My Pupils Results Are Finally Online, REALLY disappointed Options

[yamaha]

Well, I got the mark sheets today and I still feel that the marks are low (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

I've sent a text message to all my pupils and their parents and will speak with them later today or at the next lesson. I didn't of course express and dissatisfaction at the award, just CONGRATULATIONS (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) One parent wants to speak tonight and I know that she is going to be upset, this is the parent of the pupil who just got 100 at Grade 4. She doesn't know that yet though, I only sent the category of mark in my message (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif)

Anyway, there's nothing I can do about it now except appeal, which I dont want to do really, it doesn't seem worth it to me (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

Thanks everyone for your support (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[margaret]

Hi Yamaha
I certainly feel for you on this one. I know how experienced you are and how dedicated. If I were you I would write to the Board. The Appeal system is, in my opinion, fairly pointless as if the appeal is upheld the only remedy is for the candidate to take the exam again. However in this case I think you need to put your mind at rest. I believe when there is an appeal the statistics of the examiner in question is looked at to see whether there marking is generally in line with others so you might get some info here.

Exams are not a perfect assessment tool! Most exams in the early grades aren't more than 20 minutes and the examiner has to make a very quick assessment of what they hear during that time. Personally I like the Trinity Guildhall mark scheme better because they have to assess the candidate under general headings, eg accuracy, communication etc which I think means they can't be quite so "wayward"

Yamaha I would chalk this up to bitter experience. Whatever you do don't let it undermine you. Yes, of course you need to consider whether you overestimated your pupils (although I'm sure you didn't). Look carefully at the mark sheets. Did they all score low in say Aural tests or sightreading. Did any of the pupils gain merits or distinctions for their pieces? How where the scales? Did the grade 1s all play the same combination of pieces? what was the spread of their marks?

Don't let the pupils feel that you blame yourself (or them) Be positive and see what you can all learn from this (nasty) experience. As soon as they have another successful grade or performance under their belt they will forget about it.

Last term I was doing my customary speech to a pupil about exams just being a snapshot of how she plays and how whatever she got wouldn't change how musical etc etc she is. I commented that we often learn more from our failures than our successes. I must have been VERY convincing because when she passed she was quite upset that now she couldn't learn from a failure!


CHIN UP!

[yamaha]

Thanks for your reply Margaret (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

I was thinking of writing to the Board, not to appeal but just to let them know. I think it must be useful for the Board to have this kind of feedback about their examiners anyway.

My Grade 1 pupils, all of them did In the Pink of course (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) but apart from that, no they weren't all the same, a mixture of A1, A2, A3 etc.. although naturally there were some pupils doing the same pieces. If they were all playing the same material I would have seriously considered my approach to teaching the pieces in question (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) An example of the differences in two of the Grade 1 candidates who both presented piece A2....... one got 22 and one got 28!

Scales and aural were good, with many gaining full marks at Grade 1 aural. Sight reading was not so good with the Grade 1 pupils, something that even if the examiner was a bit over strict, I need to address. I was aware of this though, so this isn't the area that suprised me. One boy got 18/21 for his sight reading (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

I just hope my pupils aren't disappointed. My grade 4 will be though, her parents had promised her £40 for a PASS, £50 for a MERIT and £100 for a DISTINCTION!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) Needless to say, she worked her socks off! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

PS. Love the story about your pupil who was hoping to learn from a failure !! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[unmusicalmum]

I just hope my pupils aren't disappointed. My grade 4 will be though, her parents had promised her £40 for a PASS, £50 for a MERIT and £100 for a DISTINCTION!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) Needless to say, she worked her socks off! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

Does anyone else find this a bit shocking? I'm feeling quite speechless. The poor kid - perhaps the extra pressure contributed to her getting the lowest pass mark as well as the stingy examiner.

[dacapo]

I just hope my pupils aren't disappointed. My grade 4 will be though, her parents had promised her £40 for a PASS, £50 for a MERIT and £100 for a DISTINCTION!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) Needless to say, she worked her socks off! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

Does anyone else find this a bit shocking? I'm feeling quite speechless. The poor kid - perhaps the extra pressure contributed to her getting the lowest pass mark as well as the stingy examiner.

