“Guys, the math grades are up!”

There are very few things that would make me drop what I am doing, but something about the rush after a big test, the feeling that a grade could make or break your day is like no other.

Whether or not that is a healthy reaction, it has happened time and time again as teachers post grades.

As a sophomore, I never knew what Pascack Valley was like without constant and undeniable access to the gradebook. After tests or assignments, the first one to check was always followed by a quick surge of the surrounding students rushing to their computers to check their grades themselves.

Principal John Puccio said in an email sent to the school, “The grade book tab of Genesis will be closed during the school day (8 am – 3 pm). We have found that having the grade book open during the school day has become increasingly distracting for students. This is the same procedure that was in place prior to March 2020.”

Prior to Fall 2018, the gradebook had been open, but when the gradebook was revoked, it caused an uproar amongst students. Resulting in a school-wide petition, mass emails, and a threat of a walkout. However, this time around, the change has yet to cause such a mass panic.

As a student who values her grades and works hard to achieve her grades, it wasn’t uncommon for me to have the gradebook open throughout the day and to check it when I could. I know of many students similar to myself with an obsession with grades.

According to an article from Penn State, “Because of the ‘pressure to be perfect in the school setting for some, it is important to remember that ‘there is a big difference between striving for excellence and striving for perfection,’ as striving for perfection is irrational and unattainable.”

Now, having it gone I don’t feel a total absence. There are only a few moments where I wish I could run to check my grade after an important assignment or test. Overall, the lack is not overbearing, and I could see the potential increase in student mental health without constant access to the gradebook as well as the decrease of distractions during the school day.

However, other students perceive the effort to close the gradebook to be mainly for the benefit of the administration and teachers. The students want their grade access back so they can reduce the anxiety of waiting for the results of a large-scale test or exam. 

Initially, I was nervous about what the blocking of the grade book would do and if any aspect of our school life would change without the timely access to see our grades. We live in a modern world where everything happens instantaneously; without access to the gradebook, students lose the opportunity to immediately discuss grades or questions on assignments.

Personally, I was expecting the lack of access to the gradebook during the school day to impact me considerably more than it has. I believe this idea of limiting the use of the gradebook will only reduce stress amongst the grade-obsessive students and, as hoped, reduce distractions during instructional times.