Pros of marks

Today I want to tell you about the pros of number marks. That there is no misunderstanding for you: I mean with number marks the marks we have that means the marks from one to five.
I am for marks because they are a payment for hard work but sometimes also for cheating but that is not the theme.
In my opinion good marks are motivating for the pupil who gets them but also for the others in the class because they want to get as good marks as the best one. So marks are an incentive to the pupils.

Number marks are also more motivating for the pupils than just sentences you get at verbal marking because everybody in the class wants to reach the best pupil of the class.

Another pro of number marks is that it is an easy way to notify pupils and parents about the result of their children's works. They are not interpretable in more ways like verbal marking. At verbal marking there are more ways of interpreting the result of a work because the mother or father and her child would interpret the verbal marking most times in this way that it is better for the pupil but often the teacher could have meant in a different way. Most times the pupil did not make everything like this how the mother or father thought or interpreted it because it is not clear how the teacher could have meant it. But nearly always the parents or the pupil interpret the verbal marking so that they have a benefit of it.

The way of judgement with number marks is also a very easy one and can be understood by nearly everybody and it is also an understandable comparison of the performance of a work. Number marking is one of the best ways to let the parents and the pupils know about their work.
A teacher is also obliged to give marks to pupils and he also has to observe the pupil and to judge the pupil. If somebody has a bad mark it will be a good motivation to learn more and not to be the worst pupil of the class or a subject.

Another pro is that you are sometimes set under pressure and you do have to learn more if you had a bad mark. This point is a greater benefit for lazy pupils and not for pupils who always learn a lot.
With number marks you have a stress and you are set under pressure and that is good because in your live and especially in your job you will always be put under pressure so it is good to be prepared for being set under pressure in the life by school.
At verbal marking there would be a specific sentence for a mark so it would not matter if there is a number mark or verbal marking.
A good example that number marks are better than verbal marking is my small cousin. Now she is seven years old and goes into the second form of elementary school. Her teacher only gives verbal marking and no number marks. She is a very clever girl but very lazy. The pupils in her class do only sometimes have to learn and write something, the other part of working is voluntary. So she only does these things she has to do and that is not much. She told me that she and her classmates are allowed to play games during the lesson and only the pupils who want to learn something pay attention to that what the teacher says. My aunt is very angry about that because she has to teach her daughter everything at home because the girl always plays at school and does not want to learn a lot at school. When she was in the first form her teacher became ill and another teacher taught them for some weeks. That was a teacher who gave number marks and no verbal marking. During these weeks pupils weren't allowed to play during the lessons and had to pay attention. During this time my cousin learned at school and my aunt didn't have to learn with her at home.
I think that this example is the best argument which speaks for number marks.


Arguments:
1. Number marks are the easier and more understandable way of judgement.
2. It is difficult to find the right sentence at verbal marking  Number marks faster.
3. There would be a particular sentence for a particular number mark.
4. Number marks can't be interpreted in more ways  They are clear.
5. Number marks are the best motivation for pupils  Without marks you do not have any motivation for learning.
6. Without number marks you can express the progress easier  e.g.: from four to three.
7. Lots of pupils have to be set under pressure for learning something.
8. Verbal marking only in elementary school but not in grammar school  Set under pressure for later life and job.
9. Most teachers are for number marks.