these guys are devastated. They put on a brave face, but deep down they’re devastated. Crying inside, walking home with tears in their eyes. Their motivation is a rock bottom. In fact everyone’s is.
During this process nobody wins, there is no positive outcome but still it happens day in and day out for thousands of children across the world. I’ve been the boy walking home crying, I’ve been the guy told “You came last”
But the failure is not that of the child. It is a problem of the system, the grading, the standardised approach to teaching, learning and assessment that has failed. Where is the differentiation? Where’s the acceptance that not everyone learns in the same way?
It is never the child’s fault so who is actually to blame here? Did we meet all their needs? Did we extend those who needed it? Did we accomodate for those children with learning difficulties?
If we want an educational revolution that focuses on mental well-being and emotional intelligence then let’s scrap rankings altogether.
Share this if you agree with me!
#classroom #teacherlife #montessori #pedagogy #primaryschool #teaching #internationalschools #curriculum #preschool #school
10 Responses
Great
We need to teach developmental teaching. Check out Dr. Mary Wood’s Developmental Teaching/Therapy. She has done years of research on this topic and is advocating for teaching students at their developmental stages rather than focusing on the curriculum. You are saying the same thing! Thanks Gavin!
I so much agree with your views. The concern that I have is off late in India the mandate to schools and teachers was NO DETENTION because of which whether a child was doing well or not , whether he was able to understand and perform reasonably acceptable as per his/her grade level or not they were promoted. The sad thing is now in classes 10th or 12th teachers complain that students can’t do things meant for grade level 6 also and in some cases even more low grade levels.
Teachers didn’t do their bit sincerely and schools were just churning out 100% pass report cards minus students with knowledge, skills, etc
Couldn’t agree more. I’d told my teaching colleagues and the school leaders over and over again, but they didn’t want to listen! I wish they read this article. Never have I asked my daughters’ classroom teacher about their place in the class. I’m glad that they enjoy their school and make friends. Like what Einstein said: everyone is a genius. Their happiness matters so much more than the marks on their report cards which do not have eternal values.
In India, the mindset is very different. Long way to go- but we work towards it for sure.
I’m totally in favor of this revolution. Thanks for sharing your points of views.
Would you be a guest on our national, ad-free Parents as Career Coaches Podcast in Canada? We are empowering parents to support their kids’ aspirations in ways most schools do not at present.
Wish parents would follow this and compare them with others. Enjoy them as they are and guide them to find their strengths should be the mantra.
Totally agree. Ranking serves no purpose at all.
There shouldn’t be ranking system within the class because you appreciate the top 10 but discomfort the remaining 40 students.