My daughter who is a teacher and now also mother of a nearly-2-year-old, recently introduced me to the writing of Alfie Kohn. So far I've read his book Unconditional Parenting: Moving from Rewards and Punishments to Love and Reason and found it very thought-provoking. For readers' views of another of his books Punished by Rewards: The Trouble with Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, A's, Praise and Other Bribes go to the following Amazon page where you can read a number of Customer Reviews.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/custome...239&s=books

[Barry Thain]

I haven't read the book but judging by the comments the theory is probably soundly based.

We've been giving birth to children since long before we learned to talk. Before our brains evolved to do verbal language, infants only learned to do things by copying. Setting an example (without telling the child they are supposed to be learning from it) is still a good way of producing preferable behaviour. Suppose you want your child to read counterpoint and harmonization. One way is to give them the book and tell them to read it for half an hour every day. Another way is to read it yourself and wait until they ask if they can read it. Of course, that takes more effort on the parent's part - especially when I can't tell a fugue from a toccata - but it can be very effective (especially with teens who instinctively observe the law of reverse effect and will want to do the opposite of whatever the parent says).

This example setting extends beyond or, rather, begins before wresting with Piston on Orchestration. It is less likely that parents who don't demonstrate any passion or commitment to anything will find their child passionately committed to music or anything else. That's probably not a popular message but it's true. It's not exclusive and there are exceptions, but it's harder for parents who don't bother, to get their children to care. Parents who have hobbies other than watching TV, especially hobbies they can be observed doing by the child, are more likely to find their child enthusiastic about their own hobby, be it music or anything else.

Children learn by example all the time - without meaning to. Parents are the most readily available example, certainly in the first four or five years. That's the time to have Radio 3 on or, even more importantly, to be taking your child to live music. It doesn't have to be of a high standard but it does have to be live. Expose your child to live music when they are infants and their brain can learn music as a language at the same time it learns English. Recorded music is no substitute. (Similarly, if you want your child to speak Japanese when they grow up have someone Japanese read in Japanese to them while they're in their pram. They won't understand a word but their brain will get wired to recognize the phonemes so that when they learn it later in life they'll do so as a mother tongue. Recordings don't work.)

On the subject of Reward, it's very important. Neurologically, reward is an essential part of the learning process. The mistake is to make the promise of reward the incentive and motivation for the endeavour in the first place. It's one thing to give your child a reward for washing up/tidying their room or any other positive behaviour, but "Tidy your room and I'll give you £1" is likely to produce kids who absolutely won't tidy their room unless they are paid so to do. Reward doesn't have to be material. Appreciation and approval are preferable most of the time.

I expect that's a load of stuff no one wanted to know, so I hope you'll forgive me.

Best wishes

barry

I just hope my pupils aren't disappointed. My grade 4 will be though, her parents had promised her £40 for a PASS, £50 for a MERIT and £100 for a DISTINCTION!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) Needless to say, she worked her socks off! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

Does anyone else find this a bit shocking? I'm feeling quite speechless. The poor kid - perhaps the extra pressure contributed to her getting the lowest pass mark as well as the stingy examiner.

My daughter who is a teacher and now also mother of a nearly-2-year-old, recently introduced me to the writing of Alfie Kohn. So far I've read his book Unconditional Parenting: Moving from Rewards and Punishments to Love and Reason and found it very thought-provoking. For readers' views of another of his books Punished by Rewards: The Trouble with Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, A's, Praise and Other Bribes go to the following Amazon page where you can read a number of Customer Reviews.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/custome...239&s=books

[celloboy]

I do have sympathy with you , however at least they all passed. As well as learning for the failures , focuss on the good marks that you have quoted for the indivual sections. I am a parent and not a teacher , and I read with interest and horror the comments about rewards/incentives. I do not believe that incentives promised in advance is a good thing - not just because of the pressure it puts on the kids , but with music they have to want it themselves. I watch pressurised kids playing at music festivals - who are technically competent , but show no emotion when playing. My daughters achievements are rewarded , but as a surprise - she does not approach her music to get the reward , she does it because she wants to, and loves it. Sorry for going on - it just annoys me so much when parents put pressure on the kids with music.

