Question

do grades indicate intelligence or effort

Answer 1

grades indicate intelligence and intelligence is acquired by effort

Answer 2

GRADES DON’T INDICATE EITHER INTELLIGENCE OR EFFORT



Study. Exams. Result. Grades. Most of our students’ life revolves around these key elements. Particularly grades are a matter of life and death for many diligent students. In our educational system it is customary to test a student’s knowledge in a particular subject and then grade him according to his performance. ‘A’ grade being the highest and most coveted, while ‘F’ being the lowest and the scorned. Students who get the highest grade are deemed really smart while those who fail are considered dull. Now the question arises do grades really reflect intelligence? Or is it a common misconception? According to educational experts many factors add up to make a grade. It reflects a student’s sense of responsibility, his diligence, the ability to understand the course material, and to perform well when tested. Overall grades reflect the results and not the intelligence or effort. A grade itself is a combination of a teacher’s professional judgment of a student’s overall performance. This is because high achieving students are able to deliver what the teacher wants. So, grades, in fact, reflect whether teachers think students have mastered the content.
Most of the students who get good grades are very obedient, compliant and hardworking. They have the desire to surpass all their class mates and excel in everything. In their efforts to be the best they are often limited to just their course material and are oblivious to the world around them. Though they are successful in their class but they spend all their time poring over the textbooks, that they miss all the joys of life. This obsession with grades comes from the belief that educational success means more opportunities for higher paying jobs and a better life. So can they be considered smart? No! There is a whole new world out there of which they have no knowledge. Their excellent grades are not the indicators of intelligence
There is another category of students who are generally thought to be at the bottom of every educational level. They receive bad grades and are generally considered dull. But are good grades really the holy grail of education? Of course Not! These students have the guts to surprise everyone. Sometimes they are more intelligent than the class toppers. The only reason they don’t perform well in the educational institutes is this that they have their own vision and don’t want to be defined by the books they cram. Their intelligence is unraveled in practical situations. That’s why in real life most of them are far more successful.
Some of the world’s most famous people were considered dull but they surprised everyone by their intelligence for example famous scientist Sir Isaac Newton did poorly in grade school and was considered “unpromising.” When Thomas Edison was young, his teacher told him he was too stupid to learn anything. He was counseled to go into a field where he might succeed by virtue of his pleasant personality. Winston Churchill failed 6th grade and had to repeat it because he did not complete the tests that were required for promotion. Benjamin Franklin spent only two years at the Boston Latin School before dropping out at age ten and going to work for his father. Einstein The Nobel Prize-winning physicist, dropped out of high school at age 15. Deciding to continue his education a year later, Einstein took the entrance exam to the prestigious Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, but failed. He returned to high school, got his diploma, and then passed the university’s entrance exam on his second attempt. The list is by no means exhaustive. The point is though these people did not do well in school but it doesn’t mean they were not intelligent. In fact they did wonders.
Grades never promise success in life, rather it is the accompanying skills, such as how to understand and navigate educational systems. Though high achieving students turn out to be solid citizens who become accountants, doctors, engineers and lawyers but they tend to be single minded. On the other hand success in business, public service, research and beyond often requires creative thinkers driven by curiosity, courage to take risks and to be open minded. These attributes are opposite to those necessary to succeed in educational institute. Instead of simple compliance, these students will question the rules and challenge the teacher. They are not interested in delivering what the teacher wants and may appear bored, indifferent or defiant. They can be stubborn, impulsive and rebellious. They are determined, often displaying single-minded obsession, where perseverance and resiliency that leads to success. They are able to see things most of us can’t. These traits equip them for success in real life but poor grades in school.
Overall we can conclude that though grades are important for becoming solid, contributing citizens but by no means, a good grade is a measure of intelligence.