[Roger]

We're currently on vacation in Spain, but my son emailed his piano teacher back in the UK and she told him the good news that he had passed (grade2 piano). He didn't do as well as he did last year G1 merit). This time he got 118 marks (2 marks off a merit) She had the marks sheet in front of her and said that there were some adverse comments in every section, especially sight reading and aural.
In her opinion , assessing the 28 pupils she has put forward this year across the range of grades, the marking by AB examiners has been somewhat harder.

[elliewelly]

I think the marking is getting more stringent - last session all of mine received passes and I'd been expecting 2 merits - their performances were great all round - but I didn't tell them, thankfully. That way, they were thrilled to pass.

I teach an 11-year-old who was highly motivated by doing grade 1, but before that I'd had trouble with her, as the parents wanted her to learn the clarinet more than she did. Once her dad said to me "I think she should be made to learn" (IMG:style_emoticons/default/huh.gif) to which I explained that wouldn't work in the long term. The girl eventually decided she did want to play, so we continued. Then a few weeks ago, she announced to me that if she passed her grade 1, her parents were going to buy her a laptop!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) The following week, she LOST her clarinet and all of the music, and couldn't practise for 12 days. So her dad bought her a new clarinet 2 days before her exam. The next day, the old one turned up. She took the exam, but has now been told she's not responsible enough to have the laptop yet. What a family! Will let you all know how she gets on.

I really hope that if my daughter wants to learn an instrument, it's her choice, not mine! And if she ever passes an exam, we will treat her to some new music or a nice day out - not a computer for grade 1! I hope all my colleagues here will help me to stay a bit grounded!

[carol*piano]

I teach an 11-year-old who was highly motivated by doing grade 1, but before that I'd had trouble with her, as the parents wanted her to learn the clarinet more than she did. Once her dad said to me "I think she should be made to learn" (IMG:style_emoticons/default/huh.gif) to which I explained that wouldn't work in the long term. The girl eventually decided she did want to play, so we continued. Then a few weeks ago, she announced to me that if she passed her grade 1, her parents were going to buy her a laptop!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) The following week, she LOST her clarinet and all of the music, and couldn't practise for 12 days. So her dad bought her a new clarinet 2 days before her exam. The next day, the old one turned up. She took the exam, but has now been told she's not responsible enough to have the laptop yet. What a family! Will let you all know how she gets on.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) This kind of thing really is unbelievable! I'm not sure quite what kind of message it's supposed to give to a child? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) Luckily I don't think any of my pupils have ever been bribed to take exams - we do it because they want to and they are always involved in the decision-making process. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[maggiemay]

Whatever you think about bribes, how inconsistent is that?

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

[elliewelly]

I know! I think it's awful!

When I was a primary school teacher, I had a wealthy little boy in my class who was promised a financial reward if he achieved a Level 5 in his English SATS. He was bright and my teacher assessment for him was Level 5, but in his test he achieved a Level 4. He was gutted (I think it was something like £100). When I was little, I was really happy when my grandparents bought me a box of new pencil crayons for a good school report, and that was only 20 years ago!

(maybe I should take this to the OLTVA)

Olive

[bobifier]

I know! I think it's awful!

When I was a primary school teacher, I had a wealthy little boy in my class who was promised a financial reward if he achieved a Level 5 in his English SATS. He was bright and my teacher assessment for him was Level 5, but in his test he achieved a Level 4. He was gutted (I think it was something like £100). When I was little, I was really happy when my grandparents bought me a box of new pencil crayons for a good school report, and that was only 20 years ago!

(maybe I should take this to the OLTVA)

Olive

My brother's friend was getting £100 for every C or above he got in his GCSEs, which I thought really didn't imply the right things aboot how the real world works...

And if you tell your matters to OLTVA, we will be happy to complain about them until that lovely young man in the white coat comes to give the dearies their medicine.

[possom]

When I failed my grade 6 piano (my teacher had upped and moved to Spain a few months previously), my mum still bought me a mars bar (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) I was never interested in rewards, I still went on and passed grade 7 with merit and got no mars bar (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[Cyrilla]

Nice one possom - I approve!!

